The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-07
NEARLY BEATEN TO DEATH.
Assault Upon Herbert Bedford Is
Brought to Light.

GoIddeld. New. Dec. 6.-Herbert Bel
ford, son of Judge Bedford of Denver,
appeared today at the office Of the
legal department of the Goldfield Con-
solidated Mines company with his face
so badly disfigured that he was hard
" recognized, as a result of treatment
received at the hands of the miners
Saturday night. His face was bruised
and his nose broken, upper teeth
knocked out and several ribs broken.
Bedford claims that he was recognized
in one of the saloons of the town and
called to the sidewalk, where he was
taken into custody by a man wearing
star and reporting himself as a dep
uty sheriff. He was led through dark
and lonely district, supposedly on his
way to jail when he was set upon by
thugs and was left for dead. He was
found two or three hours afterward IN
an unconscious condition and taken to
the hospital, and it was several hours
before he regained consciousness.
Bedford was missed by his friends.
but was supposed to be out of town.
During the evening of the assault Bel
ford had been accused of having
"scabbed" on STATIONS independence
mine in Cripple Creek during the strike
there. He had worked there at the
time, but in the office of the company,
and was not eligible to join the miners
union. He was also accused of being
too friendly with detectives in Gold
field. He was taken to the miners
union hail to clear his record, but he
found no one to identify him. He was
permitted to go with a warning, but
later he was assaulted.
Bedford says his friend, one Greenlee,
who had also been threatened at The
-. So Il T1nlf ord DC
where to be found. His trunk and eff
fects are undisturbed in his room just
as he left them Saturday night, and no
one has seen him since. Bedford says
he is either killed or has departed.
Work of Dynamiters.
Dynamiters made an effort yesterday
to wreck an electric power line which
furnishes the light and power to Gold
field. A patrolman today discovered
100 sticks of giant powder scattered
around three poles near the place where
the line crosses the railroad track, two
miles from the city. Holes were bored
in two of the poles and caps had been
exploded, but the powder, being frozen,
failed to ignite.
The Nevada California Power COM
pany maintains a patrol of its line be-
tween Goldfield and Bishop, which
covers the entire line cnce every forty
eight hours. The force has been aug
mented, and hereafter a close watch
will be maintained.
1t is understood by the mine oper-
ators that the coming of the troops
means a permanent garrison at Gold
field.
1t is declared the plan has been I'M
der consideration for several months,
and that a number of applications have
been made by the mine owners
throughout the state for such action
by the war department. But little of
the details could be gathered. but it Is
understood the post will be a branch
of the Preside, and that it will be a
regularly established military post.
The statement is made that the post
will BE- established in q few months,
and that troops are being hurried to
Goldfield ahead of time to prevent the
possible outbreak of violence in the
event Of an attempt on the part of the
operators to reopen their mines.