Bisbee daily review., 1920-03-31


 tiVes of the loyalty league. the
 Citizens Protective association
 and Captains of his deputy sher-
 ifs companies. This meeting,
 said the witness, was called at
 his request, after he had decided
 that the situation was so grave
 that bloodsheG could not be avoid
 ed except by the immediate re.
 moVai from the district of the
 men who were encouraging and
 taking part in tine |. w. w. strike.
 MT. French attempted to establish that the deportation was first sug- gested by Grant H. Dowell general manager of the Copper Queen Mining company, and that John C. Greenway, general manager of the Calumet and Arizona company, had offered to get the train that carried the deported men 10 Columbus
 Ordered Train Himself
 of such suggestions were made, and don't remember that they were, they were secondary to my own or ders." said Wheeler" I had consid- cred the deportation for several days and, on the night of the 11th of July, had decided that it must take place. "T ordered the train myself. with out any suggestion from Colonel Greenway or any one else. I ordered the deportation myself without any suggestion of it first being made by Mir. Dowell or any one else"
 ''I am not trying to deprive you of any lGurels," interposed Mir French. . Wheeler leaned forward in his chair quickly.
 MT French" he said, T am not seeking any laurels."
 The closing of the telephone sys- tenn at Bisbee during the deportation, Wheeler said. was done at his direc- tion after the matter had been care fully considered Wheeler denied any connection. however. with the alleged closing of telegraph wires, and said that he had not known of this until the day following the deportation.
 During his testimony yesterday Wheeler told of having heard Mex ican shout to a miner who had re- fused to go out on strike, "We ran you out of Cananea, and We will run you out of here"
 Why Wheeler "Was Afraid"
 "Why didn't you arrest that MeXi- can?" asked the County Attorney.
 Well, to tell you the truth. was afraid to-" replied Wheeler A mur- mur of amusement was heard over the court room, for Wheeler has been known for 20 years as one of the most fearless peace officers in the west. Even he County Attorney smiled al the answer.
 You were afraid, Captain?" he asked.
 Not for myself" replied Wheeler. but for the affect it woud have on others.
 'I made very few arrests during the strike because l thought that if started arresting every man who made remarks which I considered threatening and disloyal it would be the cause of serious trouble I stood for lot of things during the strike there that I did not like, but I con- sidered it the only way of avoiding serious trouble' Wheeler steadfastly stood by his statements that he considered the majority of the men who were de- ported disloyal and that a great num- Der of them were Austrians. Mexicans and other foreigners. Mir. French. reading from a report of the Bisbee situation, purported to have been made by commission sent out from Washington, questioned Wheeler as to the number of members of the I. w. | w. who were deported. the number | of deported men who had families in l Bisbee and who had purchased Lib- l erty bonds.
 ~ made no record of those things said Wheeler. l do not know how many of them were members of the [. w. w. and how many were not. do know, that 80 per cent of the men | talk ed with during the strike appear ed to be either |. w. w. members or sympathizers. For myself, prefer an |. w. w. to one of his sympathizers."
 Wheeler declared that, before deported men were placed on the train, he repeatedly requested all men with families to step out of line. Forty or fifty responded, he said. The families of those who remained in line and were deported, said Wheeler, were we'll taken care of by the business men of the district. After the deporta- ton, said Wheeler, he wired to Columbus and requested all mar ried men to return to the dis trictt.
 "One of the men. William Bentley, a leader of the I. w. w, did return