Hellraisers Journal: From the American Labor Union Journal: “Climax Reached at Telluride”-Citizen Thugs Deport Miners

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Quote Mother Jones, Powers of Privilege ed, Ab Chp III—————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday March 26, 1904
Telluride, Colorado – Union Men Dragged from Homes and Deported

From the American Labor Union Journal of March 24, 1904:

HdLn Telluride CO Deportations, ALUJ p1, Mar 24, 1904Telluride CO Deportations, ALUJ p1, Mar 24, 1904Telluride CO Deportations, ALUJ p4, Mar 24, 1904

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Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Held Incommunicado on Orders of Gen. Chase in a Cold Cellar Cell at Walsenburg, Colorado

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Quote Mother Jones re Walsenburg Cellar Cell, Mar 22, 1914 x26 days, Ab Chp 21, 1925—————

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday March 25 1914
Walsenburg, Colorado – Mother Jones Held in Cold Cellar Cell

From The Rocky Mountain News of March 24, 1914:
“Mother Jones Held Prisoner in Dingy Jail”

Mother Jones Held by Military in Dingy Walsenburg Cell, RMN p7, Mar 24, 1914

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Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Taken From Southbound Train at Walsenburg, Colorado, and Once Again Held by Militia

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Quote Mother Jones re Soldiers Bayonets Constitution, Day Book Noon p32, Mar 23, 1914—————

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday March 24 1914
Walsenburg, Colorado – Mother Jones Taken from Train and Arrested by Militia

From The Hutchinson News (Kansas) of March 23, 1914:

“MOTHER” JONES AGAIN HELD
BY THE MILITARY
———–
She Was Arrested at Walsenburg
Upon Her Return There From Denver.
———-

Mother Jones w Lawson n Hawkins at Denver CO Mar 16-20, 1914
John Lawson, Mother Jones, Horace Hawkins

Walsenburg, Colo., March 23-After a week’s freedom “Mother” Mary Jones is again a military prisoner in the strike zone. The aged strike leader was taken from a southbound Colorado and Southern train here this morning by Captain H. C. Nickerson, acting under orders of Adjutant General John Chase, and lodged in the county hospital under military guard. She is being held incommunicado.

Captain Nickerson left Trinidad last night under orders to arrest “Mother” Jones at Walsenburg when the announcement was made that she was leaving for Trinidad. The militia officer boarded the train at Pueblo and as it neared Walsenburg, ordered “Mother” Jones to alight with him at that point.

“I protest against such treatment,” declared the strike leader, “but I am not surprised.”

“I am acting under orders,” replied the officer.

“Well, I’ll get off,” she retorted.

John Brown, an organizer of the United Mine Workers of America, and known as “Mother” Jones’ body guard, who accompanied the aged strike leader, also left the train but was not placed under arrest.

Calls It Kidnapping.

Trinidad, Colo., March 23-“It’s a plain case of kidnapping,” declared John R. Lawson, International board member of the United Mine Workers, when advised that “Mother” Jones had been taken from a train at Walsenburg by the military authorities while on her way to Trinidad.

“Mother Jones was going through the place and as far as I know there is absolutely no charge against her. I hope that the supreme court will act in the matter at once.”

Mr. Lawson and John McLennan, president of District No. 15, United Mine Workers of America, left today for Walsenburg.

—————

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: General Pancho Villa to President Woodrow Wilson: Mother Jones, “Is Being Illegally Deprived of Her Liberty”

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Quote Mother Jones re Pancho Villa, Day Book p13, Jan 16, 1914—————-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday March 23, 1914
“General Villa’s Ultimatum to President Wilson”

From the Appeal to Reason of March 21, 1914:

Gen Villa to Prez Wilson re Mother Jones, AtR p1, Mar 21, 1914

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Denver United Labor Bulletin: “Mother Jones Deported From Prison by Chase’s Militia”

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Quote Mother Jones, Raise Hell in Jail, Gary IN Oct 23, NYT p2, Oct 24, 1919—————

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday March 22, 1914
Denver, Colorado – Mother Jones Arrives After Deportation from Trinidad

-Meets with John Lawson and Horace Hawkins

From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of March 21, 1914:

Mother Jones w Lawson at Denver, HdLn Deported fr Trinidad CO, ULB p1, Mar 21, 1914

“Mother” Jones and John R. Lawson.

Remarkable likeness of the 82-year-old Camp Angel, telling her story to John R. Lawson, Executive Board member U. M. W., Monday [March 16th] after arrival in Denver from Trinidad, where she was detained as military prisoner for 9 weeks.

