The chronicle=news., 1914-08-26
CAPT. FROST OF STATE GUARD SHOWS CLASS
OF men IN CHARGE OF COAL STRIKE

| WHO lHteHu " carr. tlittu out, was
enabled, the other day, to verify my
information in a rather unusual man
ner. While taking the census of
Starkville, the other day. some of my
soldiers and myself slipped into one
of the saloons in Starkyille, behind
the screen. without being noticed.
Two of the leaders. Robert Arguello.
president of the Wootton local, and
Lee Romero. secretary, were talking
with a third man, who is not known
to nre, about the manner in which
tho mine at Piedmont was to be
blown up and We're talking about the
manner of gaining access to the mine
for this purpose. The conversation
related to matters known TO but very
few persons and particularly as re-
lated to the method of affecting their
entrance into the mine at Piedmont
for the purpose of placing the dyna-
mite. Arguello is probably the worst
character in the district He is
known to have committed several
murders and is the man who was re-
Gently held as military prisoner for
some time on account of disturbing
a funeral in Starkyille. One OF his
brothers was hanged for murder. He
| is ordinarily a silent. sullen man.
but man of ability and no coward
I. After / had overheard a por-
tion of their conversation. they start
ed to talk in some other language,
probably Mexican. left and caused
a person who could understand some
Mexican to go into the saloon for a
drink and to overhear, If possible,
the conversation. The conversation
was carried on guardedly but he re-
ported that the same related to some
thing at Piedmont-blowing up
something, he thought.
S. Immediately took the matter
up with the secretaries of two of the
locals in this district. From one of
them l ascertained that Arguello had
been talking of something of the sort
but the secretary tried to pass it off
on the ground that Arguello was
drunk and talked bad The officer
of the other local informed me later
in the same evening that the whole
matter had been postponed until
after the congressional investigations
were concluded.
9. The two union officials talked
with are very much opposed to actual
violence of any description. l would
rather not put their names in let
ter. They said their lives would
not be worth cent if the officials
higher up knew" The two men who
were heard talking about the matter
have been guilty Of a long list Of
minor depredations and of some yer,
serious ones in times past. For In
stance, Romero and another man
named Manillo. are the ones who
shot up the saloon at Starkville,
shortly before took command of the
district. l made them settle with the
|saloonkeeper for damage. l believe
that Arguello is now under bond to
the district court for beating up
some one. and 7 understand that
these men are the same ones who.
shortly before the troops entered the
field. committed depredations at the
Mclaughlin mine.
Romero in a dance at Starkville.
sent in word that l wanted to see
him but he refused to come out. I
then went in after him and when he
saw me he turned white Che is very
red-faced). II is the first time he
ever refused to come out and see me;
when l told him knew what he had
been up to he was so frightened he
could scarcely walk. In his fright
he made enough admissions without
my saying anything so that l knew
was on the right track.
IL. ] do not think that Arguello
or Romero intend to do the job them
selves. The union had one of their
regular dynamiters. Tony Kanaski,
here to look over and supervise the
job. back on December,3 3 last, but as
luck would have it l arrested him
and ran him out OF the district be-
fore he had been in Starkville any
time at all. Two men in Jerryville
(Dossibly three) intend to do the
actual work of placing the dynamite
One of these men was the man that
beer keg near Jerryville a few
nights ago and l am informed that
ii was his dynamite that we captured
when we searched Jerryyille; also
that he has considerable more dyna-
mite concealed there which We did
not get. This dynamite is concealed
in or near the group of buildings
known as the Rock Saloon Ii was
into this group of buildings that two
OF my men. Sergeant Markley and
Private Lance. saw man running
Immediately after the explosion at
Jerryville few nights ago. Cwhen
Monte" Massin gale threw the
searchiight on the spoto-
IL. / have heard of other intend
ed depredations. but none of such
serious character. The only other
ono of ;,Dnort,pco iS the D1an TO