Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-06-27
Letter From Arkansas.

reading:
"Claud G. Baldwin, being first
duly sworn, upon oath deposes
and says that he makes this affi-
davit voluntarily, and that no per-
son has used any influence of any
nature whatsoever to get him to
make this affidavit; and that all
the things stated in this affidavit
are true of atlantis own knowl-
edge. That during the month of
November, 1908, and after said
time, Harry Orchard, who was
also using the name of Tom Ho-
gan, was in the employ of the
Cripple Creek Mining Operators
Association, and was reporting
regularly to the military forces
stationed at Victor, Colo, during
that time; that this affiant saw the
same Tom Hogan on the 14th day
of November, 1908, and heard him
make his report for that day.
That just prior to the breaking of
the cable and killing of fifteen men
on Stratton's Independence mine,
on the Goth day of January, 1904,
this affiant, together with Mr..
Travelle, H. e. Moore, A. T. Hol-
man, S. D. Crump and Nelson
franklin met in the house of the
said Travelle, and during the con-
versation it was stated that some-
thing must be done to break the
force of the strike, then being
carried on by the Western FEEDER
alton of Miners. 1t was then sug-
gested that the shaft-house be
blown up; but after some conver-
sation it was agreed that that
would entail too large a cost.
Afterwards it was agreed that
some person should be selected
who would, by use of acid, weak
en- the cable used on the hoist in
said mine, and that one Frank
Gelisse was to be used as engineer
at the proper time, and that he
was to be instructed to let the cage
run up to the shrive wheel and
thus break the weakened cable
and drop the cage to the bottom o.
the mine. A few days later it was
done, but fifteen men were killed
A few days prior to the 22d day o1
November, 1908, there was meet
ing at which it was agreed thai
Harry Waters and H. T. Guytor
were to pull off premature ex-
plosion in the Vindicator mine
That could not we'll be done dur.
ing the day time unless near the
hour of 4 o'clock; so it was finally
agreed that an explosion shoult
occur on the sixth level at some
time when the cage was lowered
1t was agreed that wire shoulc
be stretched across the shaft anc
the lowering of the cage shoulc
set off the explosion. The powde,
was placed in position and a Colt
revolver, bearing the United State
stamp, was so fixed that the wir'
would pull off the revolver and tn
revolver would explode the powd
or. Jack Bowman was approached
about this matter, but from all
can learn, the price offered wa
too small and Bowman declined t.
carry out the matter. On tn
night of November %, 1908, afte
the explosion had occurred an
killed Beck and Mccormack, | ha,
q conversation at the Vindicato
mine with Frank Woods and Sher
man Bell and A. T. Holman, an
they said that the wire had bee,
stretched across the shaft and tina
Beck and Mccormack, not know
ing that the thing was in place
) went down on the cage and tn
; explosion followed, killing them
I saw the revolver which had bee
: used to cause the explosion, an
it was a United States weapon
Afterwards another weapon wa
substituted, a little bulldog re
volver. The parties who fixed tn
explosives in place were to leay
the mine through tunnel lew
connecting Herewith.
"That on or about the 3Oth da
Of May, A. D. 1904, at the Palac
Hotel, in Denver, a meeting wa
held, at which / was present, an
between S. D. Crump, A. T. Hol
man, Mr.. Copeland, A. E. Carlton
HI. G. Moor and Nelson Franklin
In the conversation it was sal
that something had to be done, q
no success had been made toward
/ breaking the strike. It was fir
= proposed to blow up the F. 8 9.
S depot in Victor, but some Of tn
. parties objected to that, and finall