The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-03
1850 COLORADO
LABOR CHIEFS
FACE ARREST
Secretly Indicted as Result
of Coal Riots After
Strike Ends.
SOME NOW IN JAIL:
HUNT ON FOR OTHERS

denver. Feb. with $50 secret
indictments returned at Walsenburs
wholesale arrests of labor leaders have
been renewed by Sheriff JEFF Fan ~
the result OF a special Grand Jury
investigation into riots and pitched
battles during the coal strike.
Among the men arrested are Eli NJ.
Gross, vice-president of the State la
Dor organization; William T. Hickey,
secretary treasurer: Charles Haines.
secretary of the United Mine Work.
ers at Walsenburg. and nine others.
Ten Of the men are in the Wa,sen-
burg jail. declared by investigators TO
he one of the worst prisons in the
country.
This sudden activity. coming two
months after the strike was called III
and nearly year since the riots, is
branded by John McLennan. pres
ident Of the State Federation of Labor,
as n raid on organized labor.
McLennan, who says he may he one
Of the men indicted, although he has
not been arrested; John X. Lawson.
Edward l.. Doyle and other Mine
Workers officials who now are in New
York at the hearing OF the Federal
Commission on Industrial Relations
are among those indicted. he believes.
President McLennan said:
81 have Just returned from Wal.
senburg. heard that President
White, Secretary Green and Vice.
af la
ganization were indicted, but was
unable to verify this. am convinced
this Is an effort TO connect al,
branches OF organized labor with the
disturbances resulting from the strike.
II this proves true and the reports
of the various trades in the State
labor federation are involved th.s
matter will become national in ex-
tent.
The warrants served thus far re-
fer only in general terms to the
charges contained in the indictments.
but they specify that the men are TO
be he'd without bail. This means thoy
will be held In Jail indefinitely. As
soon as bail Is fixed We will providc
( SonGsTTieii FOR ;hc ;acn arrested"
Reports from Walsenburg to-nigh.
declare that the union men in that
vicinity are greatly excited over the
new developments and the wholesale
arrests. A feeling Of unrest pervadas
tho district and a great many people
have eft Walsenburg.
The Grand Jury which returned the
indictments and on whose warrants
the arrests are being made was impan-
elled last November at the order OF
Accompaniment Farrar after tho
District Attorney had declared the
procuring OF Grand Jury impossible
| The indictments cover charges OF
murder, arson, assault and rlotng
and are based on occurrences in toe
three day battle at the McNally mine
last April. when a coal company EN-
! ployee and Major I. +. Lester of the
| Colorado National Qua . were killed
Mother Jones said last night that these
new indictments were a very serious
matter.
That settles IT," she declared at the
Union square Hotel. and 7 can tell you
that Its a mighty dangerous thing TO be.
gin that business with the pulse OF the
| people as II Is now.
Those men out there will carry thelI
despotism too far. 7 think Mr.. Rookie
Teller ought TO go out TO Colorado and
put n stop to that business. That's my
| advice. The mine owners own the courts
/ the lawyers, and it's my opinion thai
they hold a mortgage on God Almighty
, Himself"