Hellraisers Journal: News Round-Up from the Southern Colorado Coalfield Strike: Company Town “Marshal” Killed

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

Hellraisers Journal – Monday October 6, 1913
News Round-Up from the Southern Colorado Coalfield Strike

From the Trinidad Chronicle News of September 25, 1913:

Note: The Chronicle News is published by Judge Jesse G. Northcutt, attorney for Rockefeller’s Colorado Fuel and Iron Company.

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Thursday September 25, 1913
Segundo, Colorado – Company Gunman, Bob Lee, Shot and Killed by Greek Miners

Bob Lee, a gunman brought in to work as a coalfield marshal, was shot and killed by Greek miners near Segundo yesterday. Lee was found on the ground where he had fallen from his horse. His rifle was on the ground beside him still cocked.

The trouble started when the miners were not allowed to send a wagon to the mining camp in order to retrieve their belongs. Bob Lee heard that the Greek miners were taking their anger out on a company footbridge that crossed Las Animas Creek. At about noon, Lee road up on the bridge to confront the miners. Tempers flared as Lee used his horse to push the miners back, and they resisted. As Lee reached for his rifle, shots rang out, and Lee was killed.

The suspects are Tom Larius and four other Greek miners. Word has it that they have fled to New Mexico. A mounted posse has been unable to apprehend them.

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From The Rocky Mountain News of September 27, 1913:

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Friday September 26, 1913
Trinidad, Colorado – Secretary of Labor Sends Ethelbert Stewart

Ethelbert Stewart arrived in Trinidad on the day of the exodus [September 23rd]. He came as a mediator at the request of William B. Wilson, Secretary of Labor. As the miners and their families made their way out of the company towns, Stewart toured the area with the Colorado Labor Commissioner and two other state officials. They found that armed company guards had closed public roads. They were able to gain access to the mining camp at Primero after a heated exchange, and then found themselves under armed escort as they went about the camp.

In this camp, they found strikers who were being detained by armed guards. Labor Commissioner Brake was able to to get an order from the Las Animas County sheriff for the release of these miners along with their families.

All of the efforts made by Ethelbert Stewart to mediate the conflict in the Southern Coalfield have been rebuffed by the coal operators. The United Mine Workers of America stands ready to enter into negotiations at any time.

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Sunday September 28, 1913
Old Segundo, Colorado – Angelo Zikos, machinist, arrested trying to collect his mail.

Angelo Zikos was arrested, a few days ago, trying to collect his mail at Old Segundo. A company guard of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, George Titsworth, Sr., met him just outside the office, put a revolver to his chest, called him a “son of a bitch,” called him a foreigner ready to kill Americans, and accused him of an assault against another company guard.

Zikos stated that he had had nothing to do with that assault, and, he said, “I been Greek citizen, American citizen, I been square for any country…I don’t be afraid of revolver. Go ahead. Shoot.”

Titsworth took Zikos into custody and held him in the company office for identification. The guard who had been beaten came into the office and said, “That is the man.”

Zikos vehemently denied the charge, stating that this guard had known him for five years, and knew full well that he was “a square man,” not “a trouble man.”

Zikos was told to leave the area and invited to take a job offer in New Mexico or Utah rather than to stay in the strike zone. He was told that they would be sorry to see him arrested again or maybe even killed.

Zikos replied:

I refuse all that, I have to remain here in Segundo. I have to see this business out.

Angelo Zikos is not a member of the United Mine Workers of America, but he is, perhaps, judged by the company gunthugs to be too closely associated with the many Greek miners who are proud members of the U. M. W. of A.

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Monday September 29, 1913
Trinidad, Colorado – Mayor Dunlavy opposes petition asking for troops.

Following the shooting of the company gunman, Bob Lee, Judge Northcutt began circulating a petition around Trinidad asking for troops to be sent into the strike zone. The petition is opposed by Mayor Dunlavy who called the request ridiculous and made this statement:

The only serious thing has been the shooting of Lee. The people here understand that well enough even if those in authority in Denver do not. So far as I can make out, and from everything I’ve heard, the companies have done more that might make trouble than the miners have up to date.

J. J. Abercrombie is an independent mine operator who states that it is all right with him should his miners go on strike. Regarding the death of Lee, he had this to say:

It seems to me that Bob Lee died from natural causes.

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SOURCES & IMAGES

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

The Chronicle News
(Trinidad, Colorado)
-Sept 25, 1913
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90051521/1913-09-25/ed-1/seq-1/
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90051521/1913-09-25/edThe -1/seq-4/

The Rocky Mountain News
(Denver, Colorado)
-Sept 27, 1913
https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A12C601A5C4B97518%40GB3NEWS-147800661CD5F928%402420038-14775522DA311400%402

Out of the Depths
The Story of John R. Lawson, a Labor Leader
-by Barron B. Beshoar
Colorado Labor Historical Committee
of the Denver Trades and Labor Assembly, 1942
https://books.google.com/books?id=gQ4eAAAAIAAJ

Buried Unsung
Louis Tikas and the Ludlow Massacre
-by Zeese Papanikolas
U of Utah Press, 1982
-p87 re Northcutt
-p82-3 re Zikos:
https://books.google.com/books?id=5wtMggM3di8C&pg=PA290&dq=angelo+zikos+mail+colorado+1913&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq_afugueBAxVOk2oFHQLWBPkQ6AF6BAgGEAI#v=onepage&q=zikos&f=false
-p290 source re Zikos:
https://books.google.com/books?id=5wtMggM3di8C&pg=PA290&dq=angelo+zikos+mail+colorado+1913&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq_afugueBAxVOk2oFHQLWBPkQ6AF6BAgGEAI#v=onepage&q=angelo%20zikos%20mail%20colorado%201913&f=false