The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-03-17
Awful Condition of Affairs in
Mining and Government Circles
in Colorado and 1daho-Capital-
lists of West Determined to Get
Lives of Labor Leaders,

DEAS En-, NdFCn 1O.-lHe arrest Oh
President Charles H. Meyer and Sec
retary Haywood is but the elimination
of series Of Incidents that reach back
into many years of the political and in
dustrial history of the great mining re-
eion of the West" says Geo. H. Shoaf,
special correspondent for the Appeal to
Reason in the Colorado-Idaho conspir-
acy against the officers of the Western
Federation of Miners. "It is a con-
summation that has not been unex-
pected by the individuals themselves,
and it requires but a cursory glance at
the situation to understand that it has
long been devoutly wished and worked
for by the Mine Owners Association.
Meyer, Haywood, Pettibone, st. John
and others are at last in the grip Of the
sworn enemies of the Western Fedora
ton of Miners, charged with the muir
der of Idaho's Ex-Governor. Upon the
strength of confession alleged to have
been made by Orchard to Pinkerton
detective of notorious reputation, the
state authorities Of both Colorado and
Idaho claim that they have indisputable
evidence to convict the arrested men of
not only this crime, but Of dozen
other crimes said to have been COM
mited in the mining camps of the
Rockies. Every effort will be made by
the legal authorities to bring about the
conviction of these men. Money will
spent like water by the Mine Owners
Association to hasten the day Of doom.
The reputation of the Pinkerton detec-
tive agency the greatest institution of
force and murder the world has ever
konwn, hangs upon it's successfully
getting the evidence that will hang the
Federation men.
Clarence Darrow Attorney For. Miners.
Messrs. Richardson and Hawkins, of
Denver, and Clarence Darrow, of Chi
cago, have been retained by the Miners
Union to represent the imprisoned men
in their fight for life. Not only will
the treasury Of the Western Federation
of Miners be at the disposal Of the de-
fense, but generous and unsolicited
contributions have been received from
union organizations throughout the
country.
Case May be Taken to u. s. Courts.
On March 9Th, attorneys for
Denver to Boise, where unconstitution-
the supreme court of Idaho, asking for
the release Of the Federation officials
by habsas corpus prpceedin sIt was
shoygIs aapreil1e G fkltes
arrest .ef lG0y efs and s 8 haywood, 1lid
subsequent kidnapping transfer from
Denver to Boise, were unconctitution-
al and unprecedented. The illegality of
the entire procedure will be thrown in
to the lime1ight, and If the supreme
court ignores the argument and fails to
give the men their liberty, it is not i'm
probable that the matter will be carried
' to the supreme court Of the United
States. The purpose for which this
contest will be made, it is claimed, is
not to delay the trial of the accused,
but to find out whether arrested citi-
zens in one state can be kidnapped and
lodged in the penitentiary Of another
state, charged with crime, without hav-
ing been given opportunity to see their
family Or friends, or being privileged
with a preliminary hearing in the city
or town from which they were re-
moved.
Frausht With Tremendous Conse.
quences.
AS stated at the outset, this as
signment is big, difficult and fraught
with tremendous consequences. It in
wolves review Of the history of the
history of the Western Federation of
Miners and the Mine Owners Associa-
ton. 1t will necessitate a re-investiRa-
ton of all the outrages that were per-
petrated in the mining districts during
the strikes that have occurred since
the formation of the two organizations.
The political developments, and in
trigues, as well as the industrial dis
turbances, must be pointed out and If
there have been any crimes committed
closed.
1t shall be my purpose, therefore, to