Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Deported from Trinidad; Chase States She Will Be Held Incommunicado Should She Return

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I’ll go back; they can’t keep me from my boys.
I am not afraid of all the troops in the State.
-Mother Jones, New York Times
January 5, 1914
—————

Hellraisers Journal – Monday January 5, 1914
Trinidad, Colorado – Mother Jones Deported from Strike Zone by Militia

From The Washington Times of January 5, 1914:

Mother Jones Deported, WDC Tx p1, Jan 5, 1914

From The New York Times of January 5, 1914:

COLORADO TROOPS OUST MOTHER JONES
———-
Woman Strike Agitator Deported from Trinidad
Under Guard of Soldiers
———–

WARNED NEVER TO RETURN
———-
One Thousand Taxpayers Meet and Warn
Other Agitators to Get Out in Twenty-for Hours.
———-

Special to The New York Times.

TRINIDAD, Col., Jan. 4-“Mother” Jones was seized by the militia upon her arrival at Trinidad this morning from El Paso, taken from a Santa Fe train, held for two hours and deported from the strike district.

Capt. E. A. Smith, acting under orders from Gen. John Chase, met the train with a detachment of soldiers. The troops prevented a demonstration from the strikers at the station.

Mother Jones was held under surveillance until a Colorado & Southern train arrived from Denver. Then she was place aboard the train under guard of a lieutenant and four soldiers, and ordered never to return to the district. She had planned to spend several days among the coal strikers, and was to make a speech to-day at Walsenburg. The train on which she was being held under guard passed through Walsenburg.

Gen. Chase had been notified that she was on the way to Trinidad and acted so quietly that none of the strikers knew of his plans to deport her. When the soldiers took her in charge, she said:”I never had believed you would go this far.”

Contrary to her usual custom, she did not make any protest. While she was being held here she was not permitted to talk to any of the strikers or union leaders, the soldiers refusing to allow John McLennon, head of the mine workers, to speak to her.

At Walsenburg the train stopped for only a few minutes. Thousands of strikers, having been apprised by telephone of Mother Jones’s deportation, were at the station, but none was allowed to approach near enough to speak to her. However, she tried to make a speech.

The train pulled out just as she was assuring the miners that she would return to Colorado “as soon as it becomes a part of the United States.”

———-

Denver Col., Jan. 4-“The deportation of Mother Jones was the most disgraceful act ever perpetrated by supposed police officers in the Union,” said John McLennon [McLennan], President of the Colorado State Federation of Labor tonight.

“I’ll go back; they can’t keep me from my boys,” said Mother Jones on her arrival here to-night from Trinidad. “I am not afraid of all the troops in the State.”

“Gov. Ammons said: ” I do not care to express an opinion regarding the deportation of Mother Jones, because I am not fully aware of the circumstances, but I would not hesitate to express an opinion if the person concerned were a resident of Trinidad.”

After the deportation, Gen. Chase gave out this statement:

“Mrs. Jones was met at the train this morning by the military escort acting under instructions not to permit her to remain in this district. The detail took charge of Mrs. Jones and her baggage and she was accompanied out of the district under guard after she had been given breakfast. The step was taken in accordance with my instructions to preserve peace in the district. The presence of Mother Jones here at this time cannot be tolerated. She had planned to go to the Ludlow tent colony of strikers to stop the desertion of union members.

“If she returns she will be placed in jail and held incommunicado.”

Company G. First Infantry, Colorado National Guard, to-night was ordered to leave here tomorrow morning for Oak Creek to take charge of the strike situation in that district. In issuing the order Gen. Chase said that seventy-five men would leave on a special train.

[Emphasis added]

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Hellraisers Journal: El Paso-Mother Jones Praises Pancho Villa and the Rebels, Wishes We Had Men Like That in This Country

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

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday January 4, 1914
El Paso, Texas – Mother Speaks, Praises Pancho Villa and the Rebels

From El Paso Herald of January 3, 1914:

Mother Jones Speaks in El Paso, El P Hld p6, Jan 3, 1914

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Hellraisers Journal: General Sherman Bell States He Will Throw Mother Jones in the Bull Pen Should the Opportunity Arise

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

Hellraisers Journal – Friday January 2, 1904
Military Despotism Rules Cripple Creek, Telluride and Southern Colorado

From the Duluth Labor World of January 2, 1904:

Gen Bell Will Throw Mother Jones in Bull Pen, LW p1, Jan 2, 1904

TEXT:

WILL THROW MOTHER JONES IN BULL PEN
Mother Jones Strongly Excoriates the Tyrant and Gov. Peabody.

Denver, Colo., Dec. 24-…General Bell, smarting under the stings of “Mother” Jones’ masterful excoriation of himself and Peabody, declares in stringent tones that if opportunity offers he will slap her in the bull pen. That declaration was unnecessary. Those who are at all acquainted with his record know grey hairs, womanhood nor any other of those things which true men revere and hold sacred are as nothing to him if they stand in the way of groveling service to his masters.

Editorial Suppressed.

