Virginia Bartolotti – WE NEVER FORGET

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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday September 16, 1914
Women on Picket Duty at Ludlow, Colorado, Face Federal Soldiers

Helen Schloss tells a stirring story of the courageous women of the Southern Colorado Coalfield Strike who have now taken up picket duty and are meeting the scabs as they arrive at the Trinidad depot. Bearing the insignia of the “Women’s Union Picket Squad,” the women face arrest by federal soldiers. When they were advised by Major Rockwell to cease picketing:

The women answered that they had to take a part in the strike, that their husbands’ fight was their fight, and that side by side they would struggle with the men.

From The Labor World of September 12, 1914:

WOMEN ON PICKET DUTY IN COLORADO

———-
Wear Sashes Bearing Insignia That all
May See When Leaving Trains.
———-
FEDERAL SOLDIERS IGNORE INSTRUCTIONS
———-
Charged That Outsiders Are Permitted
to Take Jobs of Striking Miners.
———-
BY HELEN SCHLOSS.

LUDLOW, Colo., Sept 11.-Women in the strikers’ colony have become pickets. They are already doing valuable work. One Sunday evening recently as the train was pulling in, a group of women appeared at the station to meet it. They had sashes across their chests bearing the insignia, “Women’s Union Pickett Squad.”The soldiers at the station were dumbfounded, and did not know what to make of us. We were not molested that evening, and we called a scab a scab. We pleaded with the scabs not to go into the mines, and take their brothers’ jobs. We informed them of the danger in the mines with unskilled hands.

We kept up our arrogant picketing for two trains but when the third train arrived, we were informed that we would not be allowed at the depot.

Major Cable, of the federal troops, who is a southern gentleman, told us that he hated to see women in the capacity of pickets, and that perhaps the scabs might insult us, and that he as a soldier would hate to see us insulted. The gentleman pleaded with us, but we stood on our grounds of constitutional rights.

We informed the major that we would return to the depot. He then informed us that we would be arrested and taken before the justice of the peace. After much argument and after we tried to show him what picketing meant, he said that we might return to the depot providing we did not call any names, such as scabs, which seemed to be very offensive to the gentleman.

One Saturday evening after the train pulled out and the scabs were waiting in the hacks for the soldiers to take their names, and while the pickets were standing near to listen, we were told to move.

We did move, but not enough to suit the major. “Soldiers,” he shouted, “remove the women.” The soldiers surrounded us like a pack of hounds, and tried to remove us from the platform. But alas, they were mistaken, they thought perhaps we would be so frightened that we would run back to the tent colony. But we did not move. One husky soldier grabbed me and dragged me from the plat form, and I had a toss and tumble with him. Mrs Dominiske took hold of a post and stuck to it with all her strength. Mrs Bartolotti had her face slapped. Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: The women answered: they had to take a part in the strike; their husbands’ fight was their fight, and side by side they would struggle with the men.” →

Quote Ludlow Mary Petrucci, Children all dead, ed, Trinidad Las Animas Co CO Affidavit, May 11, 1914 —————

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday August 30, 1914
Trinidad, Colorado – Women’s Union Picket Squad Defies Federal Soldiers

As reported by John Murray in this week’s Appeal, the “Women’s Union Picket Squad,” will now take the place of the men on the picket line in defiance of the federal troops under the command of Colonel James Lockett.

Members of the Women’s Union Picket Squad include the widow of Ludlow Martyr John Bartolotti, who declared:

The soldiers can put me and my seven children in jail if they want to, but I am going on the picket line and keep the scabs from coming in and starving us to death.

Mrs. Petrucci whose three children perished in the Ludlow Massacre will also be found on picket duty:

I shall picket, too, but my children are all gone.

From the Appeal to Reason of August 29, 1914:

New Clash Imminent

BY JOHN MURRAY

Trinidad, Colo.-Federal troops under the command of Colonel James Lockett have driven the striking miners away from all the railroad stations in southern Colorado where non-union disembark for the coal camps. Union men are being arrested daily, but the miners’ wives are defying the military and have taken their husbands’ places on the picket line.

Members of the Women’s Union Labor Alliance, led by their president, Edith Walker, organized the Women’s Union picket squad and have met every train coming into Trinidad, in spite of the attacks made upon them by company spotters and deputy sheriffs.

Tourists heads fill every car window as the overland trains pull into Trinidad, and the eyes of the gaping crowd follow the fearless women as thy march along the platform questioning every suspicious looking stranger who they think may be on his way to the mines.

Thus far the federal soldiers on duty only stare at the women pickets, who, to make sure that there shall be no misunderstanding as to what they are doing, wear large white badges pinned across their breasts upon which are printed the words “Women’s Union Picket Squad.”

Mine Owners Get Busy.

Raging at this open defiance of what the coal operators call “Law and Order,” the daily Advertiser, mouthpiece of Rockefeller interests in Trinidad, shrieks to the United States commanding officer for help in the following front-page display, placed in a box and printed in large type:

Thus far no arrests have been made by the federals, but Captain Rockwell, the officer on duty at the Santa Fe station, has warned the miners’ wives on picket that “although human,” he “must obey orders.”

The women are prepared to go to jail if the federal soldiers force the issue.

Said Mrs. Bartoloti (Virginia Bartolotti) whose husband (Giovanni/John Bartolotti) was killed in the Ludlow massacre, “the soldiers can put me and my seven children in jail if they want to, but I am going on the picket line and keep the scabs from coming in and starving us to death.”

“I shall picket, too, but my children are all gone,” declared Mrs. Petrucci, whose three little ones met their end in the flames of the historic Ludlow “death-hole.”

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Mrs. Bartolotti of Ludlow: “Put me and my seven children in jail…but I am going on the picket line.”” →