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Hellraisers Journal – Friday December 26, 1913
Strikers’ Children of Calumet Murdered as Sacrificial Slaughter to Capitalism
From Työmies of December 26, 1913:
Category: Hellraisers Journal
Hellraisers Journal: Dozens Killed as False Alarm of Fire Causes Panic at Christmas Party for Michigan Strikers’ Children
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Hellraisers Journal – Thursday December 25, 1913, Christmas Day
Calumet, Michigan – Christmas Eve Party for Strikers Children Ends in Tragedy
From The Detroit Free Press of December 25, 1913:
Hellraisers Journal: Calumet Women’s Auxiliary of the Western Federation of Miners to Hold Christmas Eve Party for Strikers’ Children at Italian Hall
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Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday December 23, 1913
Calumet, Michigan – Strikers’ Children Will Receives Gifts at Christmas Eve Party
Christmas Eve Party to be Given
for Strikers’ Children
The Calumet Women’s Auxiliary of the Western Federation of Miners will hold a Christmas party for the children of the strikers on Christmas Eve. The party will be held in the Italian Hall in Red Jacket. Annie Clemenc, president of #15, has taken the lead in planning for the event, and she has been energetic in raising money for gifts for the children. For many of the striker’s children, these will be their only Christmas presents. The children will receive candy, hats, mittens, and even a few toys.
The children’s party will begin at 2 p. m. There will be a party later in the evening for the adults.
The Calumet Women’s Auxiliary was organize in September, and each member is a card-carrying member of the Western Federation of Miners, but, sadly a member without a vote. And yet these women make their voices heard, marching in the parades, facing the deputies, the Waddell men, the militiamen, and going to jail right along side their striking husbands, fathers, and brothers.
Annie is well known for leading the daily early-morning parades with her massive American flag.
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Hellraisers Journal: 1500 Labor Delegates Meet with Colorado Governor in Senate Chamber; Policy of Action Adopted
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday December 22, 1913
Denver, Colorado – State Federation of Labor Adopts Policy of Action
From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of December 20, 1913:
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Hellraisers Journal: Denver Newspapers Describe the Special Convention of the Colorado State Federation of Labor
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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 21, 1913
Denver, Colorado – The Special Convention of the Colorado Federation of Labor
From The Denver Post of December 17, 1913
-“Mother Jones’ Address Stampedes Meeting of Federation”
From The Rocky Mountain News of December 17, 1913
-“500 Delegates Consider General Strike Today”
Hellraisers Journal: Special Convention of Colorado State Federation of Labor Held in Denver, Takes Up Cause of Striking Miners
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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 20, 1913
Denver, Colorado – News from Special Convention of State Federation of Labor
Thursday December 18, 1913-Denver, Colorado
– News from Special Convention of the Colorado Federation of Labor
Flag of Ludlow
Louis Tikas was released by the military three days ago from the cold, unheated cell with the broken window through which blew the bitter winter wind and snow. Yesterday, the Trinidad Free Press printed this letter from Louie to the paper’s editor:
Dear Sir,
In regards to calling you up by phone I have changed my mind, so I will write you a few lines of information. I arrived at Ludlow about 3 P.M. The most people of the tent colony were waiting for me, and after visiting the colony tent by tent and shaking hands with most the people, I find out that all was glad to see me back…
I am leaving tonight for Denver to attend the state Federation of Labor convention and believe that I will be called to state before the delegates of the convention anything that I know concerning the militia in the southern field. While I stay a few days at Denver I will return to Ludlow again.
LOUIS TIKAS
Ludlow, Colorado[Emphasis added.]
The special convention of the Colorado Federation of Labor was called by President McLennan and Secretary W. T. Hickey:
The strike of the miners has grown to a real war in which every craft and department of organized labor is threatened with annihilation unless they take a positive and decided stand for their rights. The uniform of the state is being disgraced and turned into an emblem of anarchy as it was in the days of Peabody. In the southern fields, military courts, illegal and tyrannical, are being held for the purpose of tyrannizing the workers. Leaders of labor are being seized and arrested and held without bail. The homes of union miners have been broken into by members of the National Guard and property stolen. In order, that members of organized labor in every part of the state, whether affiliated or not, may become familiar with conditions in this struggle, a convention is hereby called to meet in Denver Tuesday December 16, 1913, at 10 o’clock. The purpose of the convention is the protection of the rights of every worker in this state and the protection of the public from the unbridled greed and outrages of the coal operators.
[Emphasis added]
More than 500 delegates answered the call and assembled at the Eagle’s Hall on Tuesday December 16th. They included national officers from United Mine Workers, President White, Vice-President Hayes and Secretary Green. John Lawson and Louie Tikas arrived from the strike zone in the southern field. There was outrage as the Convention learned of the disaster at the Vulcan mine. This is the same mine which the union had called a death trap just months before. Many delegates made it plain that they are in favor of a statewide general strike should one be called by union leaders. The Convention demands that Governor Ammons remove General Chase from command and immediately transfer all military prisoners to the civil courts.