The Victor Record, the official organ of the strikers, has had a military patrol and censor placed at the office. George E. Kyner, editor, was notified that no editorials reflecting in any way upon Governor Peabody or the militia would be allowed, nor could the daily official statement prepared by the miners’ executive committee be published. Next day the Record came out with a black-faced heading “Record Reflections”- a two-column blank space with a border, on the editorial page, indicating that the matter, whatever it was, had been suppressed.

The official statement of the Miners’ Union which was suppressed follows:

“The governor of the state of Colorado has today pretended to declare martial law in the Cripple Creek district. There is absolutely no justification for this outrage. The strike has been on for three months and but one serious crime has been committed and that cannot be laid to strike conditions. The alleged attempt to wreck a railroad train is a trick plot of two detectives employed by the mine owners.

“The Vindicator matter was an accident, or a crime committed by someone employed by the mine owners.

The mine owners have lost the strike and hence their desperation.-District Union NO. 1, W. F. of M.

[Emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Denver Newspapers Describe the Special Convention of the Colorado State Federation of Labor

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

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”

Denver CO FoL Conv Mother Jones Speaks, DP p1, Dec 17, 1913

From The Rocky Mountain News of December 17, 1913
-“500 Delegates Consider General Strike Today”

Denver CO FoL Delg, Livoda, Colnar, Germer, etc, RMN p5, Dec 17, 1913

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Hellraisers Journal: Special Convention of Colorado State Federation of Labor Held in Denver, Takes Up Cause of Striking Miners

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

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 

Louie Tikas w Flag of Ludlow,  RMN p3, Dec 19, 1913
Louie Tikas with
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]

Mother Jones Stampedes CO FoL Conv, DP p1, Dec 17, 1913

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: Convention of the Colorado Federation of Labor Begins in Denver; Mother Jones Cheered Wildly

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Quote re Mother Jones Enters Dnv CO CFL Conv, DP p14, Dec 16, 1913—————

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday December 17, 1913
Denver, Colorado – Convention of State Federation of Labor Begins

From The Denver Post of December 16, 1913:

CO FoL Conv Begins, DP p14, Dec 16, 1913CO FoL Conv Begins, DP p14, Dec 16, 1913

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Hellraisers Journal: Striking Coal Miners, Held as Military Prisoners in Southern Colorado, Victims of Uniformed Tyranny

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

Hellraisers Journal – Monday December 15, 1913
Southern Colorado Coalfields – Striking Miners Victims of Uniformed Tyranny

From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of December 13, 1913:

“Militia Makes Man [Andrew Colnar] Dig Own Grave”

CO Militia Makes Colnar Dig Own Grave, Dnv ULB p1,2, Dec 13, 1913

“Soldiers Are Scabbing on Courts-Mother Jones”

Mother Jones re CO Soldiers Scab, Dnv ULB p1, Dec 13, 1913

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Hellraisers Journal: Thousands Attend Funeral at Trinidad for Martyred Coal Miners Shot Down at Battle of Segundo

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Quote Mother Jones, Pray for dead, ed, Ab Chp 6, 1925—————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 12, 1903
Trinidad, Colorado – Funeral Held for De Santos and Vilano, Mother Jones Attends

From The Denver Post of December 11, 1903:

Funeral for De Santos and Vilano, DP p6, Dec 11, 1903

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Hellraisers Journal: John Mitchell Expects Peace in Southern Colorado, States Mother Jones and Best Organizers Are on the Spot

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Quote Mother Jones re North n South Coal Miners Separate Settle, Ab p99, 1925—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday December 11, 1903
Chicago, Illinois – John Mitchell Expects Peace in Southern Colorado

From the Chicago Inter Ocean of December 9, 1903:

John Mitchel Pres UMWA, fr Organized Labor p6, 1903

Speculation that John Mitchell would fire Mother Jones for her part in delaying the separate settlement of the northern coal miners has not yet been realized. The following is an interview published in the Inter Ocean:

John Mitchell, president of the United Mine Workers, is at McCoy’s hotel. He came directly from Colorado.

“I regard the situation there as hopeful,” he said. “I believe a settlement will be reached, and I do not expect to have to return there. ‘Mother’ Jones and some of our best organizers are on the spot.

“The public mind, I believe, is somewhat confused concerning the troubles in the silver mines in Colorado. Many think that the United Mine Workers are concerned with them. Our men are coal miners only, and have had nothing to do with bringing about martial law. We have secured satisfactory settlements in the northern part of the state, and expect solid peace soon in the southern.”

[Emphasis added.]

Mitchell’s lack of concern for the metal miners is stunning. This lack of concern by Mitchell for these striking metal miners, now oppressed under military despotism, is another bone of contention between Mother Jones and her boss. Mother has shown all the Solidarity possible with the metal miners; she advocates unceasingly for unity between the United Mine Workers of America and the Western Federation of Miners.

—————

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Hellraisers Journal: Colorado Labor Federation Issues Official Call for State Convention; Record Snowfall Isolates Residents of Strikers’ Tent Colonies

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

Hellraisers Journal – Monday December 8, 1913
Colorado Federation of Labor Issues Call for State Convention

From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of December 6, 1913:

Call for Conv CO FoL, Dnv ULB p1, Dec 6, 1913

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Colorado Coalfield Strike, Dnv ULB p1, Dec 6, 1913

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