The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-04-30
PAGE TWO

I-IHSJll l. w ~ ta9
last winter. Several months ago an
arn1ored automobile dashed into
Forbes and opened fire upon the col
ony Later came soldiers and al the
tents We're destroyed by order OF Ad-
i,1tant General Chase. Since then
the place has been witliou. strikers.
According to Trinidad advices, the
Forbes attack lasted four hours, 20O
strikers attacking and Superintendent
Nichols and forty mine guards and
strikebreakers defending the place.
ate Tuesday night the strikers ier-
general" John Browns strike camp
near Trinidad and marched to FORBES.
They occupied the hills about the
camp and attacked soon after hsht.
The camp extends mile along FORBES
canon. Seeing armed men swarmlns
the hillside, the defenders sprang 70
the shelter of mine buildings and 20
: ana chine gun mounted above the
srperintendent's office. For halr an
,,nur the firing continued. the de-
tenders doing effective work Win
their machine gun. Then 1t became
loaded. removing the principal means
of defense. For three hours more the
men in the camp stood their GROUNDS
until every building in the place nao
been riddled. Then they fed, ieaVins
six of their number dead in the camp.
In the hills outside of Forbes, three
corpses. of strikers were located DUR
3no the night. One of these was lodg-
ed in a tree, the victim having oeeh
slain as he. was attempting 20 PICK
off the defenders with a high power
rife.
The strikers burned the mine build
fngs and then returned to their camp
No militia participated in this fight.
The fighting at Walsenburg. where
hye persons are numbered among tle
slain, was even more spectacular.
The dead include Major P. c. Lester,
of the hospital corps, two undermined
strikers, Henry Floyd and Geo. BOOK.
Private o. l. Wilmouth, Private Glen
Miller and Lieutenant Scot were
wounded. The militia under Colonel
verbeckburg participated. Their lines
were along Hog Back ridge, west Oh
Wa,senburg where the strikers were
entrenched. Firing continued an
morning. but casualties on the mill
tia side did not begin until after noon
Captain Swope on the right wing. anu
Captain Baird. on the left, attempted
60 deliver simultaneous attacks. Lieu
tenants Scott and Morrison Win
heavy detachments ran into terrlnc
fire from the strikers rife pits ana
were repulsed. Later Scott returned
and occupied an arroyo paraile1ns
the strikers position. A series OF
PUSHES followed and Scott seized po'
sition on the ridge, although hlmseli
wounded. Major Testers hospital
corps was following Scott and Lester
was attending Private Martin Who
had been wounded when he was shot
through the chest and died on the
field. The fighting continued through
the afternoon and until 9 p. m. wher
a truce was arranged and the troops
on the ridge were withdrawn by Yer
beckburg. This ended six hours o.
almost continuous, fighting. Accord
ing to Walsenburg dispatches the
strikers on .he ridge were commanded
by Donald MacGregor, former Den
yer and Chicago newspaper man.
John McLennan, district pres1den
of the United Miners, said today tina
the strikers would not oppose fedora
troops and it is expected that com
parative peace will be established be
fore nigh. AS soon as the regular
reach Walsenburg, probably this al
ternoon, the state militia Will D.
withdrawn. The government will no
withdraw the militia however, from
sections where there has been troubi
and which have not been occupied b,
federal soldiers.
Troops will be Neutral.
TRINIDAD. Colo. April 30-"Th
federal troops will be absolutely neu
trail. We will make no distinction
whatever between strikers and min
guards and militia men"
This was the first announcement o
Mai. w. A. Holbrook. U. S. A., whe
he reached here early today at tn
head of the second squadron, FIT
U. 8. cavalry, destined for duty Il
the southern Colorado strike zone.
The regulars, 44O strong, did no
Immediately detrain when they arrd'
ed at a. M. but leaned from tn
car windows and chatted with STIR
ers who stood in the rain on the ste
ton platform.
The soldiers were apparently cage
to get all possible information regart
ing the situation.
!. William Murray. general manage
of the Victor-American Fuel compan.
chief representative of the operator
in Trinidad was at the station whe
the train pulled in. Major Holbroo
declined an offer to use the nations
guard armory here for his soldiers
Some of the Atrocities.
TRINIDAD, Colo, April 30.-Th;