Hellraisers Journal: High Union Officials, Leaders of Colorado Strikers, Accused by Grand Jury of Murder and Other Crimes

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

Hellraisers Journal – Monday May 18, 1914
Leaders of Colorado Coalfield Strike Accused by Grand Jury of Murder 

From The New York Times of May 15, 1914:

FIND MURDER INDICTMENTS
———-
High Union Officials Among Those
Accused by Grand Jury.

CO Strike 1913-14, UMWA Policy Com, ed, Ludlow Massacre Fink 1914Colorado Strikers’ Policy Committee, United Mine Workers of America
John McLennan, President District 15;
E. L. Doyle, Secretary-Treasurer District 15;
John R. Lawson, International Board Member from District 15;
Frank J. Hayes, International Vice-President

BOULDER, Col., May 14-Indictments charging first degree murder were returned here to-day against William [Hickey], Secretary of the Colorado State Federation of Labor; John O’Connor, President of the Louisville (Col.) local union of the United Mine Workers of America, and Jerry Carter and Joe Potestio, union leaders.

Indictments charging conspiracy to murder were returned against Edward L. Doyle, Treasure of District 15, United Mine Workers of America; John R Lawson, International Board Member of the American Federation of Labor [see note] and forty-eight others, including the four men named in the indictments charging first degree murder.

The action of the Grand Jury followed the return yesterday of fourteen true bills against strikers and sympathizers alleged to have been active in the attack on April 28 on the Hecla mine, near Louisville, in which one man, Peter Steinhoff, was killed and several were injured.

Gus Brack and William Knowles, strikers among those indicted for conspiracy to the murder, were arrested to-day.

[Note: John R. Lawson is International Board Member from District 15 to the United Mine Workers of America, not to the A. F. of L.]

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Denver United Labor Bulletin: Colorado Labor Leaders Issue Call to Arms: “Be Ready to Defend Your Homes”

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Quote CO Labor Leaders Call to Arms, Apr 22, ULB p1, Apr 25, 1914—————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday April 25, 1914
Denver, Colorado – State Labor Leaders Issue Call to Arms

From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of April 25, 1914
CALL TO ARMS:

UMW, CO FoL, Call to Arms, Apr 22, ULB p1, Apr 25, 1914

Call to Arms, Denver, Colorado, April 22, 1914

Organize the men in your community in companies of volunteers to protect the workers of Colorado against the murder and cremation of men, women and children by armed assassins in the employ of coal corporations, serving under the guise of state militiamen.

Gather together for defensive purposes all arms and ammunition legally available. Send name of leader of your company and actual number of men enlisted at once by wire, phone or mail to W. T. Hickey, Secretary of State Federation of Labor.

Hold all companies subject to order.

People having arms to spare for these defensive measures are requested to furnish same to local companies, and, where no company exists, send them to the State Federation of Labor.

The state is furnishing us no protection and we must protect ourselves, our wives and children, from these murderous assassins. We seek no quarrel with the state and we expect to break no law; we intend to exercise our lawful right as citizens, to defend our homes and our constitutional rights.

John R. LAWSON
JOHN McLENNAN
E. L. DOYLE
JOHN RAMSEY
W. T. HICKEY
E. R. HOAGE
T. W. TAYLOR
CLARENCE MOOREHOUSE
ERNEST MILLS

[Emphasis added.]

-Lawson, International Organizers from U. M. W. District 15.
-McLennan, President of District 15, U. M. W.
     and also President of Colorado State Federation of Labor.
-Doyle, Secretary-Treasurer of District 15 U. M. W.
-Ramsey of the U. M. W. of A.
-Hickey, Secretary of Colorado State Federation of Labor.
-Hoage of the Denver Printing Press Assistants’ Union No 14.
-Taylor and Moorehouse of the Denver Trades and Labor Assembly.
-Mills, Secretary-Treasurer of Western Federation of Miners.

UMW District 15 CO Policy Com, ULB p1, Jan 3, 1914

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