Hellraisers Journal – Sunday March 20, 1904
Near Trinidad, Colorado – Chris Evans, U. M. W Official Assaulted, Seriously Injured
From The Topeka Daily Capital of March 16, 1904:
THE EVANS ASSAULT. ———- Officials of Mine Workers Express Great Indignation.
Chris Evans, 1890
Indianapolis, Ind., March 15.-At the national headquarters of the United Mine Workers indignation was expressed over the assault in Colorado of Chris Evans. Evans is nearly 60 years of age and despite his long service in various official capacities with the miners, he has never been before assaulted. He was editor of the United Mine Workers Journal in this city for several years and served as national statistician of the organization. Prior to being sent to Colorado last November by the executive board he had charge of the disbursement of funds in West Virginia to the strikers. He is the third official of the United Mine Workers who recently has been assaulted in Colorado. The other two men who were assaulted and seriously injured were W. R. Fairley, member of the national executive board from Alabama, and James Mooney, member of the national executive board from Missouri.
Pueblo, Col., March 15-Chris Evans, financial agent of the United Mine Workers, who was assaulted yesterday near Trinidad, today gave the authorities a clue which they are investigating in the form of an anonymous letter sent to Wm. Wardon [Wardjon], national organizer, Mr. Evans and others, warning him and the other officials to leave the camp within two days. The letter also referred to “Mother” Jones and was signed “33.”
No attention was paid to it at the time, but Mr. Evans now thinks it a part of a well-formed plot to kill the officials
Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday February 17, 1904 Trinidad, Colorado – Fairly and Mooney Recovering from Violent Attack
From The Rocky Mountain News of February 15, 1904:
From The Arizona Republican of February 15, 1904:
MINE WORKERS ATTACKED ———- A Violent Strike Episode Near Trinidad, Colorado. ———-
Trinidad, Colo., Feb. 14.-William Fairley and James Mooney, members of the national board of the United Mine Workers, from Alabama and Mississippi, respectively, were waylaid this afternoon on the road between Majestic and Bowen, dragged from their buggy and beaten by eight men with stones and six shooters and left lying in the road.
They were able later to get in the buggy and drive to Bowen. They were then brought to Trinidad. Mooney is in serious condition and had to be taken to a hospital. Fairly is able to go to his hotel. No arrests have yet been made. This is the first time since the coal strike was inaugurated that any officials of the United Mine Workers have been assaulted. It is reported that the men who attacked the miners officials are coal company guards. We have learned from the United Mine Workers’ Headquarters in Indianapolis that Mother Jones was in a wagon which was following the vehicle carrying Fairley and Mooney, but she was not harmed. Mother was recently released from the hospital in Trinidad, after surviving a serious siege of pneumonia.
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