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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday September 20, 1914
Colorado Miners Accept Wilson’s Peace Plan; John Lawson Charged with Murders
Las Vegas Optic of Las Vegas, New Mexico, reported the optimistic news that the Colorado Strike could be settled within the next few days. Mother Jones spoke in Trinidad at the Special Convention of District 15 of the United Mine Workers of America. She made a plea for acceptance of President’s Wilson’s peace proposal. She was greeted with much cheering and Wilson’s settlement plan was accepted by the miners, and that acceptance communicated to the President.
In other news, John Lawson, hero of the striking miners, has surrendered to authorities. He now stands charged with twelve murders. He was not present when any of these men were killed, but is charged under the reasoning that he was a leader of the strike which led to their deaths.
From the Las Vegas Optic of September 15, 1914:
Washington, Sept. 15.-President Wilson was notified today by the United Mine Workers of America that they had accepted the tentative basis for the settlement of the Colorado strike submitted by the president last week. The mine operators have not yet replied. END OF STRIKE MAY COME
IN FEW DAYSCOLORADO MINERS HOLD A MEETING TO DECIDE
ON FUTURE ACTION
———-———- Trinidad, Colo., Sept. 15.-“Thank God! We’ve got a great man-another Lincoln-in the person of the president at Washington.” said “Mother” Mary Jones, 82 year old strike leader in a speech today before the convention of the Colorado miners called to consider the proposal of President Wilson for a three year truce in the Colorado labor war. And the cheers which greeted the tribute to the president brought smiles to the faces of the officers of the United Mine Workers of America who are advocating the adoption of the peace protocol.
“Mother” Jones, who admits authorship of the famous “save your money and buy a gun” speech in West Virginia, appeared today in the guise of a peacemaker.
“The sword will have to disappear; the pen will have to take its place,” she declared.
The convention got under way shortly before noon. The only business transacted at the morning session was the appointment of a committee to examine the credentials of the delegates.
Lawson Gives Self Up John R. Lawson, Colorado member of the executive board of the United Mine Workers of America today surrendered himself to the sheriff of Las Animas county to answer indictments charging him with 12 murders in connection with the coal miners’ strike. He was released on $15,000 bond.
Lawson is accused of the following deaths:
Mack Powell, killed October 9, 1913; John Nimmo, killed October 25, 1913; Tony Heno, Joseph Uppson, George Hall, S. A. Newman, M. Newman, Edward Kessler, Gosney Murrake, Jacob Smith and Kito, all killed in the battle of Forbes April 29, 1914.
Lawson is charged with assault to murder Walter Belk, October 7 and Zeke Martin October 27, 1913. He is also accused of arson in connection with the attack on the Forbes mine.
Soon after his arrival from Denver today, Lawson went alone to the sheriffs office to give himself up. He was told to go to the district court and arrange for bond and return when his bond was ready.
Felix Shippl, a striker from Sopris, was arrested on a grand jury warrant today charging him with an assortment of murders.
[Emphasis added.]
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Colorado Strikers’ Policy Committee, United Mine Workers of America
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Mother Jones was deported by the military on orders of Governor Peabody on Saturday March 26th. With other organizers of the United Mine Workers of America, she was put aboard a Santa Fe train bound for La Junta, Colorado, some 65 miles north and east of Trinidad. They were all given deportation papers which warned them never to return. Mother sat all night in the station at La Junta, and the next morning, with the assistance of a sympathetic railroad conductor, she was able to board a train to Denver. From her hotel room, near the Governors office, she wrote the following letter:
