Hellraisers Journal: Mrs. Langdon Reports on the Torture and Deportation of A. G. Leduc of the Western Federation of Miners

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Hellraisers Journal – Thursday September 1, 1904
Cripple Creek District, Colorado – The Torture and Deportation of A. G. Leduc

Terror still reigns against union miners and union sympathizers in the Cripple Creek Strike Zone of Colorado. Mrs. Emma Langdon, of Victor, Colorado, reports from the Cripple Creek Strike zone:

The Inter-state Mercantile Company is seeking relief through the federal courts from mob terror. This company operates the stores which assist the striking miners and their families, and, being run by an out-of-state company, they are able to take their case into the federal courts.

State wide pressure placed upon Governor Peabody forced the executive of the state to offer state troops to the Sheriff of Teller County in order to quell the violence of the white-cappers [Citizens Alliance]. This offer was rejected by Sheriff Bell, the sheriff chosen by the white-cappers to replace Sheriff Robertson who was deemed too sympathetic to the W. F. of M. and was forced to resign or be hanged.

Sheriff Bell has now arrested a member of the clergy, Rev. Leland, who is considered too friendly to the union cause.

And finally Mrs. Langdon reports on the case of A. G. Leduc, member of the Western Federation of Miners. Leduc was kidnapped by the white-cappers, beaten, terrorized and driven from the his home and family. He was able to make his way to Denver, but his condition is serious.

MRS. EMMA F. LANGDON REPORTS
FROM THE CRIPPLE CREEK STRIKE ZONE
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Interstate Mercantile Company Appeals to Federal Court

On August 23, H. N. Heinerdinger, manager of the Inter-state Mercantile Company, which had some time previously, taken the control of the union stores of the district, applied to Judge Riner and Judge Hallett of the Federal court, first for an injunction restraining any one in the Cripple Creek district from interfering with the operations of the store; second, for damages against Teller county and certain individuals for the wrecking of the store, and third, individual suits for personal damage brought by Mr. Heinerdinger and F. J. Hall, citizens of Montana, who purchased and owned the store in Cripple Creek.

The Mercantile Company applied for the aid of the Federal court because it was a corporation organized under the laws of Montana, which made it a citizen of another state than Colorado. It was the diversity of citizenship between the company and the defendants which gave the Federal court jurisdiction to act. Most of the other deported men being citizens of Colorado as well as the deporters, the Federal court could not act for them.

Governor Offers Troops

[With citizens of the state becoming more disturbed over the outrages perpetrated on citizens in Cripple Creek], the governor, in order to make it appear that he would make an effort to maintain law, sent the following communication to Sheriff Bell, of Teller county:

State of Colorado, Executive Chamber,
Denver, Colo., Aug. 27, 1904.
Hon. Edward Bell, Sheriff of Teller County, Cripple Creek, Colorado:

Sir—Upon Saturday, the 21st inst., there was assembled in Teller county a disorderly mob of men. This mob destroyed private property and maltreated and drove from the county a number of citizens and other persons.

Teller county has been a source of much anxiety to my administration. Order has been restored there at great expense to the state, and the militia, after a protracted service, rendered with the single purpose of making life and property secure, had only recently been withdrawn.

Your county had been freed, as I hoped, from criminal disturbers of the peace; the civil offices of your county are now filled, as I am informed, by incumbents who desire to extend to all citizens the full protection of the law. I recalled the troops because I believed and was informed that your community was once more safe in the hands of such officers. If I am right in so believing, there should be no occasion for lawless outbursts such as that of Saturday last.

I am recently informed that a similar mob of men have in contemplation another and still further outrage. I am convinced that you, as sheriff, having the full sympathy and support of the civil authorities, can and should maintain peace and lawful order. I therefore desire to say that should you not be able, with the means at your disposal, to successfully cope with the situation and maintain law and order in Teller county, I am ready to again place at your disposal the militia of this state.

Our paramount duty at this and at all times is to uphold the law and its safeguards, without distinction of interests or of individuals.

I will thank you for an early reply, and am, respectfully yours,
JAMES H. PEABODY. Governor.

The Arrest of Rev. Leland

Rev. Mr. Leland was not in the least influenced from the path of right and justice by the Citizens’ Alliance and the band of white-cappers that had made life uncomfortable for so many, had no terrors for him. When he was told to leave the district or he would be roughly dealt with he simply told them they would find him ready for them. They did not go until they were certain that Leland was absent, choosing Sunday evening during the hours of service at his church to make the raid on the Leland residence.

Fearing an assault from a mob and determined to resist the same, Rev. Leland had for several days been assisted in guarding by Arthur Parker and L. R. Jenks, who were glad to avail themselves of the protection of Mr. Leland’s home, as they had also been threatened.

On Sunday evening, August 28, Mr. Leland was at the Methodist church conducting the evening service, Jenks and Parker, who remained to guard the house observed a number of men stealthily approaching. Believing them to be white-cappers, the inmates warned them not to come any nearer. Some one in the crowd said: “We want to see Leland.”

Upon being informed that Leland was at church they wanted to know who was in the house. To this the men in the house replied: ” It is none of your business.”Upon the crowd drawing nearer, Mr. Parker recognized Sheriff Bell as one of the party. He notified Jenks and they then informed Bell that they would open the door and hear what he had to say.

Parker had a double-barrel shot-gun in his hands, cocked in anticipation of trouble; unfortunately, in lowering the hammer while opening the door the gun was discharged accidentally.

Sheriff Bell then demanded the surrender of those in the house which they immediately did. They were placed in the county jail and charged with “assault to murder.” Mr. Leland was notified of what had taken place and hurried to his home where he was also arrested and placed in jail.

Sheriff Bell Declines Governor’s Offer of Troops

August 30, Sheriff Bell replied to the governor’s letter as follows:

To His Excellency, the Governor of Colorado, James H. Peabody, Denver, Colorado.—Honorable Sir: Your kind communication of recent date at hand, and contents carefully noted. I have felt at all times perfectly competent to handle the situation here, and I believe that most of the disturbances occurring recently in this district have been occasioned by the united efforts of the Western Federation to create an impression of alarm regarding life and property in this locality and bring disrepute and odium on my administration of the sheriff’s office.

I find that many of the reports as to the possible deportation of this or that person living within this district are entirely without foundation, and are without any standing in fact. On tracing down the origin of these reports I find that they emanate directly from an organization known as the Woman’s Auxiliary, which is an adjunct of the Western Federation, and as an evidence of how far these people will go, the attempted assassination of myself and deputies Sunday night [referring to raid on the home of Rev. Leland] is in itself of sufficient evidence to substantiate all the facts of the case.

I therefore must decline your kind proffer of troops, believing that the best interests of this county and state will be subserved through the determination of the sheriff’s office and the will of the best people of this district. You can rest assured that no stone will be left unturned, no risk will be considered too great, nor any clue too trivial for me to follow with the best energies of my office.

The Torture and Deportation of Brother Leduc

August 30, A. G. Leduc, a union miner of Cripple Creek district, reached Denver, bruised, limping and very weary. His experience with the desperadoes in Cripple Creek was terrible. Mr. Leduc had been out of the district on account of poor health and was returning to his home when a neighbor called to him and requested him to stop in and eat supper which he did. While still at his friend’s home some one rapped at the door and upon answering the knock Mr. Leduc was asked for. Leduc went to the door and the visitor said the white-cappers were after him (Leduc) and that the sheriff had sent for him and would give protection. Leduc said he would go but first wished to go to his cabin, and the two started in that direction. The man that called for Leduc said his name was Sharpe and that he was a deputy sheriff.

Before Mr. Leduc reached the cabin door a mob of men who had been in hiding rushed out and seized him. They searched him and took from him a pocketbook containing $45. He had no arms of any kind upon him. The crowd then told him to move on, and pushed him on ahead to a point two miles away from his home.

On the way the members of the mob would say to each other: “Who’s got the rope?” “How deep is the shaft?” “Thirty feet,” would be the reply, and then came the grim rejoinder, “Oh, well, that’s deep enough to hang him.” “Hang him! What do you want to do that for? Let him down and leave him there. He’ll be dead soon enough.”

When the mob finally stopped, Mr. Leduc was ordered to take off his coat. He did so, and several of the ruffians then lashed him with blacksnake whips till the blood flowed from the lacerations. Several times the whips were reversed, and he was beaten over the back with the butts till his body was a mass of blood and bruises.

When this cruel orgy was ended one of the men stepped up to him, and after helping him on with his coat, pointed out the road to Canon City, saying:

“There is your road. Take it, you ———, and if you ever come back to this place you’ll hang as sure as ——.”

Almost fainting at every step, Mr. Leduc painfully made his way to Canon City, and later was able to travel on to Denver where he was properly taken care of. He was in a critical condition when he reached his destination. He showed his bruises to many people in proof of statements he made as to the cruelty to which he was subjected, so that more than one person knows, as dreadful as it seems, that the foregoing was an unvarnished fact.

Note: Emphasis added throughout.

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SOURCES

Quote Mother Jones, Powers of Privilege ed, Ab Chp III
https://www.iww.org/history/library/MotherJones/autobiography/3

IMAGE
Citizens Alliance Terror in Cripple Creek District, AtR p1, June 25, 1904
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/appeal-to-reason/040625-appealtoreason-w447.pdf

See also:

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday August 24, 1904
Cripple Creek, Colorado – Mob Warns Deported Miners: “You Can’t Come Back”

Tag: Emma F Langdon
https://weneverforget.org/tag/emma-f-langdon/

Tag: Cripple Creek Strike of 1903-1904
https://weneverforget.org/tag/cripple-creek-strike-of-1903-1904/

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Unions and the Law – Street Dogs