The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1914-01-29
IwEARERs OF MILITARY UNI
FORM
CANNOT GET SERVICE OF WAIT
RESsES IN RESTAURANTS.
Sensational Report From Colorado
Strike Zone.

port to the Commonwealth. In a re-
port substantiating every charge of
robbery. tyranny and outrage against
the womanhood of Colorado, the in
vestigating committee of the State
Federation of Labor, appointed at the
suggestion of Governor Ammons, has
demanded the immediate removal Of
Adjutant General Chase, Judge Advo-
cate Boughton and Lieutenant e. X.
Linderfelt
The stories of the outraged victims
are narrowing in their details, and the
straightforward way in which they
were told can leave no doubt of their
truth even in the minds of the corpor-
alton tools who run the state govern
ment and control most of the news
papers.
One of these editors, owned by the
coal operators, said the report is dis
gusting and nauseating. 1t is digust-
ing and nauseating to the governor of
state who has advocated anarchy, to
General Chase, who has permitted his
dogs of war to rob and plunder homes,
intimidate strikers, to abuse and in
suit the womanhood of theIstrike zone,
to trample the constitution of the state
and nation in the dust.
It must be nauseating and disgust
ing to the operators who have stood
sponsor for most of these acts, who
have established a system of peonage
in Southern Colorado, who for years
have robbed the very hearts and souls
of the miners, their wives and chill
dren, and who by their wilful disobey-
ance of the laws have been RESPONSE
BILE for the murders of hundreds of
miners, as has been attested by cor
oner's juries.
The report reeks with stories of the
carnivals of debauchery held by the
militia 1t tells of how drunken mil
itiamen have frightened children,
threatened to shoot a boy of twelve,
and insulted mattresses so that they
can no longer get service in the res
taurants of the strike zone.
Military Men Rob Strikers.
The evidence of robberies ranges
from a forced loan of twenty-five
cents, or "whiskey for the captain" or
compulsory gift of three dollars, or
ton of coal, to the downright rob-
berry of $500 and other large sums of
money and valuable jewelry.
The witnesses tell of how they were
incarcerated in the jails under Chase's
orders, held for months without any
charge lodged against them, kept
awake five and six days and nights by
bayonet jabs and cold water in the
hope that, driven almost insane, they
would confess to crimes as demanded
by the dogs of war.
At least one death of a man, leaving
a widow and two children, the report
says, is directly attributable to an un-
warranted arrest on no charge except
that of carrying a gun, and to undue
exposure to cold for twenty-five days,
during which time the prisoners bed
was on the damp cement floor of a
Jail.
The treatment of a young Slavic
woman about to become a mother is
typical example of the tyrannies prac-
ticed by the militia upon the woman
hood of the state She was dragged
through the alleys of Trinidad, mil
.itiaman's hand over her mouth to
smother her screams, until she tainted
and became unconscious. This fiend-
ish outrage was committed because the
militiamen had heard several shots
fired in the neighborhood. 1t was later
shown that these shots were fired by
some of the drunken barrel house
buns who belong to the militia.
"Patriots" Say 1--WE Are the Law"
The practices of the militia seem to
be summed up in the statement Of
one witness. He said; "They say to
hell with the law; we are the law
military law
Striking coal miners were not alone
the victims Of false arrest and impris-
onment. A merchant. of twenty-five
years standing, was arrested in his
doorway because he would not get off
the street" An entire train crew was
arrested. The railroad companies
rules and those of the Interstate Com
merce Commission are alike of no i'm
portance TO the militia. They will
tear up the tracks" or take the en-
gine" by force if it suits them TO do
so. These cases will illustrate the
puerilities Of these unframed officers
, of the militia; but as one said, I'VE
must do something 10 scare the peo-
H..l- 30 IN. man r.a.5 arwaefad bapauea