Denver labor bulletin., 1916-06-17
Gives Eight La Veta Men
Freedom on $4,000 Bail
Each After Being in
Jail 81 Months
May Mean an End to Long Series
Of Coal Strike Prosecutions in
Which Operators and State
Officials Have Utterly
Failed; No Strikers
Now In Prison
CHRONOLOGY OF CASE.

CHRONOLOGY OF CASE.
Nov. 8, l9l3-Three mine guards and
chauffeur shot by strikers at Oakdale
mine, near La Veta, following attack
on miners.
Jan. I, l9l5-Defendants placed on trial
confined in Walsenburg jail, part of
time being held incommunicado.
November, l9l4-rrslnsferred to Pueblo
jail and held without bond.
Jan. 4, l9l5-Deiendants placed on trial
In Pueblo.
Feb. "a. 1915 Trial ended and jury re
turned verdict OF not guilty a.
charged" after being out only Is min
utcs thus sustaining the plea Of self
defense Returned TO Jail under new
charges preferred by Attorney General
Farrar.
March 81, lgIG-Cases in Pueblo court
dismissed by order OF Judge Essex. De
PENDANTS Immediately rearrested under
now information filed by Attorney Cen
efal Farrar.
April |, laI6-Takcn TO Walsenburg Jail
and held without bond under new
charges.
June l2, IolG-Defendants released on
So 600 bond each by order OF District
= Judge Wiley of Del Norte.
Upon motion of Horace n. Hawkins,
attorney for the United Mine Workers.
eight former coal strikers. implicated in
what is known as the Ia VctA case, were
ordered released from Walsrnburg jail
Monday on 5000 bail bond each, by
Judge j. G. Wiley OF Del Nortc, after an
c, Rded hearing No material objection
waz a.ised by the attorney generals OF.
fee, and the low amount of bond would
indicate that complete dismissal of
these cases. together with all other pend
ing cases growing out OF the coal strike
of 1884 will soon be entered and the
dockeis cleared.
The eight la Ncta strikers have been
confined in the Hucrfano and Pueblo
county iails for two years and seven
months. being the last OF some 700 prose-
cuted strikers and union officials to be
released from prison.
Names Of Men Released.
The men released ON nominal bond by
order OF Judge Wiley are Edward Rich /
ards, Charley Richards, Dan Richards
tthrcc brothersl, Charley Shepard. Frank
kruppa. Pete Rich. Martin Martinolich and
John Flockhart. all members of La Veta
Miners Union. Each man released gave
personal bond. signed by citizens of
Huerfano county. For some time past
Governor Carlson and Attorney General
FaTar to cease prosecuting these mcn-l
to give them a prompt trial or permit
their release from Jail on bond. These
state officials, who have been keeping the
cases in court, finally agreed not to op
pose their release on bond.
Pueblo Assembly Urges Governor.
The Pueblo Trades and Labor Assem-
bly, first took up this movement soon after
the la Veta strikers were transferred
from the Pueblo Jail to the Huerfano
county Jail at Walscnburg in April. A
committee from that body held confer
s,nce with the governor and attorney gen.
cr.l, urging the mems release as an act
OF Justice and humanity. Inter the Den.
yer Trades and Labor Assembly adopted
resolutions of a similar nature and nd
dressed them officially to the governor
and attorney general. When the argu-
ucnt for release on bond was presented
before Judge Wiley last Monday the
state officials entered no objection.
White Wires Congratulations.
John McIennan, president of District
Is of the United Mine Workers, was in
walscnburg at the hearing and assisted
in arranging bonds for the men. Immc-
diatcly upon the judges ruling being an.
nounced, President McLcnnan tclegraphcd
tho information TO headquarters of the
United Mine Workers of America in In
dianapolis, and received the following
wire from General President John p.
White:
indianapolis, Ind. June l2, 1915.
John McLcnnan, Oxford Hotel,
Walscnburg, Colo.
(. Pleased to learn Ia Vcta boys have
been admitted to bail. Extend them my
congratulations. Be.sure to cndcavor to
secure bail for them at earliest possible
moment. JOHN 4. WHITE
81. Most Sensational Strike Case.
The La Veta case has been one of the
most sensational of all those growing out
of. the coal strike. The alleged crime for
which the men We're kept in prison for
thirYy one months occurred on November
8 ldi3, when william II. Gambling, mnc
foreman at Oak View, went to Oakdalo
TO get company guards to put some of
the strikers ,out of business. He secured
guards Bryan. Written and Adams, and |