UNITED LABOR BULLETIN
VOL. VIII
Union Organizer
Shot By Sleuths
Street Duel Precedes State
Meeting
Two Imported Gun Men Retort to
Utual Tactics and Kill Gerald
Lippiatt
>-
Preceding the State I-abor conven
tion by two days, two gun men im
ported by the coal mine operators of
southern Colorado, last Saturday
night shot and killed a United Mine
Worker organizer on one of the main
streets of Trinidad. Gerald Lippiatt.
who had been doing organizing work
in the northern coal fields, was sent
to Trinidad to act in a similar capac
ity. Detectives were at once placed
on his trail and began to use their
usual intimidating tactics. When the
organizer resented this he was shot
down, each gun man firing three shots,
all of which took effect. Lippiatt was
able to fire one shot, which lodged iu
the leg of one of the detectives.
G. W. Belcher, one of the gun men.
was arrested and plared in Jail.
Walter Belk. his associate, was taken
to a hospital, and it is stated his in
jury is not serious.
A mass meeting of the Trinidad
Trades and Assembly was held
Sunday and resolutions passed
charging sheriff J. S. Grisham with
being indirectly responsible for the
crime, in that ho permitted foreign
armed guards to enter the field. A
petition is being circulated demanding
» his recall.
Governor Ammons has sent l,abor
Commissioner Edwin V. Brake to the
southern coal field to prevent If pos
sible the Impending strike of 14.000
miners and thus avoid any further
tragedies. So far the operators have
refused to recognize the union in any
way. First Vice President Frank J
Hayes of the United Mine Workers of
America is on the ground looking af
» ter interests of the miners.
Wear Crepe on Badges.
Over 200 delegates to the Ktatc
Labor convention at Trinidad thin
week wore erepe on their badges ns a
tribute to the victim of the hired gun
men.
. Lippiatt «as well known in the I-a
/ tsvette district as a union worker. I
% 1 mln«-t- from Firestone. Frederick.
XLouiavillo and Erie say they are not |
' surprised at his death. He was at one j
time town clerk of Firestone, and at
the time of bis death was chief of
records of Pueblo Tribe No. IS. Im
proved Order of Hod Men. at Fred
erick. It la charged the killing of
Lippiatt was a deliberate frame-up.
State Federation President John
McLennan, in his opening address to
the convention Monday, said:
“Union men nre not going to stand
idle while their companions are shot
down by imi>orted assassins. Men are
being brougnt to this city for the pur
pose of murder, and organized labor
will not abide by such tactics. The
sheriff of this county has openly vio
lated his oath of office by appointing
? .is his deputies persons he knew were
desperate gun-men.”
IJppintt's remnlns were tnkon to
Colorado Springs by his brother, for
Interment.
UNFAIR CONCERNS BRANDED
Plumber* Union Sanctions Fight of
Erie Metal Workers.
The Denver Local Union of
Plumbers and Stenm Fitters 1ms given
Indorsement to tho fight of tho Erlo.
Pa., Metal Trades Council to estab
lish better conditions In some of the
shops there that produce goods that
have heretofore had sale all over tho
country.
For eight months past tho organized
metal workers of Erlo and vicinity
have been engaged In n desperate con
filet with the Erlo Manufacturers’ As
soclntlon. At first tho members of
Moldors’ Union No. 38, were Involved;
then came the lockout of tho mem
bers of the Patternmakers' Associa
tion, and finally tho lockout of the
> members o( the Machinists' Union and
Metal Polishers’ Union, the latter ac
tion being tho result of the machinists
and metal polishers participating in
the Fourth of July parade of tho Erla
trade unionists. In tho lattei* easo a
monster demonstration was made to
rebuke tho assertion that union men
woro traitors bccauso they refused to
take part in the Perry celebration ar
ranged by the Manufacturers' Associa
tion representatives et nl.. and be
cause organized labor had been inten
tionally Ignored.
The firms thnt have refused to grant
fair treatment to their employes are
announced as follows:
need Manufacturing Company, pipe
cuttors, pliers, vises, dies. Inundry
machines, pipe vises, plumbing sup-
(Continued on Page G.)
Proceedings of the Colorado State Labor Convention
Strike Resolutions of Mine Workers Given
Indorsement in State Federation Convention
Vote Was Unanimous After One of
Most Exciting Debates in the His
tory of State Labor Movement
; Large Lilt of Delegate,; No Undoe
Excitement in Colorado’, Big
Coal Mining Camp,
BY CLINT C. HOUSTON,
Editorial Correspondence.
