The Daily Missoulian. [volume], May 03, 1914, Morning, Image 1

About The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961

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~da~-e&~*U faitDAILYISSOIJTLIAN Aielfhe1,
1VJL. XL. tO °3. 11$O s, MIO ANSUNDAY MORNING, MAY 3, 1914. PRIEPV
JURIES DISAGREE IN THE COLORADO STRIKE INQUIRY
But Woevirs to Blame, There Is No Doubt That It Is War There
TO EN
FIGH:T
CORRESPONDENCE GIVEN OUT
WHICH .SHOWS PROGRESS
S O THE ATTEMPT.
FOSTIER TELLS STORY
Chairman of: Mines Committee R6tatei
His Experience in the Effort, to
Bring About a Settlement of the
Colorado Coal-Mine Strike by En
listing the Mineowners.
Washington, May 2.-Messages tell
ing the story of the fatile efforts at
Washington to bring about a settle
ment of the Colorado coal mine strike,
including a telegram from John D.
Rockefeller, Jr., saying the mining
company officials ir Colorado were
"the only ones competent to deal with
the question," were made public to
night.
-Represntative Foster, chairman of
the house mines committee, who gave
oUt the telegraphic correspondence,
had been attempting to get Mr. Rocke
feller, the operators and officials of
the mines which the Rockefellers
partly control, and the striking min
ers together, following a White House
conference.
"In my confern. e with Mr. Rocke
feller at his New York office," Dr.
Foster announced, "I urged on him the
importance of submitting the differ
ences between the striking miners and
j operators to a fair and neutral
~ard. f ,ta4bitra'tion, believing the
ttiouble 0 e144 be peacefully settled.
"I spent February in Colorado by
direction of the house of representa
tives investigating conditions. Mr.
Rockefeller has not been there in 10
years. I have been over the property
and have conferred with and examined
men on both sides of the controversy.
There is nothing in the differences
which cannot be settled by arbitration.
"I understood from the statement of
William Greene, secretary-treasurer of
the international Mine Workers' union,
the demand that the union be recog
nized is not now the issue. The great
question now confronting the strik
ers and owners is, 'Will you agree to
submit the matter to adjustment by
arbitration?' Mr. Rockefeller cannot
evade his responsibility. He cannot
set forth the excuse that he will not
arbitrate the recognition of the union.
The great anthracite strike in Penn
sylvania and also the recnt West Vir
ginia strike were settled by men on
both sides agreeing to abide by the
decision of umpires.
"National sentiment and every in
stinct of humanity demand the prompt
settlement of the Colorado strike.
Nothing should prevent both strikers
and Mr. Rockefeller from placing the
case before t neutral board."
Dr. Foster telegraphed John D.
Rockefeller. Jr., last Wednesday, say
ing:
"William Green, secretary-treasurer
of the International Mine Workers'
union, makes public a statement that
mine workers will waive any recog
nition of the union or unionizing
camps. Are you willing to enter into
negotiations for settlemnt of strike on
that basis and stop the killing of men.
women and children? I strongly urge
you tb do so and believe the strike can
be ended without recognition of the
union and all other differnces can be
amicably settled. In my judgment it
Is your duty to do so."
Mr. Rockefeller, replying the next
day, said:
"Yout telegram of last night re
ceived. I am 'orwarding it to the of
fice of ,the Colorado Fuel & Iron com
pany in Denver, who, with the offi
cials at the other mining companies
in Colorado, are the only ones com
petent to deal with the question
therein referred to."
Dr. Foster replied to this on Thura
day with a sharp message to which
Mr. Rockefeller, up to tonight, has not
acknowledged. Dr. Foster telegraphed:
"Your telegram somewhat a disap
pointment. We were in hopes that
you would deem th situation so grave
and seriaus that you would give your
personal efforts to prevnt the further
killing of men, women and children,
and we renew the hope that you will
reconsider and resolve to use your per
sonal influence and authority to the
humane ed."
The reply of the coal mine operat
ors, stating their position was received
from Den.er the same day.
Chairman 'Foster replied to this yes
terday, telegraphing uhe coal oper
ater;
"I am anxious for an arbitration, re
gardless of who is to blame."
