Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1913-12-30
Rioting Feared in
Copper Country
(By United Press Associations)

SiCudClOil Ill eiiC COppeI COunGfy Is HO
improved today. If anything it is
more tense. Rioting is feared here
and at Red Jacket where armed mem
bers of the citizens alliance are pa
trolling the streets, forbidding the
strikers to congregate. The Houghton
county special grand jury reconvened
at Hancock and Prosecutor Lucas
promised full investigation of the
charge of President Charles H. Mover
of the Western Federation of Miners
that before his departure from Han
cock he was beaten and shot by mem
bers of the citizens alliance. The
citizens admit deportation, but deny
shooting or beating him.
At Red Jacket the coroner continued
the inquest on the seventy victims of
the Christmas eve panic. A dozen
witnesses were examined by noon, but
no important testimony developed.
/ Judge Hilton, the strikers lawyer,
said before night he would produce
witnesses to swear that a member of
the citizens alliance gave the false
fire alarm, causing the tragedy. He
added that he is ready to prove that
alliance members assaulted Meyer.
Congressman Mcdonald is personal
ly investigating the situation and said
this afternoon: "It seems to me the
sight fthe crushed bodies of chill
dren lying on the floor should have
shocked the warning factions into a
realization of what they are doing,
but such has not been the case. But
few realize the gravity and terrible
danger of the situation. If we are to
avert later calamity, law and order
must be restored and lawlessness be
+ punished, no matter who is respons-
ible."
Calumet, Mich, Dec. 30-Out of a
score or more of witnesses only two
persons testified bofore the coroner's
jury that the nan who caused the
Christmas eve disaster wore a white
button similar to the badge of the
citizens alliance. Immediately after
adjournment o. N. Hilton, the Den
yer attorney in charge of the West
ern Federation of Miners legal mat
ters, announced that further develop
ments on this phase of the inquiry
would be attempted today.
The president and half dozen
members of the women's auxiliary
connected with the federation, swore
that they saw no insignia on the man.
Union members who stood in the ves-
tibule of the Italian hall before the
panic said the alarm came from with
in the hall and no person wearing
such button passed them.
p Little progress has been made in
solving the circumstances attending
the deportation of Chas. H. Meyer
"Moyer told me in Chicago that he
was thoroughly convinced in his own
mind that the man in question was
James McNaughton,' said Attorney
, o. H. Hilton for the defense. 81 will
not say that knew it was McNaugh-
ton,' he said, but l believe the state
ment of Meyer who claimed to have
met the general manager of the Calu-
met-Hecla company in conference,
based on a misrepresentation Meyer
told me the man who physically an
swered the description of McNaugh-
ton alighted from an automobile and
cursed him, then searched his pockets
and took a wallet containing some
private papers. The man was address,
ed by other members of the mob as
"Jim" and wore a general air of
authority which agreed to McNaugh-
tons "personality." This man told
Meyer if he ever came back to the
copper country again he would hang
| him.
"Any charge Meyer made connect
ing me with Houghton tragedy is ma
liciously false" said McNoughton, "as
was in Calumet all that evening""
Senator MARITIME of New Jersey,
conferred with Solicitor General Davis
of the department of justice regard
ing federal investigation which Mar
tine had asked on the Calumet strike
situation. Davis told Senator Mar
tine that he would advise him later
on the statutory situation of the mat
ter. Senator MARITIME wrote Attorney
General McReynolds in which he term
ed the treatment of the miners as
brutal and outrageous" Before de-
Gliding what step to take after con-
gress had reassembled Senator Mar
tine said he would consult some col,
leagues, naming Senators Kern, BoraE