The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-02-02
BISBEE DEPORTATION
TRIALS START TO-DAY
More Than 400 Defendants Have Beer
Summoned to Appear in Superior
Court at Tombstone, Arizona,
and a Hard Fought Legal
Battle Is Expected.

Tombstone, Ariz., Feb 2,-The Bis
bee deportation trials" set TO begin
here to-day are expected to develop
the hardest fought legal battle in the
history of Arizona. The litigation re.
suited from the deportation Of ,ls6
striking copper mine workers and their
sympathizers from Bisbee, Ariz., to
New Mexico on July IL, 1917
More than 200 defendants, among
them many Of the most prominent cit
liens OF Bisbee and vicinity, have been
summoned to appear in the superior
court here to answer charges of kid
naping in connection with the depor'
tation. Harry S. Wheeler, former sher-
! if of Cochise county. who has taken
upon himself sole responsibility for the
deportation; mine managers, supern-
tendens and foremen; bankers, mer-
chants and professional men are among
the defendants.
Judge Samuel l.. Pattee of Pima
county, who has been designated to
preside, first gained prominence by re-
writing and codifying the laws OF Arr
IONA after her admission TO statehood.
Officials of the county attorneys OF.
flee are understood to have Travelled
through many western states gather
ing dispositions from the men VINO were
deported :,
Preliminary examinations were held
in Douglas last year. These were fol-
lowed by a trial in the federal court
at Tucson OF 90 leaders in the financial
and industrial life of Bisbee, Douglas
and Warren, ON indictments charging
conspiracy TO deprive a citizen OF his
rights in violation of the penal code.
The defense raised question OF the
courts jurisdiction in that case and II
was sustained with the result that the
trial of 200. or more, instead of the ~
alleged leaders, was undertaken IN the
state courts.
A third action is pending. II u
civil proceeding for damages alleged TO
have been sustained BY the deported
men BY reason of their deportation.
The deportation of the ,ls6 men fol-
lowed a prolonged strike in the copper
mines at Bisbee Accusations were
printed in the newspapers Of the South
west that the strike was fomented by
III INDUSTRIAL NNTktTt VI tht WIN W.
the purpose of cutting of the produe-
ton of copper needed by the allied
and associated powers in the war
against Germany.
Sheriff Wheeler. who directed the de-
portations. declared at the time that
all of the men deported were known TO
be members of the l. W. W., but an in
vestigating committee under Secretary
Of Labor Wilson reported that some OF
the deported men were not members OF
the I. W. W, but were business men
and property owners who had lived IN
the district many years.
Fifteen hundred armed men under
sheriff Wheeler herded the strikers and
sympathizers into the baseball park at
Warren. examined each one, released
those who promised 90 return 90 work.
loaded the remainder on a train Of cat
tie cars and box cars, put guards on
board. and the train proceeded TO a
sidetrack al Hermanas, y. NJ, where u
was left. United States troops on July
Ia removed the exiles 10 a camp at
Columbus. y. NJ. where they remained
for several weeks. until they finally
drifted away. Two men. one deputy
sheriff, were killed in the roundup at
Bisbee.