The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-11-21
SEVERAL ARE
KILLED AND
MANY INJURED
First Blood Shed Today in
l. w. w. Coal Strike In
Colorado Fields
TROOPS ORDERED OUT
Officers Unable to Stop Strik-
ers With Clubs and Are
Ordered to Shoot

Denver, Colorado, Nov. 2l.-R-
FRS. blood was shed In the /. w. w.
coal strike in Colorado early today
when state policemen fired on sey.
cral hundred strikers who stormed
the C0lumbine mine Of the Rocky
Mountain Fuel and Iron company.
thirty mile north Of Denver.
Four strikers were known to
have been killed and more than :
score were injured. Strikers as
serted that from seven to 10 had
been slain, but this could not Be
verified. Many Of the state Off
GERS were injured.
Governor w. H. Adams ordered
out part Of the Colorado national
guard. and declared martial Law in
the coal fields Of northern Color
ado.
Troops WIRE on their way to the
Columbine mine when the governor
signed an order shortly before 10
2. M, giving national guards abso-
lutte authority in tho strike dis
trict.
Officers Battle Strikers
The state policemen turned !
hail of bullets into the strikers
after hand-to-hand battle in which
the officers were overwhelmed by
the large crowd that swarmed into
the mine property and ignored com.
mands to halt.
There were some women sym.
pathizers in the ranks Of the strik-
ers and at least two women were
wounded.
Strikers appeared 1t the mine at
5:3O a. m. apd started through the
gates. WELDING their guns as
clubs, the policemen made q futile
attempt to halt the advance. The
ctrikers used clubs, knives and
stones to force their way IN.
Louis N. Scherf, chief Of the
state police, then rallied his officers
and, forming new line, again or.
de. : the strikers to hiatt. When
they kept comm. Scherf fired two
shots over the heads of the crowd.
and then ordered his men to shoot
into the ranks. The strikers appar-
emily were unaware they were be-
ing fired or until their ranks began
to thin and the shrieks Of the
wounded pieced the air. They re-
treated hastily, taking many OF their
wounded with them. Later they
erected white flag ove- an auto
mobile and returned for several
more wounded.
Wounded Taken to Hospitals
One, Of the dead and several Of
the wounded were left on the mine
property. The wounded were rushed
to hospitals at Longmont and Boul-
der.
Several o. the state officers also
were taken to hospitals suffering
from injuries. They sustained
broken shoulders from being struck
with clubs. Sam Lee, one Of the
policemen, lost q finger.
One of the injured was . woman
dressed in the clothing Of . man.
Another woman was in . hospital at
Boulder with q bullet wound, but her
condition was not serious. Adam
Bell, leader Of the striking forces
in the northern Colorado field, was
in the hospits at Longmont with
serious injuries.
Physicians 1t the hospital said
that six strikers being treated there
probably would die. Thirteen 9TH
ers were expected to survive the
wounds.
Tro. 8 Being Sent
One troop Of cavalry, two arm.
ored tanks, one headquarters CONF
pany, four companies Of infantry
and medical detachment were or
dered out for strike duty by Colonel
Paul p. Newton, adjutAnt Of the
(Continue m -age two)