TRINIDAD. Colo., Aug. 22.—The
largest delegated assemblage of labor
men since the organization of the
Colorado State Federation of Labor is
in session here this week in eight
eenth annual convention. It is a body
of men and women determined to ad
vance the eftuse of all who toll, above
and below; the earth's surface. It is
a convention that is making history
and establishing a new epoch for the
working people of the entire Rocky
Mountaiu region. Every industrial
center of the state is represented by
those who have proven themselves
worthy to sit in council and legislate
for their fellow-men.
The convention was called to order
Monday morning at 11 o'clock by
President Frank T. Miner of the Trin
idad Trades Assembly, who extended
a generous welcome to the 300 dele
gates and visitors present. Mayor
Dunlavy extended hearty greetings on
behalf of the citizens of the city. The
mayor voiced a sentiment that pre
vails generally here when he said:
"The com pan lor have thorough organ
ization to handle large bodies of men,
and likewise the employes have or
ganized to meet this strength, which
could not be coj>ed with Individually.”
President John McLennan of the
Sta*e Federation responded eloquent
ly to the words of welcome and ex
pressed pleasure over the evideut
fact that a change of sentiment to
ward organized labor had come over
this mining community.
After appointment of committee on
credentials. J. K. Radley of Colorado
Springs, chairman, and committee on
rules and order of business, R. P.
Means of Denver, chairman, the ses
sion adjourned for the day. In the
evening Frank J. Hayes, vice pres-
Secretary Treasurer Hickey's Report
Secretary-Treasurer W. T. Hickey's
report gave a detailed statement of
tho receipts and expenses for the year
During this period more thnn 5.00<>
pieces of mail were handled In his of
fice. Ho recommended a reduction of
dues of central Ikkßoh from $2.50 to
$1 per month. In giving credit for the
splendid legislative work done, Mr
Hickey has this to say of the House
and Senate I,abnr Committees:
“For the benefit of the delegates.
I wish to call your attention to the
labor committee In the House: Gil
bert, chairman, member of the U. M.
W. of A.; Ardourel, who needs no in
troductlon to organized labor of Colo
rado; a union carpenter;
Sweet of Denver, who was O. K.; Fer
guson. a member of the W. F. of M.;
Kavanaugh. member of street and
electric railroad employes, division 19,
of Colorado Springs; Carrlg, a boiler
maker of Leadvllle; Mrs. Riddle and
Mrs. I,ce supported lnbor at all times.
In the Senate. 'Senator Bellcsfield of
Pueblo, chairman, member of Typo
graphical union; Senator Garman, ex
presldent of this organization; Senator
Metz, a member of tho O. R. C.; Sen
ator Berry, a member of the locomo
tive engineers; Senator Affolter, an
attorney from Louisville, Colo.; Sen
ator Lines, a member of the locomotive
engineers; and Senator Tucker, a
member of the B. of R. T. On this
committee of seven, six of them were
union men, and It was by their sup
port that organized lnbor was success
ful in having its many bills passed.”
Recapitulation.
A recapitulation of receipts and ex
penses for the year is ns follows:
Receipts.
Balance August 1, 1912 $ 53.86
1912 August 194.61
September 249.77
October i 169.36
November 421.06
December 264.99
1913 January 232.08
February 69.33
DENVER, COLORADO. SATURDAY. AUGUST 23, 1913.
ident of the United Mine Workers of
America, delivered an address in Cen
tral park that fairly took the 3,000
people present off their feet. He de
clared the U. M. of A. had sent him
to Colorado to settle the coal-mining
situation peacefully If possible, but If
the oi»erators forced the issue the
miners were ready to meet it.
Germer Starts Something.
Tuesday morning’s session opened
with a crowded hall and a feeling that
something was going to happen. There
was no disappointment. The creden
tial committee reported, and as there
were no contests, all delegates were
duly seated. Nor was there any mate
rial objection to the report of the com
mittee on rules and order of business,
which was quickly adopted.
Adolph Germer. delegate from Trin
idad local of the U. M. of A., arose
and read the resolution printed else
where and asked for its immediate
consideration. He said that opposi
tion was expected, and charged the
Chamber of Commerce of Denver and
the Commerce Club of Pueblo were
assisting the Trinidad coal operators
and had paid expenses of delegates to
the convention for the sole purpose
of defeating any resolution that might
bo introduced to indorse the fight be
ing made by the miners. This charge
was vigorously denied by delegates
from Denver and Pueblo. A motion
to refer the resolution to the commit
tee on resolutions was debated in a
manner more spirited than is usual in
i labor conventions.
