Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-17
RAMSEY REFUTES DAMAGING
TESTIMONY BY WOOD

l.. G. Ramsey, an assayeT of Victor.
Col, who was pOwderman in the Vim
dicatOr mine at the time Of the eNplO-
sion was called in further rebuttal %
! the witness Wood, whose testimony
was regarded as highly important Us
tending to indicate that the occurrence
at the NindicatOr was an accident.
Wood told OF seeing a box of dynamite
left on the water barrel in the eighth
level, and drew the inference that Nc
Cormick and Beck took this powder
with them to the sixth level Wood
explained the finding of the remnants
of pistO by saying Beck carried a
pistol.
In contradiction of all this. Ramsey
declared today that during the time ne
was in the mine he never saw a pis, )l
in the possession OF either Beck Or
Mccormick. All powder passed
through his hands, and he said therr
was none on the eighth level.
Wood said Mccormick and Beck had
been on the eighth level just before
going TO the sixth. Ramsey contra
dicted this absolutely.
When Ramsey resumed the stand
after the noon recess he said he found
some forty per cent powder where
Beck and Mccormick We're killed.
on cross examination Ramsey said
there was a water barrel on the nintn
level but not on the eighth. The only
powder regularly used in the mine
was thirty-iiVe per cent.
Ramsey said that both Mccormick
and Beck had pistols In their offices OF
at home.
Attorney Richardson read eXteH-
sively from the testimony given by the
witness at the coroners inquest follow
ing the explosion. In that testimony
Ramsey told of finding but one bundle
of powder iH the Nindicator coal bins
a. AfaItH
bundles as a matter of fact.
Ramsey said that Mccormick, who
was killed, was his stepfather and he
was greatly excited at the time.
one Of the jurors wanted 10 know
the witness age. He said he was %.
At the time of the explosion he was
IS.
Sheriff Rulan. Of san Miguel county,
Col, succeeded young Ramsey in the
witness chair and told of "A riot In the
Telluride district prior 10 the calling
ont ~ the troops The riot he de-
clared, was led by Vincent ST. John of
the Western Federation Of Miners, and
he recognized many Of the men in the
mob as members of the federation.
The witness also told of the murder
of Arthur Collins. superintendent or
the muggler-Union mine. as one oi
the incidents which led up to a declar-
alton of martial law.
In examining Sheriff Rutan,
Attorney Richardson said he wanted
to show who it was that combined to
fight the miners union.
when the strike was declared he
asked the witness, "isnt it fact that
the miners boycotted an the gambling
places. all the stores except Floton's
and all the banks"
Sheriff Rutan said he didn't know
that this was true. \. :. Flotan did
not belong to the citizens alliance. He
was afterWard deportcd
The witness told of "a Mexican being
killed and James Phillips being shot
through the arm and beaten up The
sheriff signed the request for tho
troops Martial law was not declar ad
for more than month after the ar
rival of the militia.
Richardson asked perfect han ol
questions as to the character Of Nart-
Gus deputies on the sherin's pay roll
as TO their being notorious gun-men,
etc. The questions were ruled out on
the ground of immaterialitN
Sheriff Rutan said some oi his DEP
uties were not ON the pay roll lie
did know of his own knowledge that
they were paid by the mine owners
As court adjourned until tomorro"
morning at $3.50 Prosecutor HaWley
that the state would have
twelve witnesses on rebuttdL Tie anti
cipated that the croSs-eNaminatiou OF
these would be lengthy.