You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Thursday June 16, 1904
From the Colorado Springs Weekly Gazette: Attorney for W. F. of M. in Military Custody
Today's edition of
The Weekly Gazette carries a report on the arrest of Frank J. Hangs, attorney for the Western Federation of Miners, who was arrested by the military authorities last Monday at his office in Cripple Creek. His home was then searched for any documents regarding his client, the W. F. of M. The
Gazette also reports that the Portland mine remains shut down for the crime of employing union men, and that the search for and arrests of union men in the Cripple Creek strike zone continues:
F. J. HANGS ARRESTED
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Attorney for the Western Federation of Miners Is in Custody by Order of the Military Authorities
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Special to the Gazette.
Cripple Creek, June 13.-Practically normal conditions prevail in the district today. All the mines with the exception of Portland, Pride of Cripple Creek and Wedge properties, have resumed operations with full forces of men. The exceptions are those closed last week by General Bell, for the harboring of alleged agitators who are not wanted in the district. In all probability there will be no change in the Portland's situation until after President James Burns is through attending the law suit which is now taking place in Denver. What he will do then is hard to state, but from appearances, when he does get ready to open the mine very few union miners will be left in the camp to work the property. It is also believed that the military authorities will have nothing further to do unless Mr. Burns should take some radical stand in the matter...
Two mounted forces of deputy sheriffs left this afternoon for West Four Mile and North Four Mile to make the arrest of from 15 to 20 strikers who are said to have fled to that locality. For the past two days ranch teams from that district have been going into Anaconda and hauling out to the union miners arms and ammunition as well as food supplies for the men who are located out there. It has been learned by the sheriff that at the Kessel ranch a number of the men wanted from this district are being kept and provided for. Mr. Kessel, the owner, is brother of President Kessel, of the Anaconda Miners union, and is known to be in sympathy with the union men. A number of others are supposed to be lower down on another ranch and a posse will leave for that section early in the morning.
To the knowledge of the sheriff many of the ranches west and northwest of this city are sheltering men who left the district after the trouble last week and an effort will be made to capture them.
Arrest of Attorney Hangs.
The most important happening during the last 24 hours in the district is the arrest of Attorney F. J. Hangs, of this city, who was placed under arrest by Sergeant Baldwin, General Bell's orderly, this morning a 11 o'clock in the former's office in this city. The reason for the arrest is not given out by the military authorities, but it is supposedly to be on account of the active affiliation of this attorney with the W. F. of M. as it has been known that Mr. Hangs was the author of late of many of the W. F. of M. statements.
Mr. Hangs was not anticipating arrest and had just returned to his office from a visit to the Mabel M. property on Beacon hill, where he is interested in a lease. The order for the arrest was issued by General Bell, but at whose special instigation it was will not be made public. Mr. Hangs was immediately taken to Armory hall in Victor, where after a short conference with the members of the military and peace commission he was placed in a separate room near military headquarters and is being closely guarded, no one being allowed to converse with him.
This afternoon Majors McClelland and Naylor, accompanied by two sergeants, visited the home of the attorney and made a complete search for documents or letters with reference to his dealings with Western Federation of Miners...
J. Obeckel was brought in today by a squad of deputies, having been arrested on one of the side streets. Mr. Obeckel has been working on the Russell and Sharpe lease of Lonaconing on Beacon hill, securing employment on this property by promising that he would get a Mine Owners association card the first time he was in town. However, he has failed to get the card, although he has had over 10 days in which to do it. Furthermore, he was heard to make the remark several times today that he did not propose to belong to that body as he was a union man, and that there were not deputies enough in the district to arrest him.
In this city there are now 56 prisoners confined in the county jail and between 25 and 30 in the old Mining Exchange building. The greater part of the latter will, in all probability, be deported with the next crowd that leave the district...
SOURCE
The Weekly Gazette
(Colorado Springs, Colorado)
-June 16, 1904
IMAGE
Frank J Hangs, Attorney for the Western Federation of Miners
https://archive.org/...
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Tuesday June 16, 1914
Seattle, Washington - Mother Jones Ends Tour of British Columbia Coal Camps
From the Santa Cruz Evening News:
"MOTHER" JONES LEAVES CANADA.
SEATTLE, June 15.-"Mother" Mary Jones, organizer of the United Mine Workers of America, is on her way to New York, under orders from the general officers of her union.
Her tour of the British Columbia coal camps was without special incident, except that at Ladysmith the mayor forbade her to speak in the city limits and she held a meeting outside.
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Vancouver Island Coal Strike, Round-up of Strikers
Mother Jones was called to Canada by the striking coal miners of Nanaimo and Ladysmith on Vancouver Island. The strike began in September of 1912 and continues to this day in spite of the mass arrests and long prison terms inflicted upon the union men.
Young Joseph Mairs, age 21, died in prison last January due to the poor medical treatment he received there.
The strikers are members of the United Mine Workers of America.
SOURCES
Santa Cruz Evening News
(Santa Cruz, California)
-of June 15, 1914
(See below for more sources.)
See Also:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
IMAGE
Vancouver Island Coal Strike, Round-up of Strikers
http://books.google.com/...
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Monday June 16, 2014
More on the Vancouver Island Coal Strike of 1912-14 and Martyr Joseph Mairs
The strike began in September of 1912 and lasted until August 1914. The settlement allowed for union miners to be reemployed in the mines, but cannot be called a victory. The strike seems to be (mostly) referred to as the Vancouver Island Coal Strike of 1912-14; I am creating a tag for same, and will go back an adjust tags accordingly.
WE NEVER FORGET
Joseph Mairs-21, d. Jan 20, 1914
Another man arrested during the strike was Joseph Mairs, 21. He was sentenced to 16 months, but three months into his sentence, died of medical complications. On the day of his funeral union supporters and friends made a line a mile long proceeding to his funeral. Today he is seen as a martyr and his death is remembered annually at his grave site here in Ladysmith by the Nanaimo Duncan and District Labour Council.
SOURCES
"Great Coal Miners Strike" by Rob Johnson
http://take5.ca/...
Biography of Joseph Mairs by Mark Leier
http://www.biographi.ca/...
See also:
There are several links and quite a bit of information here in a section titled:
"The Vancouver Island Coal Strike," scroll down a bit past 1/3, almost 1/2 way down.
http://www.waughfamily.ca/...
Note: I offer these sources for those interested. I have not studied this strike enough to know how accurate these sources are.
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Hold the Fort-One of Labor's Oldest Songs
Look, my Comrades, see the union
Banners waving high.
Reinforcements now appearing,
Victory is nigh.
Hold the fort for we are coming-
Union men, be strong.
Side by side we battle onward,
Victory will come.
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