The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1904-06-15
BLOWN UP BY FIENDS
OASTARDLY PLOT TO KILL NOM
UNION MINERS.
Charge Of Dynamite IL Exploded Under
Crowded Depot Platform at I~ndepend-
ence, Coiorado-Twelvc Men Killed
and Others Terribly Mangled.

As the result Of a fiendish plot to
kill non-union miners twelve men are
dead and dlsmembered, eight fatally
Injured. while the station Of the Flor
ence and Cripple Greek Railroad at In
dependence, Colo, is annihilated.
About 200 pounds OF dynamite, ex-
ploded to destroy an approaching train,
raised a crowd of miners into the air.
and parts of their bodies were picked
up a long distance from the scene Of
the blast. Where the station stood
there is only an immense hole In the
ground to tell of the dastardly deed
the most cruel in the history Of the
miners strike which has made a plague
spot OF the district.
The explosion occurred very early
Monday morning, 1t was the result or
a plot against the non-union miners on
the night shift at the Shurtleff, Findlay
and Lost Dollar mines, who had just
finished work and were about to re-
turn to their homes.
Detectives found the machine which
set off the dynamite under the wreck
age Of the platform. 1t consisted Of a
revolver and 800 feet of steel wire The
revolver was placed under the platform
near the powder. The other end OF
the wire was fastened to a chair leg,
which was used as a lever from the
cribbings of the Delmonico property.
The whole district is In arms as q re-
suit of the catastrophe, and further
trouble is feared.
Great Hole in Ground.
1t is supposed that at least two hun
dred pounds of dynamite must have
been used to produce such an explo-
sion. The ground on which 1t stood
shows a great cash, as IL an earth
quake had torn up the country and left
a cavity to remind the people Of a great
upheaval. The impact of the explosion
was felt In every direction. The min
ers who stood on the platform Were
literally shot far into the air.
The scene about the depot vas sick
ening, Portions of human bodies were
scattered over the right Of way, and in
the twenty-foot hole made by the ex-
plosion were found severed skulls,
arms, legs and hands. Every object
within a radius of fifty feet from the
hole was despatched with blood. When
news of the disaster reached Victor,
Mayor Franklin ordered out Company
L, Colorado National Guard.
Although the strike of union miners
in the Cripple Creek district, which be-
gan Aug. 10, 1903, and which led to the
declaration Of martial law in Telluride
County by Governor Peabody, Is still
in effect, good order has been main
tanned for the last six months and mill
itary rule has been suspended and all
troops withdrawn. The mine owners,
with the exception of the Portland
company, say they have as many men
working as they need and they require
all miners to allegiance to the
Western Federation before giving them
employment. A committee appointed
by the Western Federation, now In SEES
sion at Denver, to investigate the sit
uation In the district, visited the camp
last week Charles III. Meyer, presi-
dent Of the Federation. is In Jail at
Telluride, which is under martial law,
being held as a military prisoner by
Governor Peabody, who charges him
with melting insurrection and rebel
lion. Telluride is in Southwestern Col
orado and is about 400 miles from Grip
Pile Greek. The strikes in the metallif-
erous mines Of Colorado were ordered
by the Executive Board Of the West
ern Federation Of Miners for the pur-
pose of cutting off the ore supply Of
mills and smelters at which an eight
hour day was refused to the employees.