You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Friday August 12, 1904
Cripple Creek District, Colorado - Local Officials Attempt to Rein in "White Capping"
From today's
Arizona Republican:
NO MORE WHITE CAPPING.
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Victor, Colo., Aug. 11.-Sheriff Bell has declared that there shall be no more white capping of offending citizens in Cripple Creek district. In conjunction with Mayors French of Victor and Shockey of Cripple Creek, the sheriff today issued a proclamation ordering that such work cease.
REPORT FROM EMMA F. LANGDON OF VICTOR, COLORADO
On August 10, five masked men went to the home of George Seitz, at 11 o 'clock at night to deport him from the camp. They were met with a fusillade of shots. The fire was returned but no blood was spilled. Seitz held the fort. Seitz lived with his two children, both girls—one about twenty years old and the other about nine—was called to his door by a loud knock shortly after 11 o'clock. He asked who was there. The reply came:
"Never mind. We want you."
One of the men opened the back door and stepped into the kitchen. Seitz ordered the masked man out. He refused to go, but fired a shot. Seitz in return fired three shots. Then a fusillade of bullets was sent into the house.
Officers were quickly on the spot and carried Seitz down to the city jail for protection. He told a representative of the press that he had not taken out a mine owners' card and that he would not.
Former Mayor W. J. Donnelly, a hardware merchant of Victor, and the Rev. Mr. Leland were notified by a mob to leave the district. Mr. Donnelly's offense was that he had gone on bonds of some of the strikers and Mr. Leland was guilty of preaching a sermon in which he denounced the outrages perpetrated by the brigade of thugs that termed themselves the "law and order element." Both the gentlemen appealed to the sheriff for protection and were given a temporary guard.
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DISTRICT OFFICIALS ISSUE PROCLAMATION.
So much indignation was aroused in the state over the frequent assaults and deportations in the district that the conservative element discussed the advisability of forming a vigilance committee to enforce real law and order. This, together with the protests appearing in the daily papers, compelled the authorities of the district to make an attempt to put an end to lawlessness. To that end Sheriff Bell issued the following proclamation:
Whereas, Many evil-disposed persons have assaulted citizens of Teller county, taken them from their homes, forced them to leave the county, indulged in incendiary talk and in other ways continually agitated the unhappy condition of affairs existing in our county for months past; and
Whereas, Many citizens are carrying arms; now, therefore
All citizens of Teller county will refrain from carrying concealed weapons. They will, likewise, refrain from congregating on the streets and in public places and from in any manner using language that may tend to cause violations of the law. Each and every citizen, whatever his position may be, will be governed by this proclamation.
The law will be enforced without regard to party in respect to these matters, and the lives and property of all citizens of this county shall and will be protected. The deputies of this office will strictly follow these instructions, and I urge all parties residing within and without the county to refrain from in any manner doing anything that will cause or incite trouble in this county.
Issued from the office of the sheriff of Teller county, this 11th day of August, 1904.
Mayor Shockey of Cripple Creek and Mayor French of Victor issued the following statement:
We, the undersigned, mayors of the cities of Cripple Creek and Victor, hereby pledge to the sheriff our hearty support and the support of the police departments of our respective cities in carrying out the spirit of the above proclamation, and all police officers of both cities are hereby required to carry out the sheriff's proclamation and co-operate with the sheriff's office to enforce the law.
W. L. SHOCKEY, Mayor of Cripple Creek.
F. D. FRENCH, Mayor of Victor.
[photograph added]
Mrs. Langdon reports that it now appears that the local officials have finally shown the determination to suppress the lawlessness. Whether this latest effort will prove to be sincere or merely half-hearted remains to be seen. She also points out the possibility that "the tough element" (by which we assume is meant the Citizens' Alliance) has gotten beyond the control of the local officials.
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SOURCES
The Arizona Republican
(Phoenix, Arizona)
-of Aug 12, 1904
http://www.newspapers.com/...
The Cripple Creek Strike
A History of Industrial Wars in Colorado, 1903-4-5
-by Emma F Langdon
"Being a Complete and Concise
History of the Efforts of
Organized Capital
to Crush Unionism"
The Great Western Publishing Co.
Denver,Colorado, 1905.
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
IMAGES
Citizens' Alliance Terror, Cripple Creek Strike
Appeal to Reason of June 25, 1904
http://www.newspapers.com/...
Mine Owners' Association Permit Card
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/...
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Hellraisers Journal is on vacation!
Hellraisers will be on a vacation of sorts until September 22nd, and will appear in abbreviated form until that date. A complete vacation is not possible since the ruling class never took a vacation from their suppression and oppression of the working class.
There are no limits to which powers of privilege
will not go to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
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