Page:Van Cise exhibits to the Commision on Industrial Relations regarding Colorado coal miner's strike.djvu/15

Rh had Baldwin-Felts thugs and gunmen around killing them and assaulting their women, and that they had finally been obliged to arm themselves in defense of their homes.

There are two sides to this story, however. The strikers have many good tacticians among their leaders, and these located the tent colonies at the very mouths of the canyons. Hence workers in the mines, "scabs," as they are called, and the officials had to pass these colonies on their way to the stations. Strike breakers coming in were greeted with profanity and violence. The mine owners, with the men who did not want to join the union, being thus intimidated, and fearing violence, secured guards for their property. These guards were of various classes, just like men in any walk of life. A few, and only a few, were from West Virginia. Some were gunmen with records. Others, though a small number, were Baldwin-Felts detectives. Many were men of good physique out of work; others were arrant cowards who thought they were getting easy jobs at high salaries.

Nearly all the mining companies gave orders to their guards to stay on their own property and only to bear arms there. In the main this was obeyed. In some canyons the guards did not do so, and proceeded to pick fights with the strikers. The latter, where the guards did not precipitate the trouble, did so themselves. The strikers bought guns with union and individual funds. The operators brought in more weapons, including machine guns. As a further means of defense they purchased searchlights to scour the hills at night. Yet the latter were purposely thrown on the tented colonies and proved very annoying to the occupants.

Here arises a query, Which side had the motive for violence? The operators had if at the outset they could scare the strikers by this means. But they ran the risk of retaliation, the loss of their property, the driving away of their workers, and the resultant closing of the mines and capitulation to the union. The strikers had everything to gain through force, and very little to lose. Hence they resorted to it on all possible occasions.

The strikers imported their agitators and gunmen, they secured their rifles, and bullets began to hail upon the hills. Finally, with the strikers from the Ludlow tent colony in the ascendancy, the entrance to Hastings and Berwind Canyons were closed in, hundreds of shots fired into the two towns, and a state of absolute anarchy existed. The operators, long crying for State troops, became hysterical in their demands. The people generally wanted the militia, and it is even said that the leaders of the strikers, fearful of results with their men out of hand, likewise joined in the general desire.

Troops were ordered out, and welcomed by both sides and citizens generally. But martial law was not declared, and the militia was greatly hampered in consequence. Orders for disarmament were given and the mine guards generally disarmed. But few guns were turned in by the strikers and the operators kept many of their own weapons, though willing to give them up if asked to do so. Result—an armed force between two belligerents. One thing must be borne in mind, however. With troops in the field the "scabs" were secure, the strikers were peaceable, the operators discharged their mine guards, property was safe, and coal was mined.

The governor tried to take a middle ground. He forbade the importation of all strike breakers. The union leaders were jubilant, the operators angry. The mines worked a limited output, the colonists received their $3 a week apiece, and the rank and file were dissatisfied. Then rumors spread that the governor was going to allow strike breakers to enter the fields. Instantly the murmur of the strikers became an uproar, and open threats of violence were made.

As a side light upon the temper of the Ludlow colonists, an incident that happened November 30, 1913, four days before the big snow, may not be amiss. Company K of Denver, 103 strong, the largest company in the guard, was stationed at Ludlow. Bernardo Verdi, the Italian leader of the colony, came to the military camp early in the morning and threatened violence if strike breakers entered the district on the 8.30 a. in. train. The military policy of this camp had been, among other things, to cover the Ludlow station at train time with a detail of 10 men and a sergeant. The sergeant reported by phone that the entire colony was at the depot "spoiling for trouble." The captain ordered the first lieutenant to assemble the company and hold it subject to orders, and took two sergeants to the depot.

The colony was out in force. Small rocks covered the road, and the women carried clubs that would have put to shame the maces of the middle ages.