New-York tribune., 1919-02-11
U. S. Regulars
1urnBayonets
On Butte Mob
Two Men and a Woman Are
Wounded in Charge OH
/. w. W. Street Meeting
Martial Law Is Promised
Ex-Soldiers and Sailors De-
clared the Chief Menace;
General Strike Expected

BUTTE, Mont, Feb. 1O.-United
States regulars patrolling the down
town streets here to-day used bayo-
nets to disperse a meeting of I. w.
WIS and returned soldiers. Two men
and one woman were hurt. Under pro-
test of the municipal authorities,
however, the meeting was allowed to
resume on condition that order be
preserved.
Martial law will be proclaimed by
the Federal authorities, Major A. M.
Jones, commanding the United States
troops on guard here, declared to- day,
to check the growing unrest and in
view of the threat of Mayor w. H.
Maloney to discharge the city's police
and fire forces, owing to inability of
the municipal treasury to pay their
salaries.
One hundred additional United
States troops reached here yesterday
Their arrival stimulated the efforts of
the I. w. W., led by foreign agitators,
in the formation of their "Red Guard''
in companies.
According to announcement by the
strikers the strike is under direction
of the Soldiers, Sailors and Workers
Council, composed OF fifteen labor
unions, discharged sailors and soldiers
|. w. w. members, the Pearse- Connolly
Club. Socialists and other radical ele
ments.
Ex-Soldiers Alarming Factor
The participation of returned soldiers
in the strike is regarded as especially
menacing. The actual number of strik-
ing miners in the city is 10000
The striking miners oppose the re-
duction of 81 day in wages and de-
mand. the abolition of the "rustlinp''
card system. Some OF them en- route to
do picket duty at the mines to-day
were stopped by Federal troops and
turned back. Among them were mum
Der of eX-service men in uniform. Thew
were ordered by the troops to discard
their uniforms or give up their picket
ing work
The strikers succeeded in stopping
miners who refused to join the strike
from using the streetcars in going to
and from the mines by calling out
the union carmen, who quit at T o'clock
this morning. There were reports that
the Federal troops fired over the heads
OF the strikers who sought to stop the
car service, but this was contradicted d
by Major Jones. He also denied a re
port that he had asked the Federal
authorities for additional reinforce
ments.
No Violence at Mines
+ 50 far, despite the rather provoca-
tive situation and the fevcrish or.
ganlzatlon Of strikers and sympathizers
into military units, no violence ba,
been reported.
John Gillie, manager of the mine,
Of the Anaconda Copper Mining Com
pany. admitted that few miners wer,
working, but asserted this was due t(
lack of streetcar service. He said thu.
far no formal demands have been pre-
sented by the strikers.
1t was believed the engineers would
join the strike during the day, and th,
strikers we're confident a general walk
out would follow. The Butte Army ant
Navy League, an organization Of re
turned soldiers and sailors, voted yes
terday for general strike The leagu,
has membership Of 1000. Mass meet
lngs were held all day and nearly al
night Sunday, ut which the strike stu
alton, the formation of sovicts Of work
men, soldiers and sailors and a genera