Denver labor bulletin., 1915-04-24
Judge and Jury Picked to
Insure Conviction
This Is the First Of Nineteen Cases
Against Mine Workers Official
Framed By Coal Operators

John X Lawson Of Denver. national
cNecutivc board member OF the United
hin' Workers. l. on trial VA the district
court at Trinidad charged with ~mur-
derng" John Nimmo. mine guard. a
nian he never knew or saw. The trial
Was -chcduled to open Monday morning.
hut the judge ordered po-tponement
until "wednesday, when impanneling of
Jury began. This promises to be a
hard fought case. with the cs,rd- all
stacked against the defense. The jury
will he selected from an open venire. by
two eii-ors appointed by the judge Ac-
'pr1iug to law jury should be- selected
from 800 uame, certified 10 by the coun-
ty COMMISSIONER An open yenire is
taken irom men called iu off the streets.
and r1e prosecution aud court win -ee 70
Dr. that men favorable To the coal opcr.
at"r- 30 uI-m the jury, a. they did in
tar -.ouuh trial of Louis Zancauuclli
Company Judge Is Presiding.
Judge Cranky g. Hllyer vls especial
d, appointed 10 try thc-c strike css.--.
liu- office was speedily created hy thu
rersut session OF the Legislature. and
appointment by Governor Carlson fol
l"s,i Immediately. 1t T. a. clear u
ct-" oi railroadiug men to the pallow-
aud the penitentiary was even per
I"trated. judge lillycr was attorney
for the mine operators prior to being
appointed district judge month ago.
lie has o,cruiIed every important plea
made by attorneys for the defense.
Monday morning in Open court Attor-
ncy Horace Hawkins. leading counsel for
: the deicn-s. changed tha; many case.
had been sst aside or continued in order
in ru-h Lawson 10 TRIAL Immediately al.
Ter conviction of Zanchnnelii.
II j. not charged by the coal opera
Tor that Lawson actually shot Memo
y. October -. 1918. but that he WIS at
II Ludlow tent colony on that day and
r..-ponsibl. for acts of the striker lie
j. charged with being TIA. leader of
large body OF men then ON strike. some
Of whom are suspected OF having sho,
ihc mine guard during one Of the numer-
ous strike battles.
Attorney General Takes Lead.
Attorney General Fred Farrar aud liis
deputy. Prank G. West. are taking
leading part in the prosecution OF Law
-"H. The order has gone forth that
John u. Lawson must be convicted. IL
seems to H. hn effort on the part of the
oad operators To- keep alive the -mol-
dcring cmhcr- OF the late labor war
t'p to the -erond trial Of Ianchnnclli
the prosecution OF Indicted coal mincrs
had not met with any sucre~s. Zan.
ctunelli was convicted by setting aside
the iury box and calling IN an Open ven
VA. OFF the streets or at the choice OF
the sheriff. IN the trial Of the La Ncta
casr- at Pueblo -tVcn mincr, were
charged with killing a company chauf
frur and four mine guards, The trial
lasted siN weeks and resulted in acquit
tai after the jury had been out onl,
eighteen minutes.
lieforc Zancanuclli went to trial Judge
G. & Butler OF the Denver District court.
sitting In place OF Judge Mcllcudric who
had disqualified himself ON motion of
the defendants attorneys. ruled that
Horace y. Hawkins, attorney for the
miners. might produce evidence to show
that the grand jury was prejudiccd ana
biased. District Attorney Hendricks
thcrcupon qua-hcd the indictments and
filed direct charges to forcstall any in
vcstigation OF the methods of the prose-
cut ion.
Ask the Death Penalty.
The prosecution is asking that Law
son hc convicted OF murder in the first