Hellraisers Journal: Mrs. Gertrude Lee, Chairman of Democratic State Committee of Colorado, Will Not Help Free Mother Jones from Military Confinement

30th January 202431st January 2024 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

Quote Mother Jones, Chase No Own State, RMN p3, Jan 12, 1914 —————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday January 30, 1914
Sterling, Colorado – Mrs. Lee Refuses to Help Free Mother Jones

From The Cincinnati Post of January 28, 1914:

(Will woman suffrage make good in Colorado?

That is the question all the United States is asking today. That question was put up to Mrs. Gertrude A. Lee, Chairman of the Democratic State committee in Colorado. The Governor and his militia Generals, who placed 82-year-old Mother Jones in solitary confinement in a military prison, are members of her party. The following is from the Denver correspondent of the Post, who went to Sterling to see Mrs. Lee.-Editor’s Note.)

STERLING, COLO., Jan. 28.-(Spl.)-Mrs. Gertrude A. Lee, head of the Democratic State central committee, doesn’t know officially that Mother Jones has been illegally imprisoned or that the Colorado state troops rode down and beat women and children paraders with swords in Trinidad.

So she won’t protest

“I want to do what is right for the party and the women,” said Mrs. Lee, who has been recuperating from a nervous attack on a farm near here.

“I don’t know that there is anything wrong in the coal strike fields. I want time.”

“Do you believe any citizen-man or woman-should be deprived of his constitutional right of personal liberty and free speech without due process of law?” she was asked.

Mrs. Lee evaded the question five times and finally said, “No.”

Mrs. Lee will not ask the State [Democratic Party] committee to do anything about the coal strike that will embarrass Governor Ammons.

[Emphasis added.

Note: Mrs. Gertrude A. Lee is married to Colonel George M. Lee who is next in authority to General Chase in the state militia now occupying southern Colorado and enforcing its military despotism upon the striking miners, their wives and their children.

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Hellraisers Journal: Colorado Federation of Labor Committee Begins Investigation of Military Outrages in Coalfield Strike Zone

3rd January 202422nd February 2024 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

Lt Linderfelt Jesus Christ, Dec 30 1913, Report CO BoL p185, 1914 —————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday January 3, 1914
Trinidad, Colorado – State Federation of Labor Committee Begins Investigation

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

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Wednesday December 24, 1913
Trinidad, Colorado – C. F. of L. Investigating Committee Begins Hearings

The Committee established by the recent Convention of the Colorado Federation of Labor to investigate alleged abuse by the military met in Trinidad yesterday to begin hearings on the matter. Now, Professor Brewster was asked to sit on the committee despite his views on the United Mine Workers which are less than favorable. Yet, the Professor is trusted as an honorable and fair man, willing to listen objectively to the evidence.

General Chase has refused to meet with the committee in spite of the letter from Governor Ammons requiring him to do so. He indicates that, perhaps, he will find the time at a later date to meet with the C. F. of L. Investigating Committee.

The committee heard testimony from Mrs. Maggie Dominske of Ludlow. She described how she was on her way to the Ludlow post office with a group of women when they were stopped by militiamen:

They put up their guns and said, “God damn you, don’t you go another step. If you do,we’ll shoot you. We’re getting tired of these sons-of-bitches coming up here and we’re going to put a stop to it.”

The Professor asked if the women had been on a public road, and Mrs. Dominske replied that, yes indeed, they had been using a public road. The Professor declared:

I am surprised. Surprised. I wouldn’t have believed it if I had not heard it straight from these women. It is plain they are telling the truth.

We imagine that the good Professor will encounter many more such surprises before the investigation is completed.

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Wednesday December 31, 1913
Ludlow, Colorado – Lt Linderfelt declares himself “Jesus Christ”

Yesterday evening, a cavalryman was injured when his horse tripped on a piece of barbed wire. The injured man was brought to the Ludlow depot. A few minutes later Lieutenant Linderfelt appeared and went into a rage. Louie Tikas happened to be at the depot waiting for a train, also at the station was a boy of about fifteen years. Linderfelt focused on that boy, accusing him of setting the wire, and, when the boy denied the charge, began to beat him. Linderfelt next began to berate Louie:

There you are, you round-face son-of-a-bitch. You’re responsible for that wire.