From The Denver Post of March 16, 1914
-Statement of Mother Jones after Deportation from Trinidad:

Statement of Mother Jones in Denver af Deportation fr Trinidad, DP p4, Mar 16, 1914

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Hellraisers Journal: Striking Miners of Telluride Attacked and Deported From Their Homes at Night by Citizens’ Alliance

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Quote Mother Jones, Powers of Privilege ed, Ab Chp III—————

Hellraisers Journal – Monday March 21, 1904
Telluride, Colorado – Armed Citizens’ Alliance Mob Deports Striking Miners

From The Denver Post of March 15, 1904:

Telluride Deportations, DP p1, Mar 15, 1904

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Hellraisers Journal: Chris Evans Assaulted Near Trinidad; Letter Received Threatening Mother Jones and U. M. W. A. Officials

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Quote Mother Jones, CFI Owns Colorado, re 1903 Strikes UMW WFM, Ab Chp 13, 1925—————

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday March 20, 1904
Near Trinidad, Colorado – Chris Evans, U. M. W Official Assaulted, Seriously Injured 

From The Topeka Daily Capital of March 16, 1904:

THE EVANS ASSAULT.
———-
Officials of Mine Workers Express Great Indignation.

Chris Evans 1890, Secretary of AFL
Chris Evans, 1890

Indianapolis, Ind., March 15.-At the national headquarters of the United Mine Workers indignation was expressed over the assault in Colorado of Chris Evans. Evans is nearly 60 years of age and despite his long service in various official capacities with the miners, he has never been before assaulted. He was editor of the United Mine Workers Journal in this city for several years and served as national statistician of the organization. Prior to being sent to Colorado last November by the executive board he had charge of the disbursement of funds in West Virginia to the strikers. He is the third official of the United Mine Workers who recently has been assaulted in Colorado. The other two men who were assaulted and seriously injured were W. R. Fairley, member of the national executive board from Alabama, and James Mooney, member of the national executive board from Missouri.

Pueblo, Col., March 15-Chris Evans, financial agent of the United Mine Workers, who was assaulted yesterday near Trinidad, today gave the authorities a clue which they are investigating in the form of an anonymous letter sent to Wm. Wardon [Wardjon], national organizer, Mr. Evans and others, warning him and the other officials to leave the camp within two days. The letter also referred to “Mother” Jones and was signed “33.”

No attention was paid to it at the time, but Mr. Evans now thinks it a part of a well-formed plot to kill the officials

—————

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Telluride, San Miguel County, Colorado – Affidavit of A. A. Pratt Arrested by Militia for Refusing to Scab

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Quote Mother Jones, CFI Owns Colorado, re 1903 Strikes UMW WFM, Ab Chp 13, 1925—————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday March 19, 1904
Telluride, Colorado – Arrested by Militia for Refusing to Scab

March 3, 1904, Telluride, Colorado-Affidavit of A. A. Pratt

AFFIDAVIT.
AH Floaten re AA Pratt of Telluride CO No Scab, ALU p1, Mar 10, 1904

State of Colorado, County of San Miguel, ss.
I, the undersigned A. A. Pratt, make the following statement under oath: On or about February 26, 1904, I was in Denver looking for work. A man by the name of Johnson told me I could get work as a miner in Telluride; that the strike was off and there was no martial law; that the soldiers were all withdrawn, and that transportation was furnished free. I concluded to go, and a Mr. Snodgrass gave me a ticket to Telluride.

When I arrived at Telluride, on the evening of the 27th, I was met at the depot and taken to the Victoria hotel to stay all night. The next morning a horse was brought to the hotel for me to ride to the Smuggler-Union mine, about four miles away. On the way to the mine we passed soldiers standing guard. When I got to the mine I made inquires and found out that the strike was on, that the district was under military rule. As the conditions had been misrepresented to me, and I did not want to work under these conditions, I told the boss that I had forgotten something in town and thus obtained a pass to present to the soldiers between the mine and the town.

In Telluride I was arrested on a warrant sworn to by Bulkely Wells, manager of the Smuggler-Union mine and commander of the militia, charging me with obtaining money under false pretenses. He appeared as a witness against me, although there had been no agreement made with him, nor with any one else, that I was to pay anything for fare, hotel or horse hire. These were furnished me without me asking for them, and he admitted that he had no agreement with me. There was no one but myself that knew anything about the matter, so the justice found me not guilty, but it shows to what measures they are willing to resort.

I do solemnly swear that the above statement is true to the best of my knowledge.

