The chronicle=news., 1914-08-27


destroy the entire mine and to leave
no traces to show how the work was
done.
BY reason OF my intimate
knowledge OF the plans and the men
who intend to carry them out, I 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 starkville, behind
the screen, without being noticed.
Two of the leaders. Robert Arguello.
president Of the Wootton local. and
Lee Romero. secretary, were talking 8
with q third man. who is not known
to- me. about the manner in which
the. mine At' !, Piedmont was to he
blown up and were 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
funeral in Starkville. One Of his
brothers was hanged for murder. He
is ordinarily silent, sullen man,
but man of ability and no coward.
After I had overheard 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 overhears II possible.
the conversation. The conversatio ion
was carried on guardedly but he re-
ported that the same related to some
thing at Piedmont-blowing up
something. he thought.
/ Immediately took the matter
up with the secretaries of two OF the
locals in this district. From one Of
them 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.
The two union officials talked
with are very much opposed to actual
violence of any description. 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 long list Of
minor depredations and OF some very
serious onet In times past. For in
stance. Romero and another map
named Manillo. are the oIsas who
shot up the saloon at Starkville.
district. Imade them settle with the
saloonkeeper for damage. believe
that Arguello is now under bond to
the district court for beating up
some one, and understand that
these men are the same ones who,
shortly before the troops entered the
field. committed depredations at the
Mclaughlin mine.
The same evening found
Romero in dance at Starkville.
sent in word that ] wanted to see
him hut he refused to come out.
then went in after him and when he
saw me he turned white the Is very
ever refused to come out and see me !:
when I told him l 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.
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 last, but as
luck would have 1t arrested him
and ran him out of the district be-
fore he had been in Starkville any
time at all. Two men in Jerryville
(3ossibly three) intend to do the
actual work of placing the dynamite.
One of these men was the man that
fired off the stock of dynamite In
beer keg near Jerryville few
niRhts ago and ! am informed that
1t was his dynamite that we captured
when we searched Jerryville; 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 buildingt
known as the Rock Saloon" It was
into this group Of buildings that two
OF my men. Sergeant Markley and
Private Lance. saw man running
Immediately after the explosion al
Jerryville few nights ago. (when
I..NF--tas In In throw fhE