Edward Doyle, secretary of District
No. 15. said that if a conflict between
the coal barons and the United Mine
Workers must come, no time could be
more opportune than the present. He
declared the union miners of America
| were prepared to spend two million
; dollars for every million expended by
the combined operators in order to
! thoroughly unionize the Colorado coal
fields. His remarks were vigorously
! applauded.
John R. Iwiwson. national executive
committeeman, said the burden was
now up to the operators, for they had
March 313.10 j
April 160.33 l
Mn.v 168.80 :
Juno 381.18 1
July 380.12 I
1
$3,058.79 I
LcKlslatlve Assess- i
ment
1912 December $ 232.60 ‘
1913 ' January 133.20
February g. 90
March 5.40
$ 382.10
3,058.79
- . i
Grand Total ....$3,440.89
(Continued on page 5.)
Resolutions Indorsing the Miners
Whereas, The miners of Colorado have for years been subjected
to all the tyrannical conditions that corporate wealth can heap upon
them; the organizers and active members of the union having been
assaulted by the hired thugs In tho pay of coal companies and the
Baldwin Felts gunmen, and
Whereas. The United Mine Workers of America have engaged in
a campaign to organize the miners of Colorado; there representatives
exerting every means to bring about a peaceful adjustment of the
miners’ grievances by a Joint conference with the Mine Owuers. and
Whereas. The mine owners have ashumed the stubborn attitude
thnt they .will not treat with the United Mine Workers of America,
which is a part of the Colorado State Federation of l,abor and Tho
American Federation of Labor, therefore be it
Resolved, That in case all efforts to bring about an amicable ad
justment of the grievances of the miners fail and a strike results, the
Colorndo State Federation of render the United Mine Workers
of America all possible moral and financial support, and bo it further
Resolved. Thnt we approve the peaceful means the representatives
of the United Mfhe Workers art* exerting and if their efforts fail, it is
the sense of this convention thnt the responsibility for any disastrous
consequences thnt may follow incident to a strike rests with the Mine
Owners. (Signed)
ROBERT UHLICH. President.
MIKE LIVODO. Secretary.
Trinidad Local U. M. W. of A No.
2372.
JAMES KIR WAN. Local No. 26
W. F. of M.
so far refused to even grant a confer
ence With the miners.
Gets Unanimous Vote.
Delegate Joe P. McGinley of Dnver
then moved that the rules be suspend
ed, which would avoid sending the
resolution to committee, and that the
same be adopted. James Kirwin. dele
gate of the Silverton local of Western
Federat on of Miners, demanded a
roll-call vote in order that those op
posed |to the miners could be placed
on reco-d. This was agreed to and
Secretary Hickey proceeded with the
call, n Interest in the matter had
reached fever heat, and as the roll
proceeded and the chairman of every
delegation answered “aye,” the atmos
phere hi the hall began to cool. When
completed, 218 votes had been cast for
the resolutions, and they were unani
mously adopted. The crucial period
of the convention had been passed,
and at l o’clock the delegates ad
journed for dinner.
Officer* Make Report.
At th< afternoon and night sessions
Presidei-’ Mclennan, Secretary-Treas
urer Hickey and the vice presidents
read th» reports. A summary of
these 1s printed elsewhere. Then
came tbe usual avalanche of resolu
tions tfcar promises to keep the com
mitteerf working overtime. The rules
adopted provide the election of offi
cers aim 11 be the very last number on
the program.
All Quiet on Streets.
Notwithstanding the coroner's jury
Tuesday evening reported the killing
of Organizer Lippiatt wrs justifiable,
quiet prevails on the streets at this
w riting. Ir* appears like any other
I peaceful country village. It is charged
the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company
has sent in a carload of guns to arm
their .rw n iu ease of emergency.
] State Labor Commissioner Edwin
j V. l rake, who has been here all week.
I today appeared before the Chamber of
j Commerce and urged that all foreign
I detectives be disarmed as a step to-
Iward insuring future peace, and that
only local officers be* permitted to |
J carry arms.
LIST OF DELEGATES.
1 Following is a complete list of dele
j gates as taken from the roll call iu at
tendance. and is the only one pub
lished by any [taper
; Aguilar—Mike Levota.
Alamosa —James Dougherty.
| Brookside —B. M. Richardson.
I Thomas Scott. James Gordon.
President McLennan’s Report
I President John McLennan sub
mitted a comprehensive report at
Monday’s session. He reviews the
! legislative work of the Federation dur
' ing the past year and enumerates the
, inea*mes passed and others defeated
In the last General Assembly. The
'report in part roads as follows:
Trinidad, Colo . August 18, 1913.
