Denver labor bulletin., 1917-07-28
ATTACK ON MAN
OFPROVED MERIT
Continued from Page One)

Ludlow Remembered.
When the miners struck for liberty
all organized labor in the state made
common cause with them. When the
blood sacrifice was taken at Ludlow
all labor suffered. When Lawson was
picked by the prostituted machinery
of government as the master martyr
the rank and file of labor rushed to
his defense. When he was vindicated
labor was indicated.
And / happen to know that the
worst danger Lawson was in during
the fight made to undo the crime COM
mitted by authorities of Las Animas
county, threatened from within the
ranks of the miners.
assume that you have heard of
the efforts made by men who said
the international officers of the Unit
ed Mine Workers to prevent Lawson
from getting a new trial.
1t is a story that ought to be told
for labor's sake. II will do more to
point the need of solidarity among or
ganized workers than any attack
made on them by organized capital.
For it shows that the really great
danger to the hosts of labor is in in
ternal disloyalty or worse.
All Wars Have Traitors.
All wars nave tnelr TRAITORS. Inc
Colorado coal war had its traitors.
| am glad knew so few. And | am
especially glad that those | knew were
imported by the national officers of
the u. NJ W A. IL it be true that
District l5's charter has been with
drawn at ex-President McLennan's re-
quest, then | was wrong in thinking
that President White was content to
drop the fight on Lawson, begun by
l.. NJ ~ N.A.a
came to Colorado in the summer of
1915 and said he represented White.
Belcher had working with him two
men as investigators" One was for
mer Adjutnnt General Charles FL
lott. Of West Virginia. who had set
the precedent Of imprisoning Mother
Jones. The other was private de
tective named Coates. who Dragged
about how he had been handy man
for Senator Penrose. Of Standard OIL
connection.
Because Of what those men did in
Colorado, what they told me McLen-
nan knew they were doing and what
McLennan told me he knew that they
were doing, | judge that they, and
their masters, must have captured
John McLennnn, who had impressed
me up TO that time with being an ideal
co-workcr with Lawson and Ed Doyle
When those men. Bclchcr. Elliott
and Coates, introduced themselves to
me they. of course. pretended that
their main business in the state was
TO secure a new trial and complete
yindication for Lawson and 10 see
that everything possible was done to
free all other accused miners. Law
son was then in jail. ! was assured
by McLcnnnn that they were able and
sincere men.
Acting on that assurance | gave 10
them some tips on matters that, If
worked out properly. should have cut
much shorter the prosecutions of the
miners.
IL was not long, however, until /
learned that Elliott had betrayed Law
son when entrusted with some vitality
important affidavit relating to his ap-
plication for n new trial.
The Elliott Affair.
Later in the summer Elliott was
taken before military commission
headed by Boughton at the capitol
Zone SATURDAY. night and forced to
divulge everything Of Importance he
had learned in his Investigations on
behalf Of the miners. Elliott had ar
ranged a dinner party Mt the Savoy
for several Juvenile court employees,
and. while Mt the dinner, was arrested.
The arrest, the fact that Elliott sub
procedure and talked so freely to the
enemies Of his employers. all looked
to me like the rankcst sort of dou-
Bile cross. The circumstances of what
he called n search of his room at the
Savoy while he was at the capitol
added to that belief.
Later when Coates returned from
the east at the urgent request of FL
lott, who had remained in hiding un-
ill Coatea arrived Coatea vaye IN all
he had to the enemies of labor. He
did it in this way. He had been quite
friendly with number of discredited
hcnchmen of Gen. Chase. and he en-
ployed as stcnographer the very man
who had been stenographcr for Jesse
Northcutt To this stcnographer
Coates dictated all sorts of reports
and letters having to do with his in
vestigations.
Colorado Miners Betrayed.
The whole story of how Belcher.
Elliott and Coates betrayed the Colo
RADIO miners and their imprisoned and
accused officials is too big for let
ter and besides presume you know
all about it. If you don't and are in
terested you can get the details from
whom ! told the inside facts at the
time.
Belcher had tried to turn me
against Lawson by telling me that
Lawson had been intriguing with
Tom Lewis to defeat White and that
he (Belcher) had the proof of It.
When summoned from Charleston, w.
Va, to indianapolis year ago in
January to confront Lawson. Belchcr
was unable to prove anything and was
forced to admit that he had lied when
ba amid ha hnb anrh ayiIopra