Hellraisers Journal: “Free America!” – Reign of Terror Continues Against Miners of Shoshone County, Part I

Quote Mother Jones, Powers of Privilege, Ab Chp III ———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday August 20, 1899
Wardner, Idaho – 300 Miners and Sympathizers Remain in Bullpen

From the Appeal to Reason of August 19, 1899:

Free America!

Washington Times, [July 18, 1899].
(Part I)

ACCORDING to the affidavits and sworn statements presented to the president [William McKinley] yesterday by Senator Heitfeld, [Populist] of Idaho, a reign of terror and brutality has been established in Shoshone county in that state and an American Siberia has been inaugurated by the Standard Oil Trust, aided and abetted by Brig. Gen. H. O. Merriam and a regiment of colored regulars. The testimony now in the possession of the president contains the sworn statements of representative business men who describe such a round of brutal torture and barbarity as makes the rule of Spanish tyranny in Cuba seems merciful and humane in comparison.

The testimony shows that the Coeur d’Alene district has been under martial law for nearly three months, and the county has been absolutely cut off from the rest of the world. More than 300 innocent men, the testimony shows, have been imprisoned in a filthy “bull pen” during the three months, and have been subjected to such outrageous treatment that twenty-four deaths have occurred and the living are physical wrecks. Every sympathizer has been imprisoned or driven out of the county, and even now eight men are being tried for their lives without counsel. The county attorney is guarded and threatened with arrest should he dare to enter a protest, and over 100 witnesses for the defense have been driven out and warned not to return.

PAYING ALL EXPENSES.

The Standard Oil Trust is paying all expenses of prosecution to insure conviction. A rigid press censorship has been established and no man’s life is worth a word of sympathy. Men have been murdered and woman outraged by the colored troops and no heed has been given these things by the military rulers. The governor of the state is charged with being in the employ of the Standard Oil Trust, and the accusations are backed up by his own defy, in which he states that “the large mine owners will run the state in the future and that he (the governor) will keep the country under martial law during the balance of his term.”

All this, and more, it is claimed, has been proven, and President McKinley has promised to begin an investigation at once.

A delegation consisting of Senator Heitfeld, Hon. William B. Goldsmith, a former member of the Idaho legislature and Edward Boyce, president of the Western Federation of Miners, called upon the president at the White House yesterday afternoon and were granted a long interview by the latter. The delegation arrived in this city from Idaho yesterday morning and represent the citizens and miners of Shoshone county. After presenting the accumulated evidence Senator Heitfeld asked that General Merriam and his troops be withdrawn from the county, that martial law cease at once, that persecution of witnesses for the defence be brought to an end, that the imprisoned men be granted fair and impartial trial, and that the actions of General Merriam be given a thorough investigation. The delegation was accompanied by Senator Carter of Montana.

The troubles leading up to the present reign of terror began on April 24, list, when a small band of union miners struck for higher wages at Wardner, Idaho. Several days later a large concentrator, the property of the Standard Oil Trust, was destroyed by an explosion, and Governor Steunenberg declared martial law in the county. General Merriam was dispatched to Wardner in command of 800 colored troops, the Twenty-fourth United States infantry. Shortly before the arrival of the troops there had been some rioting between union and non-union miners, during which two men were killed, one a union man.

[News clip added from Washington (D. C.) Times of July 18, 1899.]
[Emphasis added.]