To the Officers and Members of the
Eighteenth Annual Convention of
the Colorado State Federation of
Labonj
Greeting:
Another year has passed and the
representation of the various unions
are assembled here for the purpose of
reviewing the accomplishments of
tho past year and to outline and plan
Colorado Springs—J. H. Fump,
Morton S. Meisner, S. J. Waters,
George W. Balnter. Dave R. Blood, J.
K. Radley, Clayton Welsh.
Cripple Creek —John Turney, John
\1. Denwlddie, Emma F. Iuingdon.
1 Curti3 —John McLennan.
Coal Creek —E. L. Doyle.
Denver —James Ruble, C. J. Com
mon, M. H. Ryan, Jacob Labanto, Er
nest Kemmler, J. P. McGinley. Fred
Weasel, Oscar P. Davis. M. A. Hickey.
W. B. Lang. Charles Hornburg. Eli M.
Gross, Smile Adney, Mrs. Graham, Liz
zie Smith, John Wilson. R. Herron. J.
H. Mitchell. George Allen, Tony C. V.
Romeo, Charles Decker, George R.
Howe, Elmer Peterson, F. A. Bryan.
John W. Vnrdie. W. T. Hickey, Thom
as P. Rodgers. James Duce, Ralph
Bradbury. Clarence Cox, Earl R.
Hoage, William Koch. Bessie Miller,
L. D. Hosman, Ed C. Davis, R. P.
Means. E. C. Stoughton, J. W. Dolan,
Charles McKee. W. H. Hayden, C. S.
Buck, J. A. Carlisle. J. S. Gobel.
Erie —J. W. Morton.
Fort Collins —W. F. O'Keefe.
Frederick —Henry Sanson,
i Grand Junction —W. J. Anderson. J.
I F. White, Joseph Quinn. W. K. Med
j ers. Quince Hutton. C. W. Calhane.
i Gorham—James Patterson.
I - Dacona—James Noon, Jr.
Lcadville —C. N. Larson.
— Martin Black. Harry
Smith, M. D. Hudgins. John Doak.
Lafayette—John McDonald, George
W. Barrett, J. J. Thomas, John P.
Cassidy.
Ophir—E. E. Miller.
Dupps, Ernest Er-
I ickson. Tom Lally, C. E. Ward.
John Kleopfcr. J. Naughton. Henry
| Schmidt. Frank Hermond. L. A. Tan
quary. Warren H. E. Gibson,
W. M. Dameron, A. L. Pool, James
Adams, H. B. Altman. George A. Mc-
Kenzie, Fred B. Duval, Sol Jacobs, Ed
j Anderson.
j Palisade —John R. Lawson,
i Puritan —W. B. Hutton.
I Rico—Harry E. Fry.
Salida — L. L. Pearce, Frank M. j
l Myers.
I Silverton—James Kirwin.
I Superior—Kasper Langegger.
St. Elmo —few Cartwright.
Trinidad—Charles W. Salber. W. A. ;
| Doty. Ixmie P. Mouche. F. W. Hugh- j
; art. Charles Thompson. John F. Al-
I bert. Frank T. Miner. J. E. Rose. J. :
! W. Wolff. Robert Uhlich. Adolph Ger- |
mer, George Hargrave. Charles Bat-!
ley, John Catalono. J. A. Young. Vic
tor Bonomi. E. A. Gillet. Isador Cora
| dino, Elmer Henry, William T. Flynn,
j Telluride—B. B. Shute.
! Walaenburg—Robert Flockhart. A.
B. McGary. John Petemear.
Roswell —Louis Tikas.
Downer —Frank Garnier.
Fraternal Delegates—Mary C. C.
Bradford. W. R. Remington, Prof. R.
D. George and Prof. J. B. Slocum.
(Continued on Page Five.)
our programme for the future.
It is with considerable pleasure that
I can report that the standing of this
organization and the record of its
achievements in the recent past is
second to no State Federation in the
United States; I refer more especially
to the number of labor laws that have
! been enacted. Those of the delegates
here today who have been attending
conventions of the State Federation
for a number of years can recall that
year after year there was little or
nothing to report insofar as the en
actment of laws in the interest of the
workers were concerned, but during
the last two sessions of the Colorado
Legislature a greater number of labor
laws and laws of more vital impor
tance werj passed than had been
passed since the organization of the
Colorado State Federation of Labor.
Legislation.
