The Coconino sun., 1915-10-29
STRIKERS DEMANDS REJECTED CONFERENCE ENDS|

tims would be rescued" by the sher- If and incarcerated in jail. In order to defeat this program of violence, the managers left Clifton on the, after noon of Oct 2 in a special train. With In a few minutes of their departure. the sheriff and his deputy gave chase in an automobile. striving to intercept the special trajn at Duncan. Failing in this, they returned to Clifton and procured a warrant for the arrest of the managers on their arrival at Lordsburg, N. M. The managers were arrested at Lordsburg-by telephoned demand-on charge of felony based on the allegation that their depart ure from the strike district tended to incite rioting and hostile demonstra- tions. The sheriff and his deputy hastened to Lordsburg by automobile. arriving at 1880 a. m. They appeared before a local justice of the peace and insisted upon the mine managers being tried upon charge that they were felons and fugitives from jus tice The court found the charge wholly unsupported by any evidence and the mine managers were placed on the Fl Paso train under armed guard to prevent Kidnapping. The engineer and fireman of the special train, upon their return to Clifton. were set upon and severely beaten by a mob of Western Federation leaders; the mine managers took up their head quarters in Fl Paso The sheriff ap- piled to Gov. Hunt to send troops to the strike district and Hunt compiled with the request, thirtyfiye mill tiamen being dispatched to the scene
 Having thus foiled the plans of Gov ernor Hunt, the Sheriff and Western Federation leaders made a house to house canvass of Morenci and Met calf forcing workmen to join the Fed eration. Bands of Mexicans led by American lieutenants of the Western Federation rounded-up non-union men who were dragged from their homes and beaten. They were then offered the alternative of leaving town or affiliating with the Federation. Near ly hundred victims of mobs have since made affidavits as to the yio- lence visited upon them. Scores of victims other than those who made af- fidavits, are known. A reign of ter TOT existed in the District. While 1t prevailed from Oct to Oct. s, Gov ernor Hunt issued statements report ing that perfect I'd, was being main tained in the strike zone.
 Following their arrival in Fl Paso. the mine managers Itered into cor respondence with Governor Hunt In this correspondence. the following ap' pears in one letter from the manag- CTS: Governor Hunt you, by your inflammatory speeches and open sug- gestions as to putting us in jail If we did not reach an agreement with the strikers in our camp, and by your open | and encouraging affiliations with the leaders of the Western Federation of ! Miners in private and upon the streets and public places of our respective camps while you were there, were largely responsible for our being com pelled to withdraw from the affected district"
 Another letter to Governor Hunt contained the following:
 ITO aid you in remodying the pre-. sent deplorable situation, we beg to offer our assurances that we will take immediate steps to meet our former employees as soon as all nonresident officers and agents of the Western Federation of Miners leave the dis trtct, and committees have been fairly chosen without the exercise of any control by that organization. We feel confident that if such conferences can be arranged all differences will be am icably adjusted and we will lend our every effort to that end. As you have | informed us that numerous alleged grievances have been presented to you on the part of our former employees. 1 we most respectfully request that they be presented to us and we be giv- on an opportunity to reply"
 Although cognizsnt of the fact that conditions in the district had changed | swiftly under Western Federation h. fluence, and that such committee as would represent fairly the interests of old employees would be difficult to secure. the mine managers waived their technical rights and sought joint conferences with the representatives of the workmen. It was not until Oct | l6 that a committee not absolutely dominated by the Western Federation arrived in Fl PAso. Even this com mittee was SO handicapped by West ern Federation influences that its et- forts were unavailing and the confer ences were concluded.