Mother Jones made her way to the convention in spite of military orders that she stay out of the state. It is said that sympathetic trainmen assisted her in slipping into Denver. She made her opinion of Governor Ammons clear by calling for him to be hanged.
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Hellraisers Journal: Explosion at Vulcan Mine, Near New Castle, Colorado, Entombs Miners; Mothers and Wives Give Up Hope
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Hellraisers Journal – Friday December 19, 1913
New Castle, Colorado – 37 Coal Miners Dead in Explosion at Vulcan Mine
From Grand Junction (Colorado) Daily Sentinel of December 17, 1913:
…..Among the mine victims of Tuesday are many of the boys who were made fatherless by the previous disaster [Feb. 18, 1896]. Widowed Mothers forced them into the mine again……
“Thank God I am a farmer,” said A. S. Tibbits at 2 o’clock this morning to a Sentinel reporter, after having spent the day in rescue work at the mine.
“I was one of the helpers in the Vulcan disaster eighteen years ago, but this explosion wrecked the mine a dozen times as bad.”…..
Hellraisers Journal: Five Homes Dynamited in New Castle, Colorado; U. M. W. Strike Leaders & Families Targeted
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Hellraisers Journal – Friday December 18, 1903
New Castle, Colorado – Homes of Union Leaders Bombed
From The Denver Post of December 17, 1903:
Thursday December 17, 1903, New Castle, Colorado
Homes of Five Strike Leaders Bombed While Families Sleep
At 4:47 this morning, while the families of striking coal miners slept, bombs went off in five homes of known strike leaders. Amazingly, no-one was seriously injured. In one of the homes, that of John Lawson, his wife, Olive Lawson, and little three-year-old daughter, Fern, were sleeping in the dining room, which had been turned into a bedroom due to the small size of the actual bedroom. The bomb went off underneath that small bedroom, where the bomber must have thought it would cause the most injury.
The home of W. G. Isaacs was also bombed. Brother Isaacs was away from home at time, which is the only reason that his two children were not killed. Mrs. Isaacs had brought the two little ones into her bed to sleep with her. The house was set on fire by the blast but Mrs. Isaacs was able to escape through a window near her bed, and managed to save both of the children. The family dog was sleeping near the children’s bed, and was found burned to death after the fire was put out.
The homes of three other strike leaders suffered similar damage, including the homes of William Doyle and Evan R. Davis. A building owned by John and James Doyle, occupied by six families was also bombed.
The bombs all went off early in the morning. The local union is planning a meeting today to form a committee to investigate the attacks since the local authorities seem disinclined to do so.
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Hellraisers Journal: Convention of the Colorado Federation of Labor Begins in Denver; Mother Jones Cheered Wildly
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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday December 17, 1913
Denver, Colorado – Convention of State Federation of Labor Begins
From The Denver Post of December 16, 1913:
Hellraisers Journal: News from Colorado Coalfield Strike: Robert Uhlich and Louie Tikas Held in Cold Snow Covered Jail
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Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday December 16, 1913
Trinidad, Colorado – Tikas and Uhlich Held in Cold, Snow-Covered, Jail
News from Southern Colorado Coalfield Strike
Sunday December 7, 1913, Trinidad, Colorado
Tikas and Uhlich covered in snow in jail as a blizzard raged.
December 3, 1913
The jail cell in Trinidad where Louie Tikas, Bob Uhlich, and fifteen other striking miners are being held, is unheated. Also, there is a broken window through which the wind and snow filled the gloomy cell as the blizzard raged across Colorado a few days ago. The men were forced to sleep, as best the could, on bunks covered with 3 inches of snow, and no blankets.
Brothers Tikas and Uhlich were interrogated by Major Boughton, chief legal officer of the militia. The men were grilled for several hours. Uhlich refused to give any testimony whatsoever, stating that only the civil authorities had the right to question him. Brother Uhlich has been designated a “dangerous and undesirable alien.” Tikas was promised his freedom if he would persuade the Greeks at Ludlow to turn themselves into scabs. We may assume that he refused this offer, for he has not yet been released. Brother Adolph Germer was arrested returning from Denver recently. We are unsure at this time where he is being held.
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Saturday December 13, 1913 Cedar Hills, Colorado
Lt. Linderfelt Recruits Hard-Core Veterans and Mine Guards
Lt. Linderfelt has been recruiting new soldiers to fill the ranks of Company B of the Second Battalion. This company is camped at Cedar Hills, near to the Ludlow Tent Colony at the entrance of Berwind Canyon. Word has it that he has turned to the veterans with whom he served in the Philippines and Mexico.
More and more mine guards are also being recruited to fill the ranks of Company B. Linderfelt dislikes the part-timers now serving in Company B. He is only too happy to replace them as they seek to return to their civilian lives. Linderfelt prefers to approach the job of keeping the peace in the strike zone through the use of company gunthugs and battle-hardened soldiers. Company B has frequent run-ins with the colonist at Ludlow. They go heavily armed into the camp, unlike the soldiers of the other companies who often visit the Ludlow camp in small groups and without arms.
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From the Trinidad Chronicle News of December 15, 1913:
