The union times., 1941-05-31
l Remember
 By Richard E.. CrOskey
 Local 4O4 Cooks & Walters Union
The Independence Depot
 Explosion

AO AANAOROAAOOAAOO DCROk
 Explosion
 In the early part of July, 1904, on a Sunday midnight, a shack that was used in Cripple Creek, ColO., as a shelter for the passen- gers on the narrow gauge railroad that circled the hills-the "FlOr- ence and Cripple Creek R. R.'' was blown up and some 13 men lost their lives. The striking miners, of course, were blamed for this murder.
 It was later proven that the said miners had nothing to do with it. The facts were that it was another attempt to discredit the miners and to keep the militia stationed in the district. The men who concocted this plot and had their hired thugs exc cute it did not contemplate that any one would be killed.
 The circumstances were as follows The midnight "stub" train that circled the mountain to pick up the miners coming off the midnight shift almost always arrived at this shanty depot before the men left the mines, and whistled for them to hurry to get aboard.
 Train Late
 This night the train happened to be late and the men arrived at the depot before the train. The depot rested on the mountain side in front, and was propped up at the back, leaving an open space under the platform. Un- der this dynamite was planted and a wire run across the railroad track so that when the engine hit this wire it would set off the dynamite.
 It was exected by the plotters that the train would arrive before the men, as was usual, and the only real dam age done would be the scattering of a few boards over the hillside.
 Union Men Jailed
 There was a wild time after this outrage. The union men, myself included, were rounded up like sheep and thrown into jail. The citizens who were opposed to the miners were going to hang some hundreds of us forthwith. How. ever, ''murder will out" Not one of these men was ever brought to trial. Many were loaded on trains and sent from the district, some to Kansas and others to New Mexi. co, until the governors of these states protested. The remaining men were sent to Denver. The miners headquarters at Denver leased one roOming house hotel to take care of these men and made Arrangements to feed them. Men were torn from their families and some suicides were caused by this work. And MARK THIS FACT: Most of the men who were respOns- ible for this outrage themselves died either maniacs or violent deaths. The ''Avenging Nemesis took care of them.
 Guilty or Innocent
 Harry Orchard, who is now doing a life sentence in the Idaho State jail was charged with murder, as was another man who, strangely enough, was run down and killed when in toxicated one night by the same train that had caused this killing. As to their guilt or innocence do not know. But this I know: after getting out of the jail with others, was going down the street of Victor one afternoon when I met in very intoxicated con- dition one of the men who was cur rent1y charged with concocting this outrage. He stopped me. We were very we'll known as are most people living in a small community.
 Let's have a drink" he said. I readily complied and we entered Burns and Gibbons saloon i'll Victor and took a seat at a table. He was a great talker and in talkative mood and encouraged him, trying to learn "something."
 It was a case with me of mind over matter. I noted the man on duty and the time closely. Then, in the course of his maudIing tale, he made this one significant re- mark: ''We did not mean to hurt anybody" and other admissions that l do not care to divulge unless l am placed on the witness stand. But immediately on leaving him I jOtted down the time, the place, and D. Sc ~ro~-lo