.He told thap national sentiment de
manded an adjustment and that the
disDtblate eondltibna the operators set
forth shboaml cOnvince theti of their
duty to Submit to-arbitration to stop
s,. aon 9 .t pr me y and lives on
7 .'
Sui* .fib +Y`cý Y. `°°°w"-.xýHice wcwoeooW t eem n.e fw m nadchl nw r old.' -
Ru~ f ~, ~i~~ f tmNr W LuMow M oatratewt m ursAnme fwme n hlrnwr ild
DEATHS AT LUDLOW
CAUSED BY
CO'RONER'S JURY PLACES BLAME
FOR TRAGEDY UPON GUARDS
AND TROOPS.
Trinidad, May 2. The fire which de
stroyed the Ludlow tent colony on the
night of April 20, causing the deaths
of 13 women and children, was started
by militiamen or mine guards, accord
ing to the verdict rendered by the
coroner's jury here late today.
No responsiblity for the killing of
Louis Tikas was fixed by the jury,
which contented itself by finding that
he, with seven other men, were shot
in battle. It had been charged by
strikers that Tikas received a blow
on the head w,hich fractured his skull.
The verdict on the death of women
and children who died was that they
came to their death of asphyxiation or
fire or both, caused by the burning of
the tents of the Ludlow tent colony,
and that the fire in tents was started
by millltiamen under Major Hamrock
and Lieuteiant Linderfelt or mine
guards, or jboth. 3
A separafte verdict was rendered on
the death of Alfred Martin, a militia
man; prepno Larsie, a non-combatant;
Louis Tikeas, Frank Rebino, James Fy
ber, John ,Bartolito and (uarles Costa,
strikers, and Frank Snyder, a 12
year-old boy. The jury found that
they "came to their death by bullet
wounds in the battle between militia
men and mine guards on one side, and
strikers on the other, said battle held
in or about Ludlow.
The jury was composed of C. Cruz,
foreman, George Stracy, M. W. Bab
cock, A. M. Nash, F. J. Ioveton and
J. W. Bartlett.
MONTANA WILL LOSE
GOOD BISHOP LUCCOCK
Philadelphia, May 2.-The board of
pardons of the Methodist-Episcopal
church announced today the assign
ment of bishops to preside over the
annual conferences of the church next
fall in the west and south. Among;
the assignments are:
Idaho, Cook; Montana, Cook; North
Montana, Gook; Oregon, Luccock.
•RESPECT OUR FLAG.
Washington, May 2.-Consul General
Hanna at Monterey telegraphed that
the rebels who captured that city sev
eral days ago have given evidence or
their respect for the United States
and its flag.
CONFIRMED.
Washington, May 2.-Today the sen-.
ate, without reference to committee, as
is the custom, confirmed the nomina
tion of Representative ~enry D. Clay.
ton to be United States district judge
in northern Alabama. The nomina
tion: was received only a few!hours
pr,,A -~mdv. , • ;--
eI" ~
Top, mine guarde firing from comP~ar. bottom, state militiamen ready for action on top of box cars.
BLAME FOR BATTLE
FIXED UPQN GREEKS
Military Board of inquiry
Reaches Different Conclu
sion From That of the Cor
oner's Jury.
Denver, May 2.--Absolute responsi
bility for the fatal battle of Ludlow,
Monday, April 10, was placed upon the
Greeks of the strikers' colony at Lud
low by the military board, consisting
of Judge Advocate Major E. J. Bough
ton, Captains W. .:. Danks andt Philip
S. Van Cise of the Colorado national
guara. The committee was appointed
April 25. by Adjutant General Chase,
with .Instructions to report on all the
incidenfts of the battle, preceding and
suhsequent, and to make such report
'without malice or favor."
The officers examined under oath all
officers, and prisoners, as many as
posstble of the soldiers, deputies, mine
guards and, townspeople of Ltdlow and
nearby coal camps.
Testimony.