A. A. PRATT.

Sworn and subscribed to before me on the 3rd day of March, 1904
ALBERT HOLMES,
Justice of the Peace.

[Paragraphs and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones No Longer Military Prisoner; General Chase Deported Her to Denver Late at Night

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Quote Mother Jones, Chase No Own State, RMN p3, Jan 12, 1914—————

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday March 18, 1914
Mother Jones Deported Out of Southern Colorado Strike Zone by Gen. Chase

From The Winnipeg Tribune of March 16, 1914:

Mother Jones Hell Hounds by Art Young, Masses p7, Feb 1914

“MOTHER JONES” DEPARTS

Trinidad, Colo., March 16.-“Mother” Mary Jones, noted woman strike leader, who has been a military prisoner in San Rafael hospital here since January 12, was put aboard a train quietly last night and sent out of the coal strike district. Her departure became known today. It was said this action was taken at her request and on orders of General John Chase.

“Mother” Jones was taken to Denver.

—————

[Drawing and emphasis added.]

From El Paso Herald of March 16, 1914:

 

WOMAN LEADER IS DEPORTED;
IS STILL ANGRY
———-

DECLARES SHE IS SURE TO RETURN
———-
“Mother” Jones Now in Denver, Says She Was Deported
Late at Night by Military Authorities and Sent Away
on a Ticket Paid For by the State;
Goes to Call on the Governor.
———-

Trinidad. Colo., March 16-“Mother” Mary Jones, noted woman strike leader, who has been a military prisoner in San Rafael hospital here since January 12, was put aboard a train quietly last night [March 15th] and sent out of the coal strike district. Her departure became known today.

She went to Denver. The military authorities proceeded with the utmost secrecy to remove “Mother” Jones. She was arrested at a local hotel here January 12, after having been deported from the district the week previous and told not to return. Since her confinement several efforts have been made to secure her release.

—————

Denver, Colo., March 16-That she was deported from Trinidad; that she was accompanied by Denver militia officers, taken to a hotel and was not told she had been released; that she expects to return to the strike zone soon, was the substance of a statement made today by “Mother” Mary Jones, noted strike leader, who has been a military prisoner at San Rafael hospital in Trinidad since January 12.

Her statement was given to a group of newspaper men at the conclusion of a conference with Horace N. Hawkins, attorney for the United Mine Workers of America, Immediately thereafter she left for the state house to call upon Governor E. M. Ammons.

Rearrest Threatened.

General Chase stated “Mother” Jones will be arrested whenever she returns to Trinidad.

“Mother” Jones was put upon an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe train last night [Sunday March 15th], arriving in Denver early today. She was accompanied by Col. W. A. Davis, of the Colorado National Guard.

“Mother” Jones declared that the state bought the ticket on which she came to Denver. She declared she intended returning to Trinidad to demand her mail, explaining that no mail had been delivered to her during her detention. She stated that she had received considerate treatment at the hospital, but had suffered somewhat from the confinement.

Confers With Governor

In the conference with the governor were his secretary, Claude W. Fairchild, “Mother” Jones, John Lawson, John McLennan, union officials, and Horace N. Hawkins.

Telegrams were sent to M. D. Foster, chairman of the house committee on mines and mining, and representative Edward Keating of Colorado by John Lawson, relating the incident of “Mother ” Jones being brought to Denver.

Didn’t Consent to Trip, She Says

In her statement to newspaper men, “Mother” Jones said:

I never asked to talk with governor Ammons and I never gave my consent to the trip to Denver. Sunday night a military officer came to me and told me to pack my clothes quick, as it was almost train time. He took pains to tell me I was not being deported.

Boarded Train a Crossing.

We did not board the train at the depot, but it was stopped at a crossing. We arrived in Denver early today, and I was taken to a hotel. They did not even tell me whether or not I was free.

Mr Hawkins then took up the narrative.

“I telephoned to Gen. Chase,” he said, “and he told me that ‘Mother’ Jones was released. I then called up Governor Ammons and he said that he had not been advised that ‘Mother’ Jones wanted to see him. I informed him that she had no desire to talk with him, but would call at his office if he invited her to do so.

“He said: ’Well, then I invite her to call.’”

She Complains of Detention.

“Mother” Jones complained vigorously of the manner in which she had been arrested and detained. “If I have done any thing wrong why have they not charged me with a crime in court?” she demanded of the assembled newspaper men. “Why have they resorted to this trick to release me just before the supreme court was to pass upon my habeas corpus suit?”

“Mother” Jones gave her vision of the events preceding her arrest. She said the day before the Forbes battle a man came to her room at a Trinidad hotel and told her the guards were preparing to raid the tent colonies.

