Hellraisers Journal: Explosion at Vulcan Mine, Near New Castle, Colorado, Entombs Miners; Mothers and Wives Give Up Hope

Share

Quote Mother Jones, Necklace of Blood Diamonds, Dnv ULB p6, Dec 20, 1913—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday December 19, 1913
New Castle, Colorado – 37 Coal Miners Dead in Explosion at Vulcan Mine

From Grand Junction (Colorado) Daily Sentinel of December 17, 1913:

…..Among the mine victims of Tuesday are many of the boys who were made fatherless by the previous disaster [Feb. 18, 1896]. Widowed Mothers forced them into the mine again……

“Thank God I am a farmer,” said A. S. Tibbits at 2 o’clock this morning to a Sentinel reporter, after having spent the day in rescue work at the mine.

“I was one of the helpers in the Vulcan disaster eighteen years ago, but this explosion wrecked the mine a dozen times as bad.”…..

New Castle CO Vulcan Mine Disaster, Grand Jctn Dly Sent p1, Dec 17, 1913New Castle CO Vulcan Mine Disaster, Wives, Mothers, Grand Jctn Dly Sent p1, Dec 17, 1913

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Explosion at Vulcan Mine, Near New Castle, Colorado, Entombs Miners; Mothers and Wives Give Up Hope”

Hellraisers Journal: Five Homes Dynamited in New Castle, Colorado; U. M. W. Strike Leaders & Families Targeted

Share

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

Hellraisers Journal – Friday December 18, 1903
New Castle, Colorado – Homes of Union Leaders Bombed

From The Denver Post of December 17, 1903:

New Castle UMW Homes Bombed, John Lawson, DP p1, 3, Dec 17, 1903

Thursday December 17, 1903, New Castle, Colorado
Homes of Five Strike Leaders Bombed While Families Sleep

At 4:47 this morning, while the families of striking coal miners slept, bombs went off in five homes of known strike leaders. Amazingly, no-one was seriously injured. In one of the homes, that of John Lawson, his wife, Olive Lawson, and little three-year-old daughter, Fern, were sleeping in the dining room, which had been turned into a bedroom due to the small size of the actual bedroom. The bomb went off underneath that small bedroom, where the bomber must have thought it would cause the most injury.

The home of W. G. Isaacs was also bombed. Brother Isaacs was away from home at time, which is the only reason that his two children were not killed. Mrs. Isaacs had brought the two little ones into her bed to sleep with her. The house was set on fire by the blast but Mrs. Isaacs was able to escape through a window near her bed, and managed to save both of the children. The family dog was sleeping near the children’s bed, and was found burned to death after the fire was put out.

The homes of three other strike leaders suffered similar damage, including the homes of William Doyle and Evan R. Davis. A building owned by John and James Doyle, occupied by six families was also bombed.

The bombs all went off early in the morning. The local union is planning a meeting today to form a committee to investigate the attacks since the local authorities seem disinclined to do so.

—————

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Five Homes Dynamited in New Castle, Colorado; U. M. W. Strike Leaders & Families Targeted”

Hellraisers Journal: Striking Coal Miners, Held as Military Prisoners in Southern Colorado, Victims of Uniformed Tyranny

Share

Quote John Lawson 1913, after October 17th Death Special attack on Forbes Tent Colony, Beshoar p74—————

Hellraisers Journal – Monday December 15, 1913
Southern Colorado Coalfields – Striking Miners Victims of Uniformed Tyranny

From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of December 13, 1913:

“Militia Makes Man [Andrew Colnar] Dig Own Grave”

CO Militia Makes Colnar Dig Own Grave, Dnv ULB p1,2, Dec 13, 1913

“Soldiers Are Scabbing on Courts-Mother Jones”

Mother Jones re CO Soldiers Scab, Dnv ULB p1, Dec 13, 1913

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Striking Coal Miners, Held as Military Prisoners in Southern Colorado, Victims of Uniformed Tyranny”

Hellraisers Journal: Colorado Labor Federation Issues Official Call for State Convention; Record Snowfall Isolates Residents of Strikers’ Tent Colonies

Share

Quote John Lawson 1913, after October 17th Death Special attack on Forbes Tent Colony, Beshoar p74—————

Hellraisers Journal – Monday December 8, 1913
Colorado Federation of Labor Issues Call for State Convention

From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of December 6, 1913:

Call for Conv CO FoL, Dnv ULB p1, Dec 6, 1913

—–

Colorado Coalfield Strike, Dnv ULB p1, Dec 6, 1913

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Colorado Labor Federation Issues Official Call for State Convention; Record Snowfall Isolates Residents of Strikers’ Tent Colonies”

Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Victor Debs Travels to Denver, Confers with Governor Ammons on the Colorado Coalfield Strike

Share

Quote EVD, Law ag Working Class, AtR p1, Apr 29, 1911—————

Hellraisers Journal – Monday November 24, 1913
Denver, Colorado – Eugene Debs Confers with Governor Ammons

From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of November 22, 1913:

EVD to Colorado, Meets w Gov, ULB p1, Nov 22, 1913

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Victor Debs Travels to Denver, Confers with Governor Ammons on the Colorado Coalfield Strike”

Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Speaks on Colorado Coalfield Strike at Washington [D. C.] Central Labor Union Meeting

Share

Quote Mother Jones, Coming of the Lord, Cnc Pst p6, July 23, 1902—————

Hellraisers Journal – Monday November 10, 1913
Mother Jones Speaks at Meeting of Washington, D. C., Central Labor Union

From The Washington Herald of November 6, 1913:

Mother Jones Speaks at WDC CLU re CO Strike, WDC Hld p2, Nov 6, 1913

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Speaks on Colorado Coalfield Strike at Washington [D. C.] Central Labor Union Meeting”

Hellraisers Journal: State Militia Arrives in Southern Colorado Strike Zone, Finds Striking Coal Miners Standing Firm

Share

Quote Mother Jones, Coming of the Lord, Cnc Pst p6, July 23, 1902—————

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday November 6, 1913
Southern Colorado Coalfields – State Militia Arrives, Strikers Standing Firm

From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of November 1, 1913:

HdLn Militia to So Colorado, ULB p1, Nov 1, 1913

[Captain Van Cise Issues “Shoot to Kill” Orders:]

Van Cise Colorado Militia Shoot to Kill, ULB p1, Nov 1, 1913

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: State Militia Arrives in Southern Colorado Strike Zone, Finds Striking Coal Miners Standing Firm”

Hellraisers Journal: Governor Ammons Orders Troops Out Against Strikers in the Coalfields of Southern Colorado

Share

Quote John Lawson 1913, after October 17th Death Special attack on Forbes Tent Colony, Beshoar p74—————

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday October 29, 1913
Denver, Colorado – Governor Declares Martial Law in Southern Coalfields

From The Denver Post of October 27, 1913:

CO Gov Ammons, McLennan, Hayes, White, Last Try bf Troops, DP p2, Oct 27,1913

Officers of the United Mine Workers of America in conference with Governor Ammons regarding the strike situation in the Southern coal fields. Left to right are Governor Ammons, John McLennan, district president of the United Mine Workers of America and president of the Colorado State Federation of Labor; Vice President Frank J. Hayes and President John P. White of the United Mine Workers of America.

From The Rocky Mountain News of October 28, 1913:

Bnr HdLn CO Gov Orders Troops ag Strikers, RMN p1, Oct 28, 193

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Governor Ammons Orders Troops Out Against Strikers in the Coalfields of Southern Colorado”

Hellraisers Journal: “Rich Suffragets Know Nothing of Miners’ Wives’ Suffering Says Mother Jones” by William G. Shepherd

Share

Quote Mother Jones, Dont need vote to raise hell, Ab Chp 22, 1925—————

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday October 28, 1913
Mother Jones Lectures Rich Suffragettes on Suffering of Miners’ Wives

From the Chicago Day Book of October 27, 1913:

RICH SUFFRAGETS KNOW NOTHING OF
MINERS’ WIVES’ SUFFERING

SAYS MOTHER JONES

BY WM. G. SHEPHERD

Mother Jones, Day Book p29, Oct 27, 1913

Trinidad, Col., Oct. 27.-Mother Jones, 81, here fresh from the West Virginia prisons to help Colorado coal strikers, recently gave me her opinion on women’s suffrage.

From what I see of conditions in this corrupted state of Colorado, where they have had women’s suffrage for 14 years, it seems to me that the influence of women has been utterly useless. I wish Mrs. Pankhurst would frame me a statement as to why women’s suffrage has failed so utterly in Colorado. Conditions of women and children in mining districts are worse than in any other part of the United States.

This state is owned by corporations. Votes of the women of Colorado have never helped Colorado women and children, made their lives easier or lessened their toil or gained for them any additional human rights.

The rights of lower classes are less respected in this great woman suffrage state than in West Virginia, where women don’t vote. It is like prescribing cough medicine to cure consumption for Mrs. Pankhurst to suggest votes for women as a cure for economical slavery.

Mrs. Pankhurst doesn’t understand problems of the lower classes; she belongs to the upper classes. What does Mrs. Belmont or Mrs. Mackay or other rich women who surround Mrs. Pankhurst know about suffering of miners’ wives and infants? Mrs. Pankhurst travels with women who are opposed to what laboring classes of America stand for. They demand to know what right Mrs. Pankhurst has to associate with such women at the same time she talks about uplifting the world. The consumptive, economical America needs something more than Mrs. Pankhurst’s celebrated cough syrup. I wish Mrs. Pankhurst were coming to speak to the women in the tented camps of the coal strikers of Colorado. It would be more of a lesson for Mrs. Pankhurst than for the wives.

[Emphasis added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: “Rich Suffragets Know Nothing of Miners’ Wives’ Suffering Says Mother Jones” by William G. Shepherd”

Hellraisers Journal: “We’re Coming, Colorado, We’re Coming All the Way, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom.”

Share

Quote Coming Colorado Strike Song, Dnv ULB p1, Sept 27, 1913—————

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday October 8, 1913
“Colorado Strike Song”-Sung to the Tune of “The Battle Cry of Freedom.”

From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of September 27, 1913:

Colorado Strike Song, Dnv ULB p1, Sept 27, 1913

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: “We’re Coming, Colorado, We’re Coming All the Way, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom.””