Hellraisers Journal – Friday September 11, 1903 Cripple Creek District, Colorado – Governor Sends the Militia into Strike Zone
Report of Emma F. Langdon of Victor, Colorado:
[Cripple Citizens’ Alliance]
Emma F. Langdon
About Sept. 1 there were many rumors of an alliance being formed in Victor. Upon investigation it was found there was an organization known as the “Citizens’ Alliance” in Cripple Creek. If there was at the above date, such an organization in Victor, there could not be one member located. Just what this organization hoped to accomplish in the Cripple Creek district was hard to understand, but it was not hard to understand from whence the spirit of the movement came. It required but little investigation into the membership to convince one that it was inspired by the mine owners; at least, the most prominent members are their lieutenants in the district. These men, it appears, first interviewed the Victor merchants but received a decided “turndown,” for which all friends of organized labor were grateful. The situation is different here from what it is in Denver. The great mass of people here are union people and just how a “Citizens’ Alliance’” could hope to accomplish any good for itself or anybody else is hard to understand. Just think of it; the idea of the business men, or anyone else of this district, organizing to fight organized labor. What has made the Cripple Creek district from a business standpoint? Has it been the generosity of the mine owners, or the work of organized labor in establishing a wage scale here that would put enough money in circulation to make business here in place of going to Colorado Springs.
In the city of Victor the news of the organization caused much amusement at that time, be it said to the credit of Victor’s business men.
[Home of Mr. Dennison, Union Miner, Burned]
[From] when the first non-union men began the work of building a fence at the El Paso, until the completion of the tunnel, there was enacted at the mine many disgraceful scenes of lawlessness. Guards at the mine had fights among themselves; insulted passers-by; stopped respectable people that had business to pass that way, at the point of rifles. They were, it was said, caught stealing. They made indecent exposures before innocent children; for which some of the men employed were arrested. The home of Mr. Dennison, a union miner, was destroyed by incendiaries on the night of Sept. 2, and while it was not proved positively that it was the work of the El Paso crew, evidence was strong against them. If they did not actually light the fire that destroyed the property, they, at least, made plain the fact that they were glad to see Mr. Dennison and family made homeless. While the house was in flames and the work of saving some of the household goods was in progress, the guards stood by and laughed and jeered. They did not offer to assist the unfortunate people. For that reason, I say if they were not instrumental in the burning of the building, at any rate, they made no secret of their joy at the sight of Dennison’s home being in flames.
[Large rewards were offered by the county officials and citizens for evidence leading to the arrest of those guilty of the assault upon businessmen Stewart an Hawkins, however] no reward offered for the villains that burned the home of Mr. Dennison, a union miner, and there was very little said of the matter by the enemies of organized labor.
[Governor Sends Investigating Committee]
When it was announced that an investigating committee was to visit the district a general expression of satisfaction was heard on every side. But, alas, that investigating committee—what a farce.
The members of the committee arrived [in Victor] over the Short Line Sept. 3, at 9:30 p. m. They were hastened through a back alley by F. M. Reardon to a rear entrance into the Bank of Victor, where they were met by Mayor French and a few other prominent citizens and held a short consultation, when they left for the residence of Nelson Franklin. The committee remained at the residence of Nelson Franklin about a half hour and then took the low line electric for Cripple Creek, where they went into session and held a long interview with Sheriff Robertson. They refused to talk. After the meeting with the mine owners they returned to Victor on a special car.
A telegram received at the Victor Daily Record office from Denver shortly after midnight said that the commission was in session at the National hotel in Cripple Creek and would not be ready with the recommendation for several hours. The commission consisted of Attorney General N. C. Miller, Brigadier General John Chase of the National guard, and Lieutenant T. E. H. McClelland, an obscure lawyer of Denver. No intimation was given out as to the possible conclusions.
The commission returned to Denver early the following morning, being in the district less than eight hours and only interviewed one side of the question.
[Troops Arrive]
September 4, about noon, the news reached the district that troops had been ordered to the gold camp and would arrive that night. The people were seized with consternation at this news. A wail of indignation went up from at least two-thirds of the entire population. The people at once understood the mission of the “investigating committee” and why they did not consult. all parties concerned. The first of the state troops arrived in the district Sept. 4 before midnight, and from then on for twenty-four hours they came until there was located, in one of the quietest, most conservative, law-abiding districts in the world, over 1,000 men with munitions of war sufficient to fight a small nation.
The all absorbing subject on the streets of Victor and in the entire district was the question of the arrival of the troops. The farce committee sent here by Governor Peabody to secure an excuse to bring the troops, returned to Denver Sept. 4, early in the morning, and immediately advised the governor to send the troops. Adjutant General Bell had his men in readiness. In fact, they were wearing their uniforms around Denver early in the morning and were simply waiting for the farce committee to report what had been agreed upon the day before.
