Alois Tijan-18 and Steve Putrich-40 Who Lost Their Lives in Freedom’s Cause August 14, 1913, Seeberville, Michigan
Funeral for Steve Putrich and Alois Tijan, Calumet, Michigan, Sunday August 17, 1913
The Seeberville Murders
Boarding House of Joseph and Antonia Putrich Site of Seeberville Murders of Aug 14, 1913
On August 14, 1913, deputies and Waddell Detectives, some of whom had also been sworn in as deputies, came to the Croatian boarding house, operated by Joseph and Antonia Putrich, in Seeberville, Michigan. They came to arrest two striking miners who had used a well-worn path, part of which crossed company property. They came without warrants, and on the orders of a company supervisor who wanted the men brought to him. When the two men resisted this unlawful arrest these gunthugs surrounded the little boarding house and fired through the windows until their guns were empty.
Inside the house, men, women, and little children took cover as best they could. When the shooting ended, four men and a baby (daughter of Antonia) were found wounded. Stanko Septic and John Stimac survived their wounds. The baby was burned on the face while held in her mother’s arms and soon recovered. Alois Tijan and Steven Putrich did not.
The Death of Alois Tijan Alois Tijan was shot in his left side. He was taken to an upstairs bedroom where he died in the arms of his brother, Albert. He was 18 years old, and a striking miner.
The Death of Steven Putrich Steven Putrich was also a striking miner. He lived at the boarding house with his brother and his brother’s wife and their four little children, ages 7 months to 4 years. His brother and sister-in-law, Joseph and Antonia, ran the boarding house.
Before he was taken to the hospital, Steven said:
I am shot and if anything happens to me send my money to my children.
Joseph later testified that the doctor told him:
If I operate on your brother and he gets well he will just go out and fight again. You go and tell your Croatian people to go back to work, and I will treat your brother.
