Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-05-08
BLAME MINE GUARDS
VERDICT OF coRoNER'S JURY
FOR FIRING MINERS TENT
COLONY IN LUDLOW, COL.
MILITlAMEN NAY Be THE MURDERERs
They Hold a "Private" Inquiry With
the Result that Responsibility is
Placed on Greek Miners-Cen-
sure for Rockefeller.

Trinidad, Col.,-The fire which de-
stroyed the Ludlow tent colony on the
night of April 20, causing the death Of
Is women and children, was started by
militiamen or mine guards according
to the verdict rendered by the coron-
er's jury here Saturday. No RESPONSE
bility for the killing of Louis Tikas
was fixed by the jury, which content
ed itself by finding that he, with seven
other men, were shot in battle. 1t had
been charged by the strikers that IT.
kas received a blow an the head,
which fractured his skull.
Another Version.
Denver-Absolute responsibility for
the fatal battle of Ludlow, Monday,
April 20, was placed upon the Greeks
of the strikers colony at Ludlow by
the military board of the Colorado
national guard. This commission was
appointed with instructions to report
on all the incidents of the battle, pre-
ceding and subsequent, and to max =
such report without malice or favor
The officers examined, under oath,
all officers and prisoners, as many as
possible of the soldiers, deputies,
mine guards and townspeople Of Lud-
low and nearby coal camps.
Inquiry Not Public.
They made strenuous effort to OBJ
tain testimony of strikers, but without
success, reporting that "a personal
request made upon Mr.. Lawson and
Mr.. McKenna, strike leaders, in Den
yer, were answered, in their presence,
by Mr. Hawkins, their attorney, declin-
ing to give us any information, upon
the ground that our inquiry was not
publically conducted.
The board found that the remote
cause of this, as well as all other bat
ties, lies with the coal operators, prin-
cipally Rockefeller, who established
in an American industrial community
a numerous class of ignorant, lawless
and savage South European peasants
The underlying cause was the pre-
sence, near Ludlow, in daily contact
of three discordant forces-strikers,
and fostering an increased deadly
hatred, which sooner or later was
bound to find some such expression.
Rockefeller Such Benefactor.
1.-THE immediate cause of the battle
was an attack upon the soldiers by
the Greek inhabitants of the tent COL
ony, who misinterpreted a movement
of the troops on neighboring hill"
Order All to Disarm.
Observation-Disclosures authority of the
president, Secretary of War Garrison
has issued proclamation calling on
the mine guards and strikers in the
strike district of Colorado to surrend-
er all arms and ammunition to the
United States army officers now in
charge of the various troubled local
tiles.
/ 1t was pointed out that in directing
the surrender of arms to the army
commanders at the respective sta.
tions, the government assumes all re-
sponsibility for the protection of the
property which individuals, corpora
tions, associations and firms hitherto
have been guarding on their own &C
count.
War secretarys' Statement.
In explanation of the proclamation
Secretary Garrison made the follow
ing statement:
II learn from the commander In
Colorado that the use Of firearms hal
been widespread. In the district from
Walsenburg, south, an area Of aboIl1
400 square miles, there are at least 81
mines. They are located mainly in can
yons and are very difficult to reach
The strikers and those sympathizint
with them have recently organized ant
armed themselves and the operator!
have had hundreds of mine guards WHIT
also are armed.
Miiitiamen Thieves.
1.-THE state troops in certain local.
ties have served to aggravate tn.
troubles. Certain stores in Walsen
: burg were broken into by some troop'
connected with the state organization
and articles were taken.
Conditions in the Canon City dis
strict are similar to those In the Wal
senburg district.
There was very serious conflic
, at Ludlow, where women and children
as well as men we're killed and sine
that time the feeling has been exces
sibely bitter"
. Cannot Import Arms.
4 Major w. A. Holbrook, in comman
: of the federal troops in Colorado, ha
! placed an embargo upon the imports
! ton of arms or ammunition into tn
2 state. He announced that any arm
shipped in violation of the order woll
be confiscated.
NAM DrAcidAut of cne$a Rt~a