FIRST MEN IN THE FIELD.
Adjutant General Sherman M. Bell, acting as a brigadier general, was given charge of the men. Brigadier General John Chase acted under his order and in harmony with him. Colonel Edward Verdeckberg had charge of the First regiment and the company from Cripple Creek. The entire First regiment was ordered out and the one company of the Second regiment situated at Cripple Creek. Denver, four companies, two cavalry, signal and medical corps; Brighton, one company; Greeley, one; Fort Morgan, one; Loveland, one; Fort Collins, one; Cripple Creek, one. One troop of cavalry was ordered out from Meeker.
The men ordered out first were as follows: Infantry, 600; cavalry, 250; artillery, 75; signal and medical corps, 80; total, 1,005.
COMMISSION’S REPORT.
The reports of the governor’s “commission” as wired in were as follows:
Santa Fe Depot, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sept. 4, 1903.
Governor James H. Peabody, State Capitol, Denver, Colo.
Have visited Cripple Creek and Victor, and after careful inquiry among representative citizens and property owners, including mayors of Cripple Creek and Victor, we are of opinion that the lives of the citizens of the district are in imminent danger and property and personal rights are in jeopardy. Prompt action is imperatively demanded by the above people to protect the lives and property of the citizens. We find that a reign of terror exists in the district. We do not believe that the civil authorities are able to cope with the situation.
JOHN CHASE, N. C. MILLER, TOM E. M’CLELLAND.
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“SHERIFF ROBERTSON’S PLAIN STATEMENT.”
The sheriff of Teller county published the following plain statement Sept. 5:
TO THE PUBLIC—The commission sent by the governor of the state of Colorado to investigate the strike situation in Teller county called me at midnight Thursday, the 3rd inst. I went to the National hotel at Cripple Creek, and reached there about 12:30 a. m. Friday morning Sept. 4. I was with the commission about two hours and fully explained the situation. I stated to the commission I had authority to employ all the deputies I needed; that I had the situation in hand; that I had made arrests and was going to make more; that there was no trouble. Within three hours after I left the commission, the members thereof departed for Denver. There is no occasion for the militia here. I can handle the situation. There is no trouble in the district, and has been none. No unusual assembly of men. Saloons closed at midnight. The sending of troops here is a usurpation of authority on the part of the governor. I believe the action of the governor will have much to do toward injuring the district to such an extent that it will be a long time before a recovery will be had.
As sheriff of Teller county, I do solemnly protest against the militia being sent here at this time.
H. M. Robertson.
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[Statement of District Union No. 1, W. F. of M.]
District Union No. 1, W. F. of M., published the following statement in its official organ Sept. 5 which. speaks for itself:
The Executive Committee wishes to state that they were not invited to appear before the “special committee,” or “commission,” appointed by Governor Peabody, neither were they in any manner consulted. So far as learned, the committee arrived in the district over the Short Line a few minutes after 9 o’clock on last Thursday evening, Sept. 3, and after meeting certain persons in Victor, went to Cripple Creek on the low line electric, where they were accompanied by bankers and sampling works men. At Cripple Creek they talked only with the sheriff of Teller county, but did not meet any of the representatives of the Western Federation of Miners, neither did they intimate any desire to hear the Federation side of the difficulty, but departed for Colorado Springs at 4:30 Friday morning Sept. 4.
DISTRICT UNION NO. 1. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
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MAYOR FRENCH.
A resolution was prepared to be introduced into the council Sept. 4 demanding of [Mayor French] an explanation and condemning his actions. There was some question in the minds of Mayor French’s friends as to the report that he had wired for the troops, but the following settled that question:
Victor, Colo., Sept. 3, 1903.
His Excellency, Jas. H. Peabody, Governor of Colorado, Denver.
There is in and near the city of Victor, Teller county, Colorado, a body of men acting by force and violence to resist and break the laws of the state, and that a riot and violence and bloodshed and destruction of property are seriously threatened and are imminent. The sheriff and other peace officers are utterly unable to preserve order and protect lives and property. I therefore request and demand that you send the National guard of Colorado to this city and community immediately, for the purpose of protecting the lives and property of the citizens of this community.
F. D. FRENCH, Mayor City of Victor, Teller County, Colorado.
Report on Labor Disturbances in the State of Colorado from 1880 to 1904, United States. Bureau of Labor, Carroll Davidson Wright U.S. Government Printing Office, 1905 (search: “john dennison” – good sources for chronology of strike) https://books.google.com/books?id=lZ41AQAAMAAJ
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