South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-30
BY RICHARD HENRY LITTLE.

DOSNOn.
BY RICHARD HENRY LITTLE.
CALUMET, Mich, Dec. 30.-Inter
ventiOn by the L. S. seems as unpop-
ular with the citizens of the copper
empire as IL does with the residents
of Mexico. The deportation of Meyer
did not receive One-tenth the attention
Tuesday in the copper country that
the proposition TO subject the situation
here to a congressional investigation
did
1 have not heard one person who
favored such a course on the part of
the government except Rep. William
Macdonald, who arrived in his home
at Calumet Monday night
Citizens generally expressed them
selves as being opposed TO congress
sional inquiry on the grounds that
there was no contention existing in the
copper country TO win such action.
Personally L cannot see any very
serious condition OF affairs up here.
I asked "a prominent member of the
Citizens Alliance if any member of
the mob had threatened Meyer with
lynchinS and he replied that if no
body had mentioned lynching it was
because in the general tenseness Of
the situation the matter had been over
Not Really BlOodthirsty.
! quote this gentleman because /
don't believe that he is really as
bloOdthirsty as he sounds. / don't
believe there was the slightest inten-
ton on the part Of anybody 20 lynch
Meyer. There is no doubt however.
In the minds Of any stranger that
comes into the copper country, but
that Meyer was extremely unpopular
with the members of the Citizens Al
lance, whose exact numbers are not
given, but who turned out $4,000
strong in a parade.
The Citizens Alliance is made UP OF
business men and professional men OF
all kinds. In it's rangs are preachers.
butchers doctors, bakers. lawyers, ed
itOrs, clerks, stOrekeepers and gro
cery wagon drivers.
You meet men wearing the white
button of the Citizens Alliance every
time you turn around in HOughton.
There is not member OF the Hough,
ton club but that seems to belong, and
the barber that shaved me apparently
belongs twice, because he had but
ton on each suspender.
1t was explained 10 me that the
Citizens Alliance was sort of vigi-
lance committee such as used TO be
found in western towns. Having no
large force of police to quell disorders,
the citizens generally got together
and organized to be ready in case OF
necessity.
Two out Of twenty odd witnesses
testified before a coroner's jury Mon
day that the man who caused the
Christmas eve disaster here wore
white button like the badge of the
Citizens alliance Immediately after
adjournment of the hearing, 0. n.
Hilton, the Denver attorney in charge
of the Western Federation Of Miners
and labor interests. announced that
further developments of this phase of
this inquiry would be attempted.
Want the Facts.
"All we want is a finding based
upon facts developed at the inquest, ="
said Mr.. Hilton. the identity of the
miscreant who started q the mad rush
! for the stairs is of paramount i'm
portance. and we intend to do what
we can to clear this up
The testimony as TO the button
came at the beginning and end of
the afternoon session of the inquest
John BurCar, who gave his age as
/ Il and said he had lost a sister in
\ the disaster, eNcitedly told of seeing
a man muffed 10 his eyes in a fur
/ collared Cvercoat enter the hall
/ He hollered fire. and then ran
/ out" said the boy. II ran out too.
coat"
The other witness. Mrs. John II.
/ KOs.S. said she was 20 feet from the
man who wore a dark blue coat on
1 which vas white button
Was Too Far Away.
1T looked like an alliance button
| she said. But / vas too far away
to read it
one or two witnesses said there
| had been some cODfaslon in the hall
/ before the panic started but women
in charge Of the celebration denied
| this
Practically all witnesses agreed
/ =, 10,
/ that il Was taken up at once in diff
ferent parts of the hall and that the
rush for the exit was instantaneous.
Some one hollered and we al
started to rum" said one child.
IN efforts TO solve the puzziing cir
cumstanceS attending the deportation
OF Charles Fl. Meyer. president of the
| Western Federation OF Miners, last
Friday night. local interest Monday
centered in the Untanglement of state
ments bringing the name OF James
MacNaughton. general manager o.
the Calumet * Hecla Mining company
into the case. .. y. Hilton, chief
IMacNaughton issued statement
Monday:
MIR. Meyer did not say that he
knew MacNaughton personally" saiC
Mr.. Hilton. and l believe the state
ment Mr.. Meyer claimed TO have me
the general manager OF the Calumet
< Hecla Mining company in confer
ences. IS based on misapprehension.
What Mr.. Meyer told me was sub.
stantially this: That when the moi
had dragged him 10 the depot In
HOughton a man who physically an
swered the description OF Mac
Naughton alighted from an autOmo
! bile. cursed him and searched hi
pockets, taking two wallets, one con
tanning money which was returned
and the other holding private paper
and ten dollar bill. which was kept