Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-07
RIOTING AT VICTOR.
One Man Killed and Several Others
Will Die from Wounds.

Victor, Col. June 6.-Deadly rioting
broke out at Victor, this afternoon,
while mass meeting was being held to
discuss the murder of u nOn-union
miners by means of an Internal ma
chine at Independence. Forty shots
were fired into a crowd in the street.
r. MCGEE of Victor, was shot dead
and at least six persons were injured
as follows:
William Hoskins, Goldfeld, shot
through the body, may die.
Alfred Miller, GOldfeld, shot in the
body, may die.
]. ID. Davis, skull fractured by blow
from revolver.
Peter Fleming, gunshot wound.
Fred Strudevers, engineer at indie
dependence mine.
An identified woman.
Secretary Clarence II. Hamlin of the
Mine Owners Association. was making
an address and in concluding said: II
want to hear what the boys in the
mines have to say about this trouble -
referring to the Independence disaster
VIM. Hoskins, n union miner from
Goldfeld, threw up his hand and shout
ed, Let me talk"
At this the crowd began to hiss Hos
kins, and cried: Put him out
A free for all fight followed, and
shooting began. Most of the shots were
directed skyward.
Hoskins fell with bullet in the body
and the crowd scattered.
Secretary Hamln, who was standing
on a wagon. kept talking, unmindful
of the storm of bullets that whizzed
about his head.
After the first excitement had sub
sided, the injured and the dying were
gathered up.
r. Niece, of Victor, who was in
stantly killed had been standing on
an embankment 80 feet above the men
who had been fighting and was an in
nocent spectator. a pitched battle is
looked for at any moment. There are
five thousand men on the streets and
union men are arming themselves.
They are thronging the streets, max
ing threats.
Previously to the riOting Sheriff
Henry NJ. Robertson had been sum-
moned to n meeting of the Mine Owners
Association in Armory hall. by a COM
mittee composed of c. c. Hamlin, sec
rotary of the association; J. S. Murphy.
manager of the Findlay mine and l.. f.
Hill of the Theresa mine. At this meet
ing RobertsOn's resignation was de-
manded. He yielded to the demand.
Then Edward Bell was appointed by
the county commissioners to fill Rob-
ertson's term. Robertson was n union
miner before he was elected sheriff. Bell
is Il member Of the Citizens Alliance.
Nearly all mines in the region had
been closed by order of the Mine Own
erS Association and hundreds of miners
flocked into town from the surround
ing hills. Fully 1900 supporters of the
association gathered about the Armory
at mass meeting. At the same time
1000 men. armed with all sorts of weap-
ons, were assembling on the vacant
ground at Victor avenue and Fourth
street in response to n call for a union
mass meeting. Most of these We're uni
on men, who declared their intention to
resist to the death any attempt to run
them out of the region. City Marshal
Michael O'Connell. who had been re-
fused admittance to the Mine Owners
headquarters. hurriedly swore in sever
al hundred citizens. most of them union
men, as deputy policemen.
After a conference with Sheriff Bell
and a number of mine owners. Mayor
Frank D. French removed City Mar
shall O'Connell and dismissed his depu-
ties.
Then followed the rioting. in which
MCGEE was killed and ut least six per-
sons were injured. After the rioting
began Sheriff Bell ordered out all the
soldiers in the region. He also appoint
ed 100 deputies.
Wholesale arrests of union men will
be made, it is said.
Soldiers have already arrested three
editors and printers of the Record. And
City Marshal O'Connell and put them
in the ''bull PEN
All mine owners are carrying weap-
ons.
A persistent rumor is current here
to the effect that Sheriff Bell was shot
and killed, tonight.