CONTENTS

Preface

PART I — THE STRIKE OF 1894

CHAPTER I — PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS
Introduction

Cripple Creek — Location, geology, settlement — General economic conditions in 1894 — Conditions in Colorado and Cripple Creek in 1894

Indirect Causes Of The Strike

Uncertain business conditions — Irregularities in employment of labor

Events Leading Up To The Strike

CHAPTER II - THE TWO CRISES
The First Crisis

Attempts at a compromise — The lockout Feb. 1st, 1894 — The strike Feb. 7th — John Calderwood — Preparation by the unions — The injunction of March 14th — Capture of the deputies — Sheriff Bowers calls for militia — Beginning of friction between state and county — Conference between the generals and union officers — Recall of the militia — Compromise at the Independence

The Second Crisis

Coming of the rough element — The coup of Wm. Rabedeau — The demands and terms of the owners — Formation of the deputy army — "General" Johnson — Preparation of the miners for resistance — First detachment of deputy army — The blowing up of the Strong mine — The miners attack the deputies — Excitement in Colorado Springs — Rapid increase of deputy army — The governor's proclamation

CHAPTER III — THE FORCING OF THE ISSUE
Attempts At Arbitration

Conservative movement in Colorado Springs — The non-partisan committee — The miners propose terms of peace — Failure of the arbitration committee plan — Exchange of prisoners — The mission of Governor Waite — Miners give governor full power to act — The conference at Colorado College — Attempt to lynch Calderwood — The final conference in Denver — Articles of agreement

Militia vs. Deputies

The deputies march on Bull Hill — Call of the state militia — The question of authority — The clash in Grassey Valley — Military finally in control — Movements of the deputies — Conference in Altman — Withdrawal of deputies

The Restoration Of Order

Turbulent conditions in Cripple Creek — Attempts upon life of sheriff — Plan for vengeance in Colorado Springs — The attack upon General Tarsney — Arrests and trials of the strikers

CHAPTER IV-DISCUSSIONS
Peculiarities Of The Strike

The union allows men to work — Exchange of prisoners — Unusual influence of state authority

Arguments Of The Various Parties

The position of the mine owners — The position of the miners — The position of the governor

The Baleful Influence Of Politics

PART II—THE STRIKE OF 1903—1904

CHAPTER I—THE INTERVENING PERIOD
General Development

Increase in population and wealth — Industrial advance — Removal of frontier conditions — Entire dependence upon mining — The working force

The Background For The Strike

Divisioning of El Paso county — Growth of unions in political power — Western Federation becomes socialistic

The Situation Immediately Preceding The Strike

Unions misuse power — Treatment of non-union men — Minority rule — The strike power delegated

CHAPTER II—THE COLORADO CITY STRIKE
The Colorado City Strike

Formation of union — Opposition of Manager MacNeill — Presentation of grievances — The strike deputies and strikers — Manager MacNeill secures call of state militia

Partial Settlement By Arbitration

The Cripple Creek mines requested to cease shipments to Colorado City — The governor visits Colorado City — Conference at Denver — Settlement with Portland and Telluride Mills — Failure of second conference with Manager MacNeill

The Temporary Strike At Cripple Creek

Ore to be shut off from Standard Mill — The strike called — Advisory board — Its sessions — Further conferences — Settlement by verbal agreement

CHAPTER III — THE CRIPPLE CREEK STRIKE
The Call Of The Strike

Dispute over Colorado City agreement — Appeal of the union — Statements submitted by both sides — Decision of advisory board — Second strike at Colorado City — Strike at Cripple Creek

The First Period Of The Strike

Events of the first three weeks — Disorderly acts on September 1st — Release of Minster — Mine owners demand troops

The Militia In The District

The governor holds conferences with mine owners — The special commission — Troops called out — Militia arrest union officers — Other arrests — General partisan activity of the troops

Civil, vs. Military Authority

Habeas corpus proceedings — Militia guard court house — Judge Seeds' decision — The militia defy the court — Prisoners released — Rapid opening of the mines — Strike breakers

CHAPTER IV-TELLER COUNTY UNDER MILITARY RULE
Attempted Train Wrecking And Vindicator Explosion

Attempts to wreck F. & C. C. R. R. trains — McKinney and Foster arrested — McKinney makes conflicting confessions — Trial of Davis, Parker, and Foster — Digest of evidence — Release of McKinney — The Vindicator explosion — Evidence in case

A State Of Insurrection And Rebellion

The governor's proclamation — The power conferred as interpreted by militia officers — Local police deposed — Censorship of Victor Record — Registering of arms — Idle men declared vagrants — More general arrests of union officers — Habeas corpus suspended in case Victor Poole — Rowdyism by certain militiamen — Mine owners' statement — Federation flag posters — Withdrawal of troops

CHAPTER V—THE FINAL CRISIS
The Slxth Day Of June

Independence station explosion — Wrath of the community — Sheriff forced to resign — Bodies taken from undertaker — Mass meeting at Victor — The Victor riot — Militia capture miners'' union hall — Wholesale arrests of union men — Riot in Cripple Creek — Meeting of Mine Owners' Association and Citizens Alliance — The federation to be broken up

The Annihilation Of The Unions

Teller County again under military rule — Plant of Victor Record wrecked — Forced resignation of large number of county and municipal officials — The military commission — Deportations — Militia close the Portland mine — Aid to families forbidden — District entirely non-union — Withdrawal of troops

The Period Immediately Following

Mob deportations — The Interstate Mercantile Company — Second wrecking of the stores — The November elections — The expense of the strike — Summary

CHAPTER VI—DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The Western Federation Of Miners. Its Side Of The Case

History of the federation — Its socialistic tendencies — Sympathetic statement of its position

The Mine Owners' Association. Its Side Of The Case

History of the organization — The card system — Sympathetic view of its position

The Citizens Alliances. Their Side Of The Case

History of the alliances — Sympathetic view of their position

The State Authorities

Statement by Governor Peabody

The Responsibility And Blame — The Western Federation Of Miners

Cause of strike — Crimes of the strike

Mine Owners' Association

Criminal guards — Mob violence

The State Authorities

Use of troops — Perversion of authority

Arraignment Of Each Side By The Other

The "Red Book" — The "Green Book."

