The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-27
Beaten Over the Head and
Dragged Through Streets.
Placed ON q Train and Sent Out
of Calumet.
HEAD OF WESTERN FEDERATION
He Does Not Know Who His
Assailants Were.
Told He Will Be Hanged II He
Goes Back.

Chicago, Dec. 27.-Charles H. Meyer.
beaten and shot and run out of Han
cock. Mich. by a mob last night. ar
rived here this afternoon. He was
taken to a hotel, but later in the day
will be removed to hospital where
a surgeon will probe for the bullet. in
the muscles Of his left shoulder.
Amplifying his talk with a reporter
at Milwaukee. Meyer said that James
NcNaughton, manager Of the Calumet
and Hecla, passed the mob in his ma
chine and was at the railroad station
when the mob arrived. McNaughton.
the mine leader said. searched him in
the station, while two armed men held
him and took pOcketbook containing
valuable papers.
Milwaukee, Dec. 27.-"I was at
tackled by about 25 men in my room
at the Scott hotel in Hancock. Mich.
last night at about 8:34 o'clock, struck
over the head with the butt of re-
vOlver. shot in the back, dragged
through the hotel and streets, and put
on a train and told to leave that coun-
try forever" said Charles H. Meyer.
president of the Western Federation
of Miners during his stop here on a
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul
train, while enroute to Chicago. Mr..
Meyer was confined to his berth, and
his pillow and bed linen were soiled
with the blood from wounds in his
scalp and back. He was good natured
despite his wounds and said that af-
ter he got healed up" in Chicago, he
would return to Calumet and fight
the mine owners to the last.
'At $3.50 o'clock last night, Sheriff
Cruise and about Is other men came
to my room," he said. Ito ask about
arrangements for the burial Of the
poor persons who met their death in
the Christmas catastrophe. They re-
manned about Is minutes and left af-
ter 1 had told them that the Western
Federation of Miners and the labor
organizations Of the country could
and would care for Its own unfor-
tunates.
within four minutes or before the
committee of citizens could have left
the hotel. fifteen ruffians burst into
the room. was standing at the tel
ephone at the time and was putting in
a call. Charles H. Tanner Of Cali
fornia, travelling auditor for the West
ern Federation of Miners. was with
the.
Hit with u Revolver.
Several grabbed hold of me and
held me while another man came up
from behind and struck me with the
butt of a revolver, on the head, then
there was report OF a gun and l
felt a piercing sensation in my back.
/ don't think any one shot me deliber-
II think that the gun used in hit
ting me on the head was discharged
during the action.
'Then two men got hold of my arms
and dragged me out of the hotel.
Down the street we went. When two
men became tired two other huskies
took hold of me and although I was
on my feet part Of the time. yet for
blocks / was dragged. 1t is q little
more than q mile to HOughton, where
the mob took me. All the while they
were pulling me along the others were
yelling, lynch him and hang him
and calling me names.
when we reached the station,
James McNaughton, general manager
and vice president of the Calumet and
Hecla mines, drove up in an automo-
bile. He rushed up to me and said:
"'You get out of this country for
ever. If you ever come back I'll nang
you
''Then he continued to abuse me in
the vilest manner. When the train
left I was thrown bodily upon it. Two
men who claimed to be deputy sherif1s
then got on. They took me into the
sleeper and soon after Mr.. Tanner was
brought in. He, too, had been as
to the station.
Deputy Had the Tickets.
zone of the deputies handed the
conductor our tickets and said we
were going to Chicago. The deputies
ntayed on the train untilw had passed
into Wisconsin.
Somewhere on the Zip a doctor was
called to dress my ~-ounds. He was
summoned by one Of the men who said
they were deputies and he told the
doctor to send the bill to the sherin
at Calumet. In order to Irove my
case, 1 got a statement from the doc
tor"
Mr.. Meyer then reached into his coat
and pulled out two sheets OF paper on
which was written this statement:
Charles H. Meyer was treated by
me for a gunshot wound in the back.
apparently superficial in nature. and
decorations of the scalp.
(Signed) ~. w. STORY, M. d.
(Countersigned.)
wv. b. HENDLEY.
Deputy Sheriff.
II have never said that a member
of the Citizens Alliance caused the
panic at italian hail. said Meyer when
asked as to his reported statement.
II did say there were rs men who
would swear that they saw man
rush up the stairs, stick his head
through the door and yell fire.
Asks No Help.
I'VE can take care of our own peo-
pie. We have fought their battles.
We have fed them while they were
hungry, and clothed them when they
were cold. Now we can bury them.