They- made strenuous efforts to ob
tain. testimony of strikers, but with
,out ,sitces, reporting that 'a personal
request made upon Mr. Lawson and
Mr. Mclenna, strike leaders in Den
ver, ya* answered in their presence
.by Mr. ~Hawklns, their attorney, de
clinlng to give us any Information,
upon th.ground that our ihquiry was
'not .puikllly conducted."
The boead found that the' "remote" I
tle al ett-w is as"ott er bat
tlek, lies with the coal operators who
established in an American industrial
conrtmunity, a numerous clHss of ig
norhnt, lawless and savage south Er
ropean peasaints. The ulnderlyillg
cause wats the presence, near Ltudlow,
in daily contact, of three disct,.rdant
element s--strikers, soldiers and Illnnl
guards--all armned and fosttcr..g in
increasing deadly hatred which solnerlt
or later was bound to find SotI!e stluch
expression.
An Attack.
"The immediate cause of Ithe bttlht
was an attack upon the soldiers by
the Creek inhabi:tants of the tent col
ony, \who mnisinterpreted a imovement\c
of troops on a neighboring hill."
Concerning Louis Tikas, the (;reek
leader who was killed in the battle,
the report says: "During the tevening
Louis Tikas, latmes Filer and an uii
known strikert were token prisoners.
Lieutenant K. E. Linderfelt swung his
Springfield rifle, breaking the stock
over the head of 'Tlkas."' This incident
followed a heatled cotroversy between
the lieutenant and the Greek. The
report conltinues:
"An attempt to hang Tikas went so
far that it rope was produced and
thrown over a telegraph pole. This
lynching was prevented by Lieutenant
Linderfclt, who turned Tika ove\'r to
a non-comnllntiioned officer, whom he
diWcted to be responsible for his life.
"Shortly afterward..all three per
sons were killed by gunshot wounds.
"The only bullet found in his bodly
was of a. kind not. used by the kohliers,
although the other Wolnds night have
been made by .Sriprtteld rifle bullets
44ir~s~iW
ARMS SURRENDERED
BY THE MINE
GUARDS
FIRST RIFLES TO BE TURNED IN
ARE YIELDED TO TIHt fEDERAL
TROOPS AT WALSEN.
'Irinidhial, t'ul,,., Mtay 2. --Forty-two
gaut-, the bir.t, to e given uip by
eith(er I;trty t tie ' 'olorado labor war
ilie 11thi ar viv:lI of the federal trools,
iaret tiniotght iii the hadt lttart.rs of
( itll:t111 i'. ('. Srn ithi ti \Valsenburg.
They .\ri-ri tllirlned over to the regulars
Iy III guards at tIhi ( Coloradto 'i Fuel F &
The surrel drl of thfI guns was the
resuIt of li" aIigreti. nit-rt between Cap
Itain Smith lmull i. J. Mattheson, as tihe
,generatl lmanager of the conmpany. Mr.
.\tal tisuol agreed that the guards
Ishoult give up theirt guns if the fed
oral trops would take charge of the
minet; andt assure the property's pro
.: jor 1W. A. ltolbrook, r.o;ntnandlng
the Seot'ttld .stluadron, 1,ifth cavalry,
sahi that the phluti adopted at Walsen
lrgl halt beent deterltn!etlt.d upon as an
exlwerltnent. lIt sa.ld lie had not yet
received orders to enftrce the procla
mlatl Io f tlio seclreltary, of -War and
idtswrti both f-tt . ---------- -
Funston's Guards
Hake Near-Battle
\'era C'rutz, May 2.--A considerable
force of Mexicans attacked tihe Armerl
'an outtposts at the Water plant, nine
iiiles out at 11 o'clock this lmornllng,
Iccording to a wireless Incsage re
ceiv\ed here, which asked for aid.
What had promised to be the first
fight between the Unilted States army
and the Mexican troops today ended
In the exchange of riot more tlthan half
a dozen shots.
