The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-26
TRAGEDIES GROW IN MINERS
WAR IN THE COL RADO HILLS

The action of the miners was met by
prompt action on the part OF the opera
tors The East had been through the
fight, but the East had never been con-
fronted with conditions quite like the
conditions in the West. The operators
had before them 10000 foreign speak,
ing, easily inhamed workmen. preyed
upon by every demagogue and l. w. w.
missionary--mcn whose only expression
was In violence.
An army of guards was collected
quickly to protect property and strike
breakers. The BaldwlnFcltz detective
agency. which had this matter in charge.
searched north. south. east and west for
men who could he trusted and men who
could shoot. The agency even went
down into Mexico and drafted men from
the rebel side by the offer of $40 day
and expenses-machine gun men, men
who had been tested In some very
tight places.
The agency threw these men into the
camps by the train load, and back OF
them came the strike breakers. The
word went forth to the $4,000 who did
not join the unions that they could work
and would be protected.
John ID. Rockefeller, Jr., a director Of
the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company,
testified I'm Washington that he and his
company would face bankruptcy rather
than surrender the principle that an
American workman could work where
and when he was wanted, and where
and when he wanted to work
Vast sums of money We're lavished in
organizing guards and preparations for
the protection Of property. Every guard
was equipped with a modern high power
rifle and revolver; every machine gun
man had the best the factory could turn
out and unlimited cartridges.
The striking workmen and their fam
flies We're at once turned out of com
pany houses and driven from the
camps: fences of barhcd wire were
erected and searchl!ghts were installed
The mine workers were not idle By
any means. Where a family was elected
from camp 1t found n tent outside on
the nearby hills and $3.50 Il week for
adults and 80 cents a week for children
all for subsistence.
Arms appeared also in the possession
OF the strikers II has been charged
by a Grand jury that the international
officials of the mine workers union fur
n.shed guns anu ammunition for the
strikers. one man testified that lie fur
nished 400 guns and belts OF cartridges
to ignorant. Unframed aliens.
Violence started right then. The
strike had begun on September 20 by
September IS six guards had been
killed AT one camp. \ mine wa dSna-
mited. Ten strikers Were Killed n re-
turn. and thereafter night after Night
the guerrilla warfare spread over a ter
ritory fifty miles through and $50 miles
or more in circumference.
\ woman and child were killcd near
Ludlow the first day in October; two
nights later SIX guards We're killed.
There Mas an attack near the town 81
Agullar, followed by fighting at Wal
scnbcrg. Bcrw.nd Hastings. Barnes.
Rouse. Raneyv!,ie. Ccdarville. Sopris.
Sesundo. Morley, Delagua. Black Hills
and other camps In which the slaughter
ran higher than official figures have
ever stated
y state OF anarchy prevailed. All
business was demora.!Zed. Trains were
stopped and searched Suspected pas
sengcrs were beaten or Jailed. The
death toll grew heavier every day.
Finally ON October - Gov. Elias NJ
Ammons uf Colorado mohi.i2cd the
militia. and two days later h" hurried
it al, into the district. Gov. Ammonss
orders Were - bring about peace and
his first detailed order was that both
sides were to be d.sarmed 10y HIS sol
diers.
There Is NJ doubt that the advent ~
the soldiers was most welcome both
To strikers and operators. ana there was
display Of willingness To accedc To-
orders. Guns were turned in. II looked
like peace. TIL" soldiers at once went
on guard N all districts aud fraternized
with both sides
An early order that 10 more strike
breakers We're to hc sent into the dis
trct was n triumph for the strikers.
The next order was that the strikers
were not TO circulate inflammatorv literl-
ture or make intlammatory speeches.
1t all looked So favorable that ON No
vember 90 a conference between strikers
! and operators WAS called, with Gov.
Ammons presiding. The strikers in