The copper era and Morenci leader., 1917-12-07
MEN WHO DIRECTED B|SBEE DECORATIONS CRITICIZED
 BY SPECIAL COMMISSION

as we'll as of officials of the city and county who are in a position to report accurately and speak without bias.
 Early on the morning of July 12 the sheriff and a large armed force presumine to act as deputies under the sherift's authority, comprising about 2,000 men, rounded up 1,1S6 men in the Warren district, put them aboard train aud carried them to Columbus, N. M. The authorities a. Columbus refused to permit those in charge of the deportation to leave the men, there and the train carried them to the desert town of Herman as. N. NJ. The deportees- were wholly without adequate supply of food and water and shelter for two days. The men were abandoned by the guards and left to shift for them selves. The situation was brought to the attention of the war depart inent and on July IA the deportees were escorted by troops to Colum- bus. N. M, where they were main tained by the government until the middle of September.
 According to an army census of the deported men, 199 were native
 
 412 were registered under the selec tive draft law and 433 weee married. Of the foreign born over twenty na- Iionalities were representa-. includ ing Al British, S2 Servians and 175 Slavs. Grmans and Austro-Hungar- .ians (other than Slavs) were con- paratively few.
 t1he deportation was carried ont under tae sheriff of CocIHse county It was formally decided upon at a meeting of citizns on the night of July II, participated in by the managers and other officials of the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining company. Phelps Dodge Corpora- tion,) and me Calumet and Arizona mining company. Those who plan ned and directed the deportation pur noseiy abstaned from consulting about thei, plans either with the U. S. attorney in Arizona or the law Of fcers Of tEe state or county, or their own legal advisers.
 ''Thc plan for the deportation aEd its execution gre at" Jitahle to ne bclief in the minds Of inc SC who ra- 2ineered it -bGt vio- -sr:>e was ,i1n- [ telrrlated by the strikers and sy:l- pathlzers vitL the strikes who 1ad come into the district from witttnIt; that life tnG property wcud be .r.se cure un!ess such depo, la ton was undertaken. and that Ire state was without the necessary armed force IL prevent such antICir; ted violence 1,id t. sa-pauard life and property within the. district. This belief has nc justification in the evidence in supncrt Of t presented by the par ties who tarbored it.
 The deportations was wholly ille- gal and without authority in law either state or federal.
 Immediately after the first depor tations and until late in August the Function of he local judiciary was usurDed by a body, which, to all in- tents and purposes was a vigilance committee, having no authority whatever iii law.
 Among those who were deported from the district. and who thereaf- ter were arrested in seeking en- trance into it were several who had registered under the Selective draft law and sought to return or re- main in the district in ,order to dis charge their legal duty of reporting for physical examination under the draft. '
 These conclusions were reported ny the commission:
 All illegal practices and the de- nia' of rights safeguarded by the constitution and statutes must cease a once
 The right of unimpeded admit, ance into the Warren district of all who seek entrance into it in a law fnl and Deaceable manner mue be respected.
 The right of all persons freely to move about in the Warren district, or to continue to reside within it. must be scrupulously, except inso- far as such right is restricted by the orderly process of law
 Insofar as the deportation of July i2 and the events following con stitute violations of the laws of Ari- zcna We join in the recommendation of Governor Campbell that the re- sponsihle law officers of the state and county pursue appropriate remedies for the yindication of such laws, the commission added