The Mexicans threatened to 'attack
innmediately unless the Amleriheunn
surrendered theitr position at thet
Iaterw orks ;i t 1t:1 T'i'ej' r within l1i
mlinulltes." hi at failed to fulfill their
I lltie ii oop iie trctived no ordertis to
iatinei. At 11 (e'lock thitt nornitt in
'i e ic in fOtrci et' , M ilt' IIa .t IIfrom :1
il t' t tilt, offns lvc, he 1nd hIIs n gion
S t11 it nn-ioltmsttitned officer ear
tg a twhite flag. advaincd anrd prell
Ientet a deniot ia for thI e Aerilcanst
tiaji'vor iiussell . 'emlty wad: I ttinrrI
rilit biic ti. d oriio t raste any of
tins to resist anly atitack ait tite nllme
'as threatened.
hBack at hteandlanrters, Brigadtler
(blc( al n un'lton tut(l his staff had
eirn conscientiously workin g out tlte
details of the net'w governtitentt w1t.ich
ItG nerarl Itunstn had beenv iItrult teld
'I'he wireless mesage from the
tnlterworks station at El Tejar
brought nalout i quicky chlangel from
Ittis work to that of active artiy duty.
Within a few Ininutes, hteadti lllt lrters
had notfelllrd Major John 11. tRusell
that reinforctements were ion the way
to attt him and Il little miore ttian ian
ihour InsteaId of the 240 malrino com- ('t
posing the r otmanlld of Major Itus
sell at the outpost of El Tejir, there
.tr11e in iposi ton to s )pport him morle
than l.2t00 mten while thle entire gar
Itirsin iof Vera C'ruz Wats n rentllntes,
Ra:nforcements.
'P\vien comh nnies of the oturthi In
fantrlly were sent, forwardl indler the
commtand of C'olonel Robert I'. Van
Villet, Its well as twi haIttllons andt
thrite coltipanies of nmarines citin
nuiltndd by ('olonel Jtohn Archer Let
Joeune. All these tr'oopts had boee
takent fromri stations in the outskirtes
of Vera Cruz, thte men of the it lnfantry
regiment tentraining for the shiort run
to Etl T'Jar froti Lis Cocon.t, theii firstl
lrtation onll th e, Mexilan rillway, wlhllre
tthe'y were posted.
\'ihen C'olonel Viin Vlet and Colonel
.ejeunite with their suppt orts arrived at
the wiaterworks statiotn, Major IRussell
and his men were not at Ill hadl'
pressed.
The Mexicans Ihad cotitented them
selves with a scattering fire, consist
ing of not moro than four or five
shots at. a range of iabout 100 hrurds.
Ftrom Major Russell's lines onllly one
shot was fired.
Governor Now.
Vera ('rutz, May 2.-The governtor
ship of V''ra Cruz was handletl over
late today by Robert J. Kerr. who was
recently appolinted civil governor, to
Brigadlier Gwieneral Fredlerlet I FItnston.
The ceremony wars wholly formal.
APPROVED.
Waslhington, May '.--Action of the
administration in accepting the ned
lation proposal of Argentina, Brazil
and Chile wts indorsed today by the
executive committee of the Amerlean
Peace society.
ENVOYS SATISFIED
WITH WHAT'S DONE
Washington, May 2.-The three
South American envoys who have un
dertaken tile task of pacifying Mex
ico by diplomacy made another decis
lve move today in their plan by re
questing the United States govern
ment, General liuerta and General
Carranza to appoint representatives to
confer with them inl Washington.
Ambassador Da (lama of Brazil and
Ministers Naon and Suarez of Argen
tina and Chile, respectively, called on
Secretary Bryan, asking him to desig
nate the United States represntative
to attend the confernces of the medi
ators. At the same time they tele
graphed the head of the government in
Mexico City and the constitutionalist
chief to the same effect.
The envoys felt confident tonight
that the step they had taken would
meet with favor by all concerned, for
In an informal conference with the
mediators everything pertaining to
Mexico could be discussed and even
Informally submitted before the stage
of formal proposals was reached.
In well postdMl diplomatic quarters
the appointment of Estava Ruiz as
HIuerta's minister of foreign affairs.
"'Bltse ding zoo Portfl t y iBiTI WA
EASIEST WAY
IS OUIT
NOW
RUMORS FROM MEXICO ARE THAT
HUERTA WILL STEP DOWN
AND OUT.
ANY MOMENT.