Legislation is the principal object
of this organization, and most of the
efforts of the Federation during the
last year were centered in that direc
tion: among the gratifying features of
the last legislature was the complete
and harmonious understanding be
tween your legislative committees
and all the other forces that were in
terested in labor legislation. The ac
tive co-operation and assistance of the
School Teachers, the Farmers, the
Ixjcomotive Engineers, the Trainmen,
and the Federated Protective league,
to a great extent made possible the
things accomplished. The bringing
closer to us of organizations that have
hitherto held aloof, is a pleasing sign
of advancement and an indication of
what can be accomplished in the fu
ture. and l believe the time is not far
distant when those organizations will
be active members of the Federation.
The Western Federation of Miners
took an active interest in tho work
and had a representative on hand dur
ing the entire session (Mr. Rfley) to
(Continued on Page 5/
NO. 3.
Stop Thugs in
Copper Region
Governor Ferris Asked to
Visit Strike Zone
War Lord and Sheriff Told of the Law
as to Gan Men---Troops Are
to Be Recalled
Reports from Calumet, Mich., cen
ter of the copper strike, say the whole
sale employmentof thugs, gunmen and
ex-convicts from outside the state as
deputy sheriffs by the servile sheriff,
James Cruse, has at last met with a
slight rebuke.
Governor Ferris has sent by wire
a copy of Section 2596 of the compiled
laws to General Abbey, war lord of
the strike zone, and to Sheriff Cruse,
as follows:
"No sheriff in this state shall ap
point any undersheriff as deputy sher
iff except the person to be appointed
shall have been a bona fide resident
of the county in which the appoint
ment is made for three months next
preceding the time of appointment.”
After a meeting of the military
board here it was practically decided
that the movement to recall the
troops would be started at once. It
is expected that some of the troops
will leave tonight.
This plan for the removal of the
troops has met with approval of Gov
enor Ferris.
EVEN WEAK-KNEED STICK.
Renewed efforts to lure a few of the
weak-kneed among the strikers back
to work has met with continued fail
ure. General Manager James Mc-
Naughton announces that he will not
meet any of the demands of the strik
ers.
The so-called representatives of the
men whom the company was trying
to stampede back to work made the
same demands as the union U|Men
tatives. with the exception
do not seek the recognition of any or
ganization. They received a deaf ear
from Manager McNaugbton.
The small crowd of hopefuls heard
their representatives give the result
of their conference with the copper
king, and this resulted in considerable
difference, as it was believed that rec
ognition of the Western Federation
was all that stood between the strike
and settlement.
Continued activity on the part of
the imported thugs to stir up strife
has gone so far that it has even met
with rebuke from the militia officials.
THUGS EXERCISE GUNS.
In Calumet the sound of shooting
last night echoed from all four direc
tions and almost invariably they could
be distinguished as revolver shots, in
dicating that the special deputies, or
the so-called strong-arm squad were
exercising their pistols.
Major Gansser reported that the
shooting in the vicinity of shaft No. 7
was rather promiscuous and all from
revolvers. He added that he had
taken occasion to give one of the spe
cial deputies of the Calumet & Hecla
a tongue-lashing for unnecessary use
of his revolver.
The union officials point out that
they are straining every nerve to pre
serve peace and that if disorders do
occur it must be charged to the deter
mination of the operators to create
an apparent need for a military
guard. In the meantime not an effort
is being made to take ore anywhere
along the sixty-eight miles of the cop
per range.
AUTHORITIES ARE BLAMED.
Thousands Attend Burial of Two Cop
per Mine Victims.
At Calumet Mich, last Sunday the
funeral of Stephen Putrich and
D'Lasig Tasan. the striking copper
miners shot and killed at the Plaius
dale mine in a battle between strikers
and deputies, were attended by thou
sands of strikers with their families
and their sympathizers. The kill
ing of the men was denounced as
"murder*' by Joseph Cannon, organiz
er for the Western Federation of Min
ers.
Standing by tho graves. Cannon
made an impassioned speech in which
he charged the state officers by name
and the copper mine owners and
stockholders with responsibility for
the uulawful killing of the two men.
The deputies implicated In the kill
ing have not been apprehended.
RIOTOUS OPERATOR FINED.
James Brooks, owner of the
Brooks-Harrison non-union coal miue
of Louisville, who was arrested and
lodged in jail at Lafayette. Colo., for
flourishing a loaded revolver in the
face of strikers' gathered there to
celebrate Colorado day, was fined
SIOO npd costs in the Boulder police
court Monday morning.