The chronicle=news. (Trinidad, Colo.) 1898-current, 1914-12-10

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Denver. Dec. 1O.-The first wit
ness at today's session Of the strike
investigation was Captain Harold G.
Garwood, commanding militia cav
airy troop. He said that at SOpris,
Lieutenant Gary Lawrence of his
troop enlisted from Is to rs mine
guards. He had not been instructed
to secure guard recruits. the witness
said.
Captain Philip S. Van Clse OF Com
pany K. First infantry. Colorado Ma
tional Guard, testified regarding the
ending Of the era of good feeling
between the strikers and the militia
This occurred. he said. upon the
arrival of rarty of strlkeDreakers
at Ludlow about the end Of Novem-
ber 1918. Before the train arrived
the strikers from the Ludlow colony
swarmed on the railroad track, arm
ed with rocks and spiked baseball
bets, The men we're stfent hut tias
women shrieked profanity at Van
Cise's militiamen. who With nxed
bayonets cleared the place.
A few days earlier the strikers had
been peacefully disarmed, Van Cise
testified. Before the strikebreakers
were imported the strikers ard the
militiamen had played baseball to-
gether. Capt. Van Cice testified that
two mine guards had been enlisted
in his company. but that he had not
known of their previous occupation.
Van Cise SAID member OF his
company had been fined $50 and
sentenced to 30 days confinement for
insulting the wife of Ludlow
striker. Every charge made by st:ik-
ers against his men was Investigated
and satisfaction given the complain
ant. He testified that Tikas had CO.
operated in maintaining friendly re-
latiOns between Camp X and the
strikers. Tikas was killed in the
battle of Ludlow on April 20. 1914.
Company X was not at the Ludlow
battle, having previously been with
drawn from the strike region, Van
Cise testified.
10 lHt Ddllls Ol lslilD".
Van Cise said that when he heard
that Tikas and other strikers had
been killed. and that it was charged
that Tikas had been prisoner at the
time of his death he brought rha
matter to the attention OF Adjutant
General John Chase. On the follow
ing day (April 2JD Van Cise and
81
ter up with Governor AmmoEs. The
governor was exceedingly worried,
the witness said. Major L. j. Bough-
ton. judge advocate. asked Van Cise
and Danks to serve on a commission
to investigate the killings and the
governor ordered the commission to
go to Ludlow.
Naptain Van else said the inquiry
was conducted under oath of secrecy.
He refused to testify as to what oc-
CURED at the inquiry until released
from his oath by General Chase and
Governor Ammons. Chase, who was
in the chamber where the hearings
are conducted, Immediately gave the
release but Captain Van Cisc insist
ed upon a release from the COVER
nor
The commission took recess
while Van Cise. accompanied by
sergeant at arms went to Governor
Ammons' office. The governor re-
fused to release the captain from his
oath of secrecy and the hearing was
resumed without the commission OBJ
tanning information about the Lud-
low inquiry. Captain Van Cise said
that the report of the military cOri-
mission was fair and that he had
been informed by John McLennan.
president OF the district Of United
Miners. that it was the fairest re-
port that had been written on the
Ludlow battle.
The witness read into the record
parts of the military commission
report. The findings charged the
operators with responsibility for the
strike by bringing in as immigrants