Mtxl.io 'I'ty, May 2. -----The situia
Ilion in Mxl. ( City today haid ev
ery a.lpplartanto of becoming serious
for the administration aind ini well
Itforl'ited circles it was expected
Sthat provisloinat 'resident IlIuerta
might resign at any mn.tent.
I:1 I':aso. May . -u'ola titutiontlalit
II lldl's II.'ire are convinced that Vic
I.l.lo II tlueirt: Is rea'ldy to step down
itdl ot under pressure. front hils ilen
tifiet tilli ppeortr, who, with an aC
leril t of k Iawledge denied the
iHsses ill Mexico, arie sitli to regard
c tplilte, rebel ti e I(' I as inevitable.
I' or thlis reasoll the collstltutlonal
ilns 1ill make nol coni'()esslons bliefore
the Argentine, Ilrnmzll and Chile rinedi
T'he medlillon of' S;iuth Amerlica is
hlllleved bIy castllll litultnnllsts to have
liven lacceptedil by Iltuerlta na II meantli
of "Hlaving llis fitne"' and the goolt of
flote of the Argentina, Brazll and
I('hileatl governments while Iaccepted
"I n printellte" biy Ith contitutlional
Ints aret viewe\d with uspltclontl.
i'l ranzaii will lie reptreisented nt the
seslsolns of tIle Itoatrd iof lledlliatorl In
\lWashintonl by Rahel Zulbaran, pow
lin Wshinilgtion, and lAoits l'abrera, on
hlis tway tio the llUnited States from
Rouln. ('blilrea was presIdent of the
Ihclhnler of deputites at Mexico City
at tiihe tlmto of the overthrow of ta
tero. Jose Viascoinctlos, a lawyer of
Mexicto c'ity, land Franct'lto UrItquidi,
who is in clelll'ro of thie ret.bel agenlcy
at \Vashingtohlt, also may act. It is
understi Iooid here thI li Linerta's rep'e
senIt tie\'Its w\ill ie Francilsco iio LI.
tara :and Jose ('itistellot.
The lttllitlde of ('arrlnzat's agents,.
it Is sail. twill lie defensivo.
GERMAN WOMAN DEAD
KILLED BY MEXICANS
Ver: ('Fll, May 2.-'.'Tat Mrs. Clara
ll'eekmeyer, terlllmt n woman, who, ac
cordintllg to rumor, wasi Inlstaken for
ain Amierlican, was killed byi a enob in
Mexli.i I'lty streets April 27.
I'lUnder the hinpresslon that the trltns
still were runningiti on the Interooeonic
rlllrolid, the, roefutgees went to a sti
tlon nlf that Ilite, instead of to the de
ipot of tII Mexlc'ttI railway, over
which roild all otlher refugees have
left thl capital, tit news of the Womn
an's death was not widely known
among Amellrlians and was late in
reaching here. Mrs. Beckmeyer was
aL widow of three months. She wore
on lher collar a small silk Clermanflag,
but the nloh, regardlng this as a dis
guilse of ntlonalilly, is said to have
dragged her through the streets until
she died.
tccepted as meaning that Huerta
would take a stronger and more direct
hand in the mediation negotiations,
but not to the extent of letting the
mediation fail, as there was reason to
believe Huerta now had come to
recognize that a failure of mediation
could carry him down with it.
Iuiz is comparatively unknown in
Mexican official life. He is 38 years
old, a lawyer, and has had ashout four
years in minor branches of the diplo
matic service, besides once serving as
consul at Havana. lie is expected
to closely reflect the Huerta view,
which, while not strongly confident of
what mediation may accomplish, is
not likely to permit its failure.
For the United £.ates the names of
Counsellor Robert Iansing of the
state department, John Lind, personal
represntative of President Wilson in
Mexico; John Bassett Moore and
Henry White, former ambassador to
France, were suggested in various
quarters.
For Huerta, Senor Godoy, for many
years first secretary of the Mexican
embassy; Senor Algara, until recently
charge d' aff.lres of the embassy
here, and Senor Francisco de La Bara,
Mexican minister to France, bhaao ea
-suageted-------- - --
.. .o •