Comparison Of The Two Strikes

The first natural, the second artificial — Frontier conditions vs. complete industrial development — Contrasts in the use of state authority — Civil and military authority — Politics — Minority rule

Significance Of The Labor History

Bibliography

The Labor History of the Cripple Creek District;
A Study in Industrial Evolution
by Benjamin McKie Rastall

book image

pages 149-152

The Responsibility And Blame;—The Western Federation OF Miners

For the opening of the Cripple Creek strike the Western Federation of Miners must take the whole responsibility.25 Whatever may have been the reasonable complaints as to the eight-hour day in Colorado as a whole, and as to the right to form unions and to adjust wages, at Colorado City, these things had no direct connection with Cripple Creek.26 Admittedly the conditions were absolutely satisfactory, and the only excuse for the strike was the refusal of certain mines to cease shipping ore to the Colorado City plant.27 When it is remembered that most of the mines were not shipping to the reduction company at all;28 that those which refused were bound by contracts;29 and that the strike on the reduction company represented a sum total of nine men out, the strike stands in its true light.30

Poster image, the Western Federation of Miners published this "scab list"

A "SCAB LIST" PUBLISHED BY THE WESTERN FEDERATION

The result was simply what might have been expected, with determined and powerful men on the other side. The Federation pulled the avalanche down upon its own head. By its constant partisan action, and the conscienceless use of its power before the strike, it paved the way for an unrestrained reaction. And while nothing said here must be taken as condoning lawlessness committed by any person whomsoever, so far as the Federation itself is concerned, it may blame itself for the disastrous result. The unions reaped only what they had sown.

Concerning the crimes committed during the latter part of the strike so little evidence has been adduced, that judgment must, for the present, be suspended. Especially is this true since, at the time the outrages were committed, the district was completely in the hands of those who sought in every possible way to fasten the guilt upon the unions, but who exhausted their means and ingenuity without result.31 The general circumstantial evidence can be adduced, but nothing further.

The people of the mining area in general, who have lived with the Federation, and known its history, have little hesitation in laying the criminal acts connected with the strike at the door of that organization. Nor will they change their opinion unless strong evidence is shown to the contrary. During the strike of 1894 a reign of terror was brought about by men of criminal character, many of whom were admitted to the unions.32 Non-union men were severely beaten,33 and the Strong mine was blown up.34 Between the strikes non-union men were beaten, and in one case at least a non-union man was shot, and the perpetrators protected from just punishment by union juries.35 In the strike of 1903 men were assaulted and property was destroyed;36 there was such a condition for a time that men opposed to unions felt it unsafe to be out after dark; shots were fired through the shaft houses of mines;37 and threats were made to non-union men and militiamen, of which the Vindicator explosion, the attempted train wrecking, and the Independence horror would have been only a partial fulfillment.38

In Victor union hall on the day of the Victor riots, a number of photographs of mine groups were found. Over the picture of each non-union man a number was placed, and on the back the names were written with the corresponding numbers. Prom the names on the back of the Vindicator Mine group two had been scratched out, the names of Charles H. McCormick and Melvin Beck, who had been killed in the descending cage at the mine. The mine owners took this as evidence of an assassination plot, but the union officials explained that the pictures were simply for the making up of "scab lists" that had been published at frequent intervals.39 In the raids by militia and deputies that followed, at one place a number of "Winchesters and 300 rounds of ammunition were discovered.40 Under the cabin of one of the Altman union officials was found a quantity of high explosives, spools of wire, and electric batteries.41 Ellsworth W. Holden, a machinist member of the Federation, testified that at the time of the Colorado City strike Federation officers tried to induce him to go to Colorado City, and gaining employment as a non-union man, to wreck the machinery of the Colorado Reduction and Refining Company.42 No one would think for a moment of accusing the rank and file of the Western Federation of such outrages as marked the last stages of the strike. But there were certainly members of the organization who would not hesitate to commit crime to accomplish their ends. There were certain officers who were willing to countenance and even to instigate the beating of men, and the destruction of property. Would they not wink at the commission of graver crimes?

25See pp. 83, 84.

26See p. 18, Including footnote, p. 88, f. n. 5. pp. 88 and 89. especially footnotes p. 89.

27Ibid.

28See pp. 82 and 83.

29See p. 82.

30See p. 88.

31pp. 104, 108, 129, Chap. V. entire and Chap. VI. Section on trials.

32Part I, p. 30, including f. n. 3.

33Part I, p. 31.

34Part I, p. 33.

35See p. 70.

36See pp. 92 and 93.

37Testimony of a number of non-union men and mine guards.

38From many statements by militiamen and non-union men.

39See illustration opposite p. 150.

40Report Adjutant General, 1903-04. Also testimony before Coroner's Jury in Victor Riots.

41This find was credited to K. C. Sterling, a detective in the employ of the Mine Owners' Association. Sterling does not enjoy a good reputation and the miners made various charges against him. See connection with train wrecking cases, pp. 55, 56 and 57. See also Cripple Creek Times, June 8 and 9, 1904.

42Testimony before the military commission verified by the author.

NEXT: Criminal guards — Mob violence