Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-25
STRIKERS BEGAN
BAT TIE WITH An
ACk0NGUARDs
Trial of Lawson for Murder
Brings Out Evidence Re-
gafding Bloody Fighting in
Colorado Coal Fields,


trinidad, Colo. April "a. ~ Testi-
mony that the battle between deputy
sheriffs and striking coal miners on
october Is. 1919 in which John
Nimmo was killed, was begun when
party of deputies was fired upon by
I, crowd OF armed men near the Lud-
low depot, was given today in the trial
of John r. Lawson, International ex-
aeutlve board member on cnarge OF
murder. Lawson Is accused of being
IN command of the strikers on the day
IL the battle. The defendant is Colo
RADIO member of the international ex-
etutive committee of the United Mine
workers of America Charles L, Fam
ming. young COW punoher with
shock Of hair and wearing high 4heeled
boots, was the Witness who told of
the beginning of the battle. lie said
that he was deputy sheriff stationed
al the Ludlow section house in the
carly days of the recent strike of the
miners. With other deputies he start
ed on horseback to go 10 the Ludlow
staten to meet the afternoon Colorado
& Southern train from Trinldad as
was customary He was about 100
Yards ahead Of his companions.
What did you see as YOU approach
ed the station" asked Norton Mont
gomery, assistant attorney general.
II saw 100 or more men around a
long string OF box cars
How many were armed?'.tA
II saw about fifty with guns"
What happened then of an unus-
ual nature ~
The first thing that happened was
when they began shooting at me,rand
4 NJ ha. Al
did you go fast or slow" queried
Montgomery.
II went pretty fast
Did YOU run your horse?"
Yes, | ran him When | got back
to the section house | put him in the
corral"
A few minutes later the prosecutor
asked
What did you do with your horse ?"
II told YOU what | done with him,
said the witness.
II beg your pardon" the attorney
apologized.
flaming detailed his part in the
nattle which followed the alleged re-
treat of the party which had started
for the station He told of seeing the
body Of John Nimmo.
on cross examination Edward p.
Costigan, of counsel for Lawson. asked
flaming when he was born.
when was born? That has moth
ing TO do With the case, replied the
witness. He finally said he was 25
years old.
before Tanning took the stand, the
cross examination of N, n. Linderfelt
was completed Linderfelt said he
had served six months in Mexico un-
der Madero and had seen military ex-
perience in China and the Philippines.
He said he was a first lieutenant IN
the Colorado national guard at the
time he was commissioned a deputy
sheriff in October 1919.
I.inderfelt declared that he never
work 81 for mining company until
Two months ago when he took POI
sitiOn with the Victor American Fuel
companv AZ Hastings He said he was
no longer in the employ of that COM
pany.
James IT, Wilson testified that he
was commissary and paymaster for
the party of deputy sheriffs stationed
at Ludlow under command of Linder-
felt He said he stayed In the section
house throughout the fight in which
Nimmo was killed
W. +. Badger another member of
The force Of deputies stationed at the
ludlow section house, described his
part in the murder He said he saw
the shooting of Nimmo. He did not
know who fired the shot Ralph TIA
foya another deputy. told of partici-
pating In the battle and of firing re-
peatedly at party of men who were
firing at the officers from The shelter
of a steel railway bridge