The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-10
|, v. CASES
IN ARIZONA TO
COON TRIAL
In Connection With Depor-
tations Over Hundred
Prominent of Bisbee Are
Indicted.

/ Douglas. Ariz., July 9.-More than
a hundred criminal complaints, al
leging kidnapping in the Bisbee de-
portations July 81. 1917 today were
placed in the hands of Justice of the
Peace Jacks who left for Bisbee to
hold court and issue warrants for
persons named. among them some
of the most prominent men in the state.
Bisbee Ariz, July Ever since the
morning of July 81. 1917 when eleven
hundred and eighty-six mine workers
and their alleged sympathizers were
forcibly driven from Bisbee, the de-
portations have been a source of dis
cussion in this state and throughout
the West.
After the deportat the United
States grand jury indicted twenty-five
of the most prominent men in Ari
zona, copper company officials. county
officers and private citizens on charg-
es of conspiracy to deprive private
citizens of their constitutional rights.
On December 8, last. Judge William
w. Morrow, of San Francisco, sitting
in the United States district court at
Tucson, quashed the indictments when
the trial was called. The United
States government Immediately ap-
pealed from Judge Morrows decision
and today the case is pending in che
supreme court of the United States.
The men involved in the charges
brought by the federal government
include Walter Douglas. of New York
City. president and general manager
of the Phelps, Dodge Corporation, own
ing and operating the Copper Queen
Consolidated mines in Bisbee and
the Copper Queen smelter at Douglas;
Grant H. Dowel, general manager Of
the Copper Queen Smelter at Douglas;
Robert Rae, auditor for the Phelps.
Dodge interests in the southwest; Will
liam III. Brophy. formerly general man
ager of the Phelps. Dodge Mercantile
company and now prominent Red
Cross official in France; Major John
C. Greenway. a mining engineer now a
maj jor in the United States engineer
corps in France, and Harry C. Wheel
er OF the United States army former
sheriff of Cochise county. Ariz
Harry Wheeler was sheriff of Coch-
Use county at the time the deporta-
tions took place. In June. 1918, when
he was in France as a captain in the
United States army, he sent a ca ble-
gram to Bisbee accepting sole respon-
declared were made TO rid the COM
munity of members of the Industrial
Workers of the World, who. he alleged,
were interfering with the governments
war program by hampering the cop
per output.
The deportations grew out of the
strike of copper miners called in the
Warren copper mining district on
June 26. 1917. The strike was called
by the Industrial Workers of the
World, and was not sanctioned by the
Union of Mine, Mill and
The demands of the
strikers included increased pay six
dollars a day for underground work
and five dollars and a half for sur
face workers. a six hour day and inn
proved working conditions.
The strike continued in force until |
July IL, when the deportations took
place. Armed with revolvers. the dep
uties that Sheriff Wheeler had sworn !
in as officers of the law. seized all |
persons who could not give a satis- |
factory account of themselves and who |
would not promise to return to work |,
in the mines and marched them to tho |
Bisbee baseball park. where they were /
confined in a stockade until the round
up was completed at noon.
During the deportations two persons !,
were killed. a member of committee |
Of citizens being shot in attempting
to compel the deportation of one
workman and the workman in turn
Icing killed by the committee.
When the roundup had been com
pleted the prisoners were loaded in:o
cattle cars and freight cars and taken
first to Columbus. New Mexico. and
later the train was hauled back to the
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