—————

[Emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: The Labor World: “Slavery Revealed in Colorado Mines…Managed by Tyrants”-Liberty Denied

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Quote John Lawson 1913, after October 17th Death Special attack on Forbes Tent Colony, Beshoar p74—————

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday March 17, 1914
Denver, Colorado – Testimony Reveals Murderous Mine Guards Terrorize Miners

From the Duluth Labor World of March 14, 1914:

SLAVERY REVEALED IN COLORADO MINES
———-
Startling Testimony Given Before
Congressional Committee In Coal Inquiry.
———-

LIBERTY IS DENIED;
WORSE THAN RUSSIA
———-
Blacklist System Kept By Operators Exposed
-Coal Districts Managed by Tyrants.
———-

Military Rule in CO, Woman Bayoneted fr Stt Str, AtR p2, Feb 28, 1914

DENVER, Colo., March 13,-(Special Correspondence.)-Southern Colorado today is in a state of anarchy. Men are held slaves in the coal mines, terrorized by murderous mine guards and robbed of practically every cent of the small pittance they are paid. The striking coal miners are intimidated and murdered by the hired assassins of the operators, denied their constitutional rights by the militia of the state of Colorado. These and many other outrages were brought out by the congressional committee which closed its month’s investigation of the Colorado coal strike Saturday [March 7th].

Colorado’s Liberty (?)

For years the coal miners of the state have maintained that they had less personal liberty, less rights in Colorado than have the people of Russia. For the same length of time the papers of the state have denied these reports.

If there was any doubt in the minds of the people of Colorado as to the real conditions in the coal fields those ideas were dispelled by the oppressed witnesses who appeared before the congressional investigating committee.

The operators and their gunmen have run their lickspittles in office with such a high hand, with such utter disregard of the laws and human life that conditions as they exist seem impossible to the man who has not suffered or failed to spend some time in the district.

One of the just grievances of the miners, established by the men as well as mine superintendents and foremen, was that of short weights. Since the first mine was opened in the state it has been the common practice of the coal operators to steal from 400 to 800 pounds of coal from miners on each car.

Miners Were Discharged.

To offset this robbery the miners had a bill passed providing for checkweighman. When the miners sought to take advantage of this law they were promptly discharged or given such a poor room that they could not make a living and were forced to quit. Instead of abolishing this thievery of coal by the operators, the checkweighman law seemed to increase it for the operators were filled with a desire to demonstrate how they were superior to the law and could do as they pleased in a state where they owned a majority of the officials body and soul.

Probably one of the most notorious works of the operators exposed by the witnesses was the blacklist system that has always been in existence against union miners. After the 1903-4 strike 6,000 men were blacklisted and but few of them have been able to get work up to this time except where companies signed up with the union. Witnesses testified that superintendents at all of the mines in the state had a list of the union men. They told of going to mines, being refused work because they were union men and seeing scores of men employed while they stood there.

Owners Dominate Politics.

One of the most notorious conditions existing in the south has been the domination of politics by the coal companies. They own the courts, the juries and practically every other officer.

Jack McQuarry, a witness and who was deputy sheriff of Huerfano county for seven years, testified that when a man or number of men were killed in the mines, he was ordered to take the coroner to the superintendent and find out who he wanted on the jury, as well as what the verdict was to be.

When Jeff Farr [Sheriff of Huerfano County] and his ring did not have sufficient votes to carry an election, they voted the sheep in the hills or else arrested enough of their opponents to carry the election and held them until they promised to vote the way Sheriff Jeff Farr wanted them to.

It has always been common practice for the superintendent to take his men to the polls and vote the entire gang one way.

“Got” Mine Leader.

McQuarry told how in 1906 the deputies were told to “get” John R. Lawson, International Board Member of the United Mine Workers. They could find no legitimate reason for arresting Lawson so two deputies went up to him, stuck a gun in his pocket, and then arrested him for carrying concealed deadly weapons.

Tony Langowsky, a member of the union and spotter for the operators, threw a bomb into their camp when he testified that he and the mine guards framed up all the dynamite explosions which terrorized Sopris, Colo., for six weeks last fall.

The operators sent out the reports that these explosions were the work of the “lawless” strikers. Langowsky’s testimony absolutely fixes the blame for the outrages which have occurred in Southern Colorado on the operators, who have heretofore been convicted of every crime except that.

It is impossible to bring out even a small part of the testimony in one story. While the operators were convicted of every crime on the calendar, the militia of the state suffered like exposure.

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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