The state is furnishing us no protection and we must protect ourselves, our wives and children from these murderous assassins. We seek no quarrel with the state and we expect to break no law; we intend to exercise our lawful right as citizens, to defend our homes and our constitutional rights.
-John R Lawson, his signature is first on Call to Arms
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Tuesday April 20, 1915
Trinidad, Colorado - C. F. & I. Attorney To Preside Over Trial of John R. Lawson
Strikers' Policy Committee, United Mine Workers of America
Third from left: John R. Lawson, International Board Member from District 15
With John McLennan, President District 15; E. L. Doyle, Secretary-Treasurer District 15;
and Frank J. Hayes, International Vice-President
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Having endured the
military despotism inflicted upon them by
Governor Ammons, Democrat of Colorado, the striking coal miners participated in the elections last fall in which the Republican,
George Carlson, was made the new Governor of the state. If the miners were expecting the newly installed Republican Governor to offer them less repression and more justice, those expectations can now be firmly laid to rest.
Govern Carlson along with his Attorney General, Fred Farrar, are pursuing a policy of "Law and Order." Naturally, the law and order is mostly enforced on behalf of the coal operators, and in keeping with that style of Colorado Justice, Governor Carlson has appointed C. F. & I. attorney, Ganby Hillyer to the bench of the District Court of Las Animas county. It will now be the happy task of that judge to preside over the murder trial of John R. Lawson, the man who led the strike against his former client.
From South Dakota's Lead Daily Call of April 19, 1915:
LAWSON BEFORE COURTS
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On Trial in Trinidad, Col., for Murder Committed
During the Strike Troubles in That State
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By Associated Press-
TRINIDAD, COLO., Aril 19.-The Case of John R Lawson, International board member of the United Mine Workers of America, charged with murder growing out of disorders incident to the Colorado Coal miners' strike is set for trial in the district court here today. This is the first case against any of the officials of the miners' union to be called for trial.
Elisors have been appointed by Judge Granby Hillyer to select a venire of fifty men for possible jury service. This action was taken after Judge Hillyer had disqualified the sheriff upon representations of the defense and the county coroner upon representations of the prosecution.
The charge against Lawson grew out out the killing of John Nimmo, a guard employed by the Colorado Fuel and Iron company, near Ludlow, October 25, 1913. Nimmo was killed during a long range fight between mine guards and striking coal miners in one of the clashes immediately preceding the arrival of state troops in the strike zone. It is charged that at the time Lawson was in personal control of the strikers' tent colony. Nimmo's body was found several hours after the firing had ceased.
Clashes between mine guards and strikers occurred in the vicinity of Ludlow, Berwind, Hastings, Tabasco and Aguilar on the three days following the fight in which Nimmo was killed. Informations filed in criminal cases growing out of these disturbances charged that union leaders armed the strikers and directed their operations.
The defense has been granted until Wednesday to prepare for trial.
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[Photograph added.]
SOURCES
Militarism in Colorado
http://babel.hathitrust.org/...
Report on the Colorado strike.
-By George P. West.
Washington, D.C, 1915
https://archive.