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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 13, 1913
The Keweenaw, Michigan – Government by Gunthug Starts Bloody War
From the Chicago Day Book of December 11, 1913:
Calumet, Mich., Dec. 11.-(Special.)-Bloody war has broken out in the copper country, and the battle has been waging since early this morning. It was precipitated by the Citizens’ Alliance, which has been making open threat for days that the union leaders would be forcibly driven from Houghton county.
Yesterday President Moyer of the Western Federation of Miners made application to Circuit Judge O’Brien for an injunction restraining members of the Alliance from interfering with officers and members of the Federation. The injunction was granted.
This morning about 2 o’clock gunmen deputies and members of the Citizens’ Alliance attempted to arrest striking miners who had barricaded themselves in their hall at South Range, about eight miles from Calumet. This started the fight.
Thirty-five armed strikers were arrested, and two special trains were sent out from Houghton loaded with reinforcements from the Alliance, one at 5 and the other at 9 o’clock.
In the battle Deputy Tom Driscoll of Houghton was shot and fatally wounded. Many others were wounded, although no list of them has been secured.
The fighting kept up all morning and before noon a total of 500 strikers had been arrested, including Victor Valimakki, Finnish organizer for the Federation, who is alleged to have confessed to the shooting of Driscoll, who was shot through the abdomen and the right arm.
Just before noon a third special train carrying gunmen, deputies and vigilantes was sent to the South Range district, a distance of 27 miles from Houghton.
The fire bells were rung in Calumet and Houghton this morning summoning all members of the Citizens’ Alliance.
Thousands are being held in reserve ready to be sent to any part of the county. The fighting today followed a night of terror throughout the strike district. Two of the gunmen deputies who were shot down yesterday are not expected to live.
Labor leaders predict that wholesale arrests will be made of members of the Alliance for violating Judge O’Brien’s injunction, issued yesterday.
Federation Hall, at South Range, where for more than eight hours today half a hundred striking copper miners battled desperately against a mob of vigilantes and deputy sheriffs, was surrendered by the miners into the hands of the Citizens’ Alliance at noon today. All the defenders of the hall were arrested. Thirty rifles and great quantities of ammunition were confiscated and will be thrown into Portage Lake.
As far as could be learned early this afternoon Deputy Sheriff Driscoll at Houghton was the only person to be fatally injured in the fighting. He was shot through the abdomen and cannot recover, it was stated this afternoon. Henry Koski has confessed to shooting the deputy, the authorities asserted. Koski’s wife is also held for complicity.
[Deputized Company Gunthugs]
The fighting deputy sheriffs are gunmen imported from New York by the Waddell-Mahon strikebreaking agency of 200 Fifth avenue, New York city. They were sworn in by Sheriff Cruse and armed with guns and deputy’s badges.
Waddell said himself that many of them were ex-members of the New York police department. Others were imported from Chicago and other cities, but most of them from the East.
The entire county has been under control of the mining companies, through the sheriff’s office and the Waddell thugs, ever since the strike began last July.
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Denver, November 9.-Information received from the coal fields of Colorado to-day indicates that the strike of coal miners will be more extended than anticipated. It is reported that the order of the executive committee of the United Mine Workers of America declaring a strike in District 15 for to-day has been obeyed in Colorado almost to the man. At certain mines where it was confidently believed a sufficient number of men could be retained to operate them, it appears that not enough men reported to make a showing.In the northern fields, where the men decided to strike upon their own referendum vote because an eight-hour day has not been granted, the walkout is complete. It is said that several of the independent mine will make efforts to continue in operation, but, it is understood, with little hope of success.
Trinidad, Colo., Nov. 9.-The strike of the coal miners of district No. 15 of the United Mine Workers of America is now on in full force, and indications point to a long struggle. This morning only a very small per cent of the men reported for work and the tie-up is complete in Las Animas county, the largest producer of District 15, Starkville, Gray Creek, Engleville and Sopris, the largest producing camps went out to a man.At union headquarters tonight all the officials were jubilant over the outlook and more than pleased at the number of non-union men who went out with the union. Since Saturday night nearly 2,000 men sent their names to the union. Out of nearly 3,000 employed in this county, it is claimed that less than one hundred reported for work. These are at Hastings, Delagua and Primero, Victor fuel camps, and it is openly stated that if any trouble occurs in this district it will be at the above camps.“Mother” Jones is doing more than all the balance of the organizers to bring the men into line. Union headquarters was very busy today. William Howells, president of District 15, said tonight, “You can say that the men in this section went out to a man and the tie-up is more complete than we thought it would be. We have a right to feel good over the large number of non-union men who joined us. Eighty per cent of the men have gone out in Huerfano county and also in Colfax county, N. M. We nor the Colorado Fuel and Iron company officials dreamed that the strike would be of such magnitude.”
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