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Hellraisers Journal – Monday May 8, 1899
Wardner, Idaho – Bullpen Now Holds 1000 Men of Couer d’Alenes
From the San Francisco Examiner of May 7, 1899:
SHOSHONE’S SHERIFF IS HERDED IN
—–
Young Is Washing Dishes for
His Fellow-Prisoners.
—–
With Him in the Pen Is County
Commissioner Boyle.
—–OFFICIALS TO BE IMPEACHED
—–
Nearly a Thousand Prisoners Gathered In
by the Troops at Wardner.
—–
—–WARDNER, May 6.-Bartlett Sinclair, the Governor’s representative, to-day called upon Sheriff Young and County Commissioner Boyles to tender their resignations, and when they refused, were placed under arrest and turned into the bull-pen with the hundreds of other prisoners. They protested vigorously against this proceeding, but to show them that they were no better than the rioters, both were assigned to the culinary department of the prisoner’s pen and made to wash dishes.
Impeachment proceedings will be brought against Young and Boyles on Monday before Judge Mayhew of the First Judicial District, to remove them from office.
Prosecuting Attorney Samuels will also be taken into custody should he show up at Wardner. He is not considered of sufficient importance by General Merriam to be sent after.
The inquest is proceeding slowly behind closed doors, and is more in the nature of a Grand Jury investigation than an inquest. From a reliable source it is learned that evidence of a most satisfactory nature is being obtained. Judge Lindley is conducting the prosecution, assisted by Attorney Beale.
[The Bullpen at Wardner.]
Considerable sickness has broken out among the prisoners. This is due to the fact that many were arrested at the mines, as they came out from under ground in their wet clothes, which they had no opportunity to change. Besides, the accommodations of the bull-pen requires herding the prisoners closely. More sanitary quarters will be provided as soon as possible.
James Cheyne, the second victim of the mob, was buried under the auspices of the Knights of Pythias to-day, the funeral being largely attended.
Attorney-General Hays states that the Governor’s proclamation, declaring the Coeur d’Alene under martial law, suspends habeas corpus proceedings. This question arose over the fact that President McKinley has issued no proclamation to that effect.
Regarding the statement of General Merriam in this morning’s “Spokesman-Review,” Bartlett Sinclair says:
General Merriam, in conversation with me to-day, said that he did not blame Governor Steunenberg for the delay in calling for Federal troops, and, incidentally, for the destruction of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mine property and the murder of Smith and Cheyne. He does think the State is derelict in organizing a militia force, but I think that if he understood the situation as well as others, this would be clear. General Merriam is a brave soldier and would not be unfair if he knew it. Governor Steunenberg acted with the utmost promptness and has, since the fearful crime, used all his power to catch the criminals. The troops are doing fine work here and their assistance is valuable beyond estimate. General Merriam, Colonel Morton and Captain Batchlor have placed at our disposal the entire Federal force. The utmost harmony exists and the State is no more determined than the United States to root out of the Coeur d’Alene the den of thugs claiming to be union workmen.
I think that with [Shoshone County Sheriff] Young and [James R.] Sovereign and the balance of the wild, ignorant agitators quieted, the backbone of this band of cutthroats will be broken.
George Olmstead and Thomas Chester, conductor and brakeman on the train stolen at Burke, came down this afternoon to testify before the Coroner’s jury.
The soldiers returned from Canyon Creek at 8:30 o’clock this evening. The train contained four box cars and one coach, all loaded. As the train entered the town the prisoners began cheering, continuing it through the town. Only underground men were taken to-day, the Mammoth, Standard and Frisco mines being well cleaned out.
Union men claim that Colonel Robert Ingersoll has been retained to defend them when the cases come up for trial. An attempt was made to secure the services of Thomas Patterson of Denver, but it was unsuccessful.
To-day was a busy one at Mullan, the colored troops there arresting every suspect found. A special train carrying 270 of them passed there en route to Wardner at 9:30 o’clock. This, with to-day’s harvest from the Gem, considerably more than doubles the number under guard here this afternoon, making the total near 900. Many of these will be turned loose when the sifting is completed but certainly half or more of the guilty crowd are now under arrest, with gleanings to come yet.
The trial of those accused of murder and riot will, in all probability, be held at Wallace, the county seat of Shoshone county.
The United States troops have taken charge of the office and safe of the Burke Miners’ Union, and when the safe is opened the Federal officials expect to find incriminating evidence against some of the leaders who are absent from the State.
The citizens and business men here are almost unanimous in favor of the establishment of a military post in the Coeur d’Alene district as a means of protection against the riotous element, but General Merriam believes that the State authorities should provide protection for mine owners.
[And who, pray tell, protects the miners from long hours, low pay and death in the mines?]
Speaking of the matter, General Merriam said there are grave difficulties in the way of establishing a permanent military post here. The Constitution of the United States does not contemplate that the Federal Government shall intervene in State affairs until the State has exhausted every resource of self-protection.
The time gained by having the post here would be slight. When the request came for troops this time, the soldiers were rushed here at once. That they were not here in time to avert loss to life and property is the fault of the Governor, who failed to call for troops until the damage had been done. The same condition would exist were a permanent post here. Until the Governor called for their aid the soldiers would be powerless. It is the fault of the State that she was not ready to give protection to her citizens against such outrages as these. She should have militia enough to cope with such outbreaks.
When the National Guard from Idaho went to the war the militia should have been reorganized so that it would still be ready for such trouble.
The laxity which has prevailed in the prosecution of murderers who have infested this district would soon be remedied should the State pass a law for indemnity from the State funds of $10,000 to the family of every man killed in a riot. The law might also provide that owners of property destroyed by mobs should be reimbursed to the amount of its full value by the State. Payment of a few such awards would soon bring the people to a sense of the crimes being perpetrated here. At the same time, [General Merriam further stated that] since the trouble largely originated in hostile organizations of men known as labor unions, he would suggest a law making the formation of such unions or kindred societies a crime.
———-
ROUNDING UP RIOTERS.
—–
Troops Raiding the Mines in
the Vicinity of Wardner.SPOKANE (Wash.), May 6.-Seven union miners from Canyon City, suspected of having had a hand in the blowing up of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mill last week, were arrested here by the police to-day, United States Marshal Ramsey of Idaho, and two shift bosses from the mine, who arrived here this morning, pointed out the suspects to the police. Other fugitives who have passed through here for the mining camps up north will be pursued by the Marshal, who says that it is the intention of the Government to let none of the guilty dynamiters escape, no matter whither they flee.
A special to the [Spokane] “Spokesman-Review” from Wallace says:
Troops up Canyon City to-day have been aiding in arresting men from the Mammoth, Standard and Frisco mines, and around Gem. The wholesale work at Burke [where the entire male population of the town was seized] was not repeated there, but the Marshal selected men suspected. At Burke some men were released and returned to day, giving the town a little appearance of life.
Much sympathy is expressed for the women and children left there. In several cases, men but recently arrived fled or were arrested, leaving families on the verge of destitution. The fleeing men are now for the most part out of the country, or have practically given up hope of escaping. Many are in the mountains, creeping down to the houses of known sympathizers occasionally to eat, hoping to escape later when vigilance is relaxed. Some continue going toward Murray, either to reach Thompson Falls or to be shielded by friendly miners there.
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[Emphasis and photograph added.]
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SOURCES
Quote Mother Jones, Powers of Privilege, Ab Chp III, 1925
https://www.iww.org/history/library/MotherJones/autobiography/3
The Examiner
(San Francisco, California)
-May 7, 1899
https://www.newspapers.com/image/458057894/
IMAGE
WFM, Wardner Bull Pen of May 1899, Hutton photo 1, 1900
https://archive.org/details/coeurdalenesorta00hutt/page/n5
See also:
Note: James R Sovereign was the editor and publisher of the Idaho State Tribune of Wallace, Idaho, “Official paper of the Western Federation of Miners” and “official organ of the local unions as well.” See:
Report of Industrial Commission, Mining Industry, Vol XII
WDC, Government Printing Office, 1901
(search: “james r sovereign”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=yCovAQAAIAAJ
For more on the Burke round-up, see:
Big Trouble:
A Murder in a Small Western Town Sets Off a Struggle for the Soul of America
-by J. Anthony Lukas
Simon and Schuster, Jul 17, 2012
(search:”on may 4 sinclair organized”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=d07IME-ezzQC
Tag: Coeur d’ Alene Miner’s Struggle of 1899
https://weneverforget.org/tag/coeur-d-alene-miners-struggle-of-1899/
The Class War in Idaho
The Horrors of the Bull Pen
-by Job Harriman
NY, 1900
https://archive.org/stream/classwarinidahoh00harrrich#page/n5/mode/2up
The Story of the Bull Pen At Wardner, Idaho
-by Thomas A Hickey
SLP, 1900
Poem for Mike Devine who died in the Bullpen-page 2.
“Murder of Mike Devine”-page 13.
http://moses.law.umn.edu/darrow/documents/Bull_Pen_remember_the_bullpen_opt_cropped.pdf
The Coeur d’Alenes
A Tale of the Modern Inquisition in Idaho
-by May Arkwright Hutton
Wallace ID, 1900
https://archive.org/details/coeurdalenesorta00hutt/page/n6
Chapter XI.-“The Labor Troubles of 1899”
https://archive.org/details/coeurdalenesorta00hutt/page/104
Chapter XII.-April 29th, 1899
https://archive.org/details/coeurdalenesorta00hutt/page/118
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Working Man (The Miners Song) – David Alexander
Lyrics by Rita McNeil