The copper era and Morenci leader., 1917-10-19

mission several labor leaders of tn, state and elsewhere arrived in th' district last week in anticipation o the coming of the Commission Prominent among those in the dis trict at present is H. L. McCluskey former President of the Miami Min CTS union, but of late has been tray cling in the northwest in the inter est Of oreanized labor. Another la bor organization official in the dis trict awaiting the arrival of tht Commission is John Murray, Secre tery of the Pan American Conmitte' of the American Federation of La Dor. Chas. H. Mover, President O. tue Western Federation of Miners fo several years, is at present in Globe and is expected to arrive in this dis trict simultaneously with the arriva of the Commission
 According to published reports il newspapers at Phoenix John Murra, has been selected as the press repre- sentative for the organized labol forces. Over his, own signature tht following appeared in recent issue of a Phoenix weekly newspaper:
 Murray's Signed Statement:
 Clifton, Arizona, Oct. Sixty
 nine Mexican miners are today
 imprisoned in the county jail of
 this copper-company town, in cell-space built to hold about a
 dozen persons. Protests by the
 attorney for the jailed strikers
 have been ignored and the men
 swe1ter in this black hole of Cal
 cutta ir danger of, sickness and
 death
 "The Sheriff and one deputy
 arrested the entire 69, without
 the least resistance on the part
 of the MeXicans, who are charg.
 ed with '.rioting" and marching
 on Clifton to attack and clean
 out the whites. The strikers, on
 their part. declare they were pick
 citing as allowed by law of the
 State of Arizona.
 From remarks of the Justice
 of the Peace before whom they
 were brought, they were any
 thing but dangerous persons, for
 he said to them, AS soon as the
 strike is settled, you'll be turned
 loose.'' The justice even went
 d little further than this and
 added. If they want to go to
 work, I'll turn 'em loose now.
 Tn refusing to reduce their in-
 dividual bail from S10O0 to $500,
 this justice said: They're all
 good boys. I know they
 wouldn't run away if I let 'em
 out, but it's just as impossible
 for 'em to raise $500 as $1 1000, so
 we'll let it go at that"
 -Four Mexican strikebreakers testified to the violent intentions
 of this peaceful lot of union
 pickets. They were the only
 witnesses, and on scahs' testi-
 mony. the Clifton jail is packed
 to suffocation.'
 The above signed statement is en tirely in keeping with a similar ar ticle attributed to Murray in whicf jeans and Spaniards as a plot origin ated by the mining companies tt throw the strike leaders in jail he fore the arrival of the Commission
 Justice Lally denied to the Copper Era this week that he had ever made any such statements attribut eU to hlm.
 Instead Of the prisoners being con fined in cell space to accommodate twelve persons the alleged rioters occupy three rooms on the second story of the jail building.
 The. arrests were made by the Sheriff and three deputies Sixty nine were placed under arrest ant about two hundred and fifty made good their escape. throwing away their arms as they ran.'
 The alleged rioters were marching along the road towards Clifton wher intercepted by the Sheriff and hi: deputies.
 At the preliminary. hearing no Mex ican strike breakers appeared as witnesses. The only witnesses were Sheriff Slaughter and his deputies
 With the above exceptions every thing else in the article signed b, John Murray and printed in Phoeni, is correct.
 In the event the Commission ar rives in Clifton on Monday represen tatives of organized labor in thi: district, including all crafts have arranged tD give the Commissioners and attaches a banquet at the Easterr Cafe, either on Monday evening ol Tuesday evening. The Commission CTS have also accepted an invitation of Norman Carmichael, general man a@er of The Arizona Copper Co. tc dine with the mine managers of the cistrict during their visit here