Louie remained calm, but Linderfelt continued to rage. He gave an order to his men:

You Tollerburg fellows beat it over to the colony and cut every God damned wire around the place. The first man that interferes with you-shoot his head off.

Linderfelt then punched Louie in the face as he yelled:

I am Jesus Christ, and my men on horses are Jesus Christs, and we must be obeyed.

Witnesses report that Louie Tikas maintained his usual calm as Linderfelt struck him several more times. The lieutenant than ordered his men to take Louie to the military camp.

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Hellraisers Journal: 1500 Labor Delegates Meet with Colorado Governor in Senate Chamber; Policy of Action Adopted

22nd December 202324th December 2023 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

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

Hellraisers Journal – Monday December 22, 1913
Denver, Colorado – State Federation of Labor Adopts Policy of Action

From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of December 20, 1913:

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Hellraisers Journal: Denver Newspapers Describe the Special Convention of the Colorado State Federation of Labor

21st December 202322nd December 2023 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

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

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 21, 1913
Denver, Colorado – The Special Convention of the Colorado Federation of Labor

From The Denver Post of December 17, 1913
-“Mother Jones’ Address Stampedes Meeting of Federation”

From The Rocky Mountain News of December 17, 1913
-“500 Delegates Consider General Strike Today”

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Hellraisers Journal: Special Convention of Colorado State Federation of Labor Held in Denver, Takes Up Cause of Striking Miners

20th December 202322nd December 2023 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 20, 1913
Denver, Colorado – News from Special Convention of State Federation of Labor

Thursday December 18, 1913-Denver, Colorado
– News from Special Convention of the Colorado Federation of Labor

Louie Tikas w Flag of Ludlow, RMN p3, Dec 19, 1913 — Louie Tikas with
Flag of Ludlow

Louis Tikas was released by the military three days ago from the cold, unheated cell with the broken window through which blew the bitter winter wind and snow. Yesterday, the Trinidad Free Press printed this letter from Louie to the paper’s editor:

Dear Sir,

In regards to calling you up by phone I have changed my mind, so I will write you a few lines of information. I arrived at Ludlow about 3 P.M. The most people of the tent colony were waiting for me, and after visiting the colony tent by tent and shaking hands with most the people, I find out that all was glad to see me back…

I am leaving tonight for Denver to attend the state Federation of Labor convention and believe that I will be called to state before the delegates of the convention anything that I know concerning the militia in the southern field. While I stay a few days at Denver I will return to Ludlow again.

LOUIS TIKAS
Ludlow, Colorado

[Emphasis added.]

The special convention of the Colorado Federation of Labor was called by President McLennan and Secretary W. T. Hickey:

The strike of the miners has grown to a real war in which every craft and department of organized labor is threatened with annihilation unless they take a positive and decided stand for their rights. The uniform of the state is being disgraced and turned into an emblem of anarchy as it was in the days of Peabody. In the southern fields, military courts, illegal and tyrannical, are being held for the purpose of tyrannizing the workers. Leaders of labor are being seized and arrested and held without bail. The homes of union miners have been broken into by members of the National Guard and property stolen. In order, that members of organized labor in every part of the state, whether affiliated or not, may become familiar with conditions in this struggle, a convention is hereby called to meet in Denver Tuesday December 16, 1913, at 10 o’clock. The purpose of the convention is the protection of the rights of every worker in this state and the protection of the public from the unbridled greed and outrages of the coal operators.

[Emphasis added]

More than 500 delegates answered the call and assembled at the Eagle’s Hall on Tuesday December 16th. They included national officers from United Mine Workers, President White, Vice-President Hayes and Secretary Green. John Lawson and Louie Tikas arrived from the strike zone in the southern field. There was outrage as the Convention learned of the disaster at the Vulcan mine. This is the same mine which the union had called a death trap just months before. Many delegates made it plain that they are in favor of a statewide general strike should one be called by union leaders. The Convention demands that Governor Ammons remove General Chase from command and immediately transfer all military prisoners to the civil courts.

Mother Jones made her way to the convention in spite of military orders that she stay out of the state. It is said that sympathetic trainmen assisted her in slipping into Denver. She made her opinion of Governor Ammons clear by calling for him to be hanged.

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