Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-04-30
Strikers Fire From Rife Pits.

The battle at Walsenburg yesterday
was between 100 state soldiers divided
into two commands of about fifty each
and more than 400 strikers intrenched ID
! rifle pits behind the lava formation OF
! the hills which form a semi-circle around
| Walsenburg from north to south for
distance of three miles. The miiitla nao
started to the Walsen mine. at the faI
| end of the ridge, to aid in the de1ense oi
| that property.
Under Lieut. Scott, one detachment ad-
vanced along the hills. Capt. Swope COM
manded the other, which followed val,
ley across an arroyo from the flrst oetdIi
and at considerable distance IN ,te rea IA
The soldiers were armed with rites ana
service revolvers. and projected without
thought of attack
Suddenly from the rifle pits came
rain of bullets over the heads or the de-
tachment Lieut. Scott drew his men up
| in fighting line and ordered the FIRE re-
turned Soon he saw that the attaching
force greatly outnumbered his men, Una,
they had the advantage of the ha'ura'
fertilization. and he ordered his men INTO
the arroyo.
Capt. Swope hurried to reinforce the
vanguard. his men firing as they ran
When the two commands joined they
gradually withdrew from the arroyo ana
advanced upon the trenches Iheh iroa.
the south came a small command, undef
Capt Barrett, hurrying to relieve them.
Capt. Swope deployed his men back TO
the north flank of the strikers. who
faced fire from three sides. flnaliy.
Horace n. Hawkins attorney in Denver
for the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea who was in telephone communication
with the strikers. called upon COL YER
deckberg in Walsenburs to agree TO an
hours truce to consider terms or sur
render
Treachery of Strikers.
1t was said the strikers agreed to de-
liver their arms to the soldiers, provided
they were not held prisoners.
To this. it was said, Col. Verdeckberg
agreed.
1t was arranged that seven ofiicens
were to 80 forward to receive the arms
of the ikers as they filed past Col;
Eerdeckb, so informed the militia, ana
they ceased firing.
The officers, it was stated, advanced
considerable distance and the strikers
left their positions, passed the militia
and then renewed firing It was at TINS
moment that Maj. Lester vas killed. Dur
ing the lull in the battle he had gone
forward to the aid of Private Glen Miller
who had fallen $50 feet from the point
at which the strikers then were.
So hot was the fire that the militia
men were unable to advance to the point
where Maj Testers body lay and were
fully occupied in defending themselves.
For two hours more the fighting con-
tinued and finally the strikers Withdrew,
carrying their guns with them.
Set Fire to One More Building.
They passed, however. long enough to
set fire to one more building at the Nc
Nally mine adjacent. Gen. Chase, Mr.
Hawkins and Gov Ammons in Denver
and McGregor at Walsenburg, all were
connected on the telephone. Then Nc
Gregor, it was said, agreed to call an
hours truce-an hour after it already
had been granted by Col. Verdeckberg-
with the understanding that the strikers
surrender their arms. Col. Verdeckberg
was informed of this agreement and
again sought to have his men withdraw
from the firing line. The order was
given but even to retreat the soldiers
were forced to fight as hard as they had
in the attack.
Adjt. Gen. Chase was chagrined over
the Walsenburg affair He felt that the
militia had been trapped into permitting
the strikers to escape with their arms
after they virtually had been conquered:
At union headquarters. it was declared
the terms of the truce at Walsenburg
contemplated the surrender of arms to
the federal troops not to the militia.
What the loss to the strikers was could
only be guessed from the remark that
it would be estimated anywhere from
four to twelve.
TAKE OPPOSITE SIDES.