United labor bulletin., 1912-04-18
SOMETHING ALWAYS HAPPENS TO THEM

tuesday the Qally press cdrrlcu CHc loHO"Aa6
item in the news columns:
Victor April 16.-After eluding the
vengeance of men who had sworn to Kill
him since he pardoned by Cover
nor Buchtel Jim Warford, gunman killer
and formerly deputy sheriff in the employ
of the mine owners in this and other dis
trcts was found dead this afternoon on
Battle mountain, with three bullet wounds
in his back.
Warford was active against the strik
ers during the Labor troubles here, and on
election day, 1904 at Goldfield, Colo, he
shot and killed Ike Leno and Chris Muller,
prominent leaders in the Western Fedora
ton of Miners, without provocation accord
ing to witnesses For these crimes he was
convicted and sentenced to life imprison-
ment At the time of his pardon Warford
knew he was marked man, but his bravado
defied the men who threatened him.
Another '-bold, bad man-when protected by
officials s"-has bit the dust. This time 1t is jim
warford, murderer and criminal operator for the
mine owners of Cripple Creek After years OF wait
ing-when he least suspected that the avenger was
near at hand-it required the assassin hano 10
execute a man for murder for which the govern
ment gave protection. 1t in 1904, IN Goldfleid
Colo that Jim Warford and Walter Henley walked
toward the polls in the little mining camp, and as
they approached the place of balotng they came up
to Ike Idebo and Chris Miller sitting fence The
gunmen were deputy sheriffs. They asked the MN
ers what they doing there and without waiting
for an answer drew their guns and Killed Doth the
miners. The crime so uncalled Tor that even
their masters could them from serving jail
sentences and after every technicallty at the COM
mand of the mine owners was used to clear them
they were sent prisonone for life and the other
for shorter term. But Governor Butchtel-the
reverend gentleman that presides over Denver uni
versity-who allowed his name to be used TO con-
tinue the corporations in power-pardoned the mur-
derers Warford had been much IN the employ OF
the mine owners ever since clemency was extended
by the preacher governor.
Walter Kenley after the pardon granted
took up his residence in Telluride, San Mignei
- dor hpriff a
was given an appointment to fill the vacancy MADE
when Lou Knudtson shot to death a hotel man at
that place, presumably over woman hnudtson
act aroused public opinion to such degree that ne
could not escape the penitentiary, but was, few
months ago. pardoned by Governor Sha1roth Men
lev was the leader of the mob that took A ID
Floaten, state secretary OF the Soeahst party
from his home and family at night and marched MN
over the hills after breaking in the door and VIII
dows Henley was assisted in that outrage by Bat
Meldrum.
The outrages committed by these men were done
when mems souls were tried never before MIN
ers who belonged to the Western Federation could
not appear in public without being nsulted and de
graded by these thugs in the employ OF the rich
mine operators. A militant union miner needed
little more than blink an eye and he would feel the
cold lead from the gun of hired assassin AT the
time the Cripple Creek war was at Its height little
attention was paid to these killings, but when the
passions of men began to cool public sentiment de
manded prosecutions: and if one of the faithful
thugs sent to the penitentiary there always re-
posed in the governors chair faithful tool of those
who put him there and the murderer was set Tree
1t has been ever thus, even to the present day
After waiting all these years for the protection
guaranteed by the constitution of the state and ma
ton men who have suffered and bled that their
families might have the susenance of life have taken
the unprosecuted law into their own hands, and
probably for decade hence these bad men of
the past will be picked up one at time from remote
places in the hills, and the better class of citizens
will tell each other that another murderer has been
sentenced to death and executed for his crimes of
the past We do not commend these acts, but who
is there in the ranks of labor that will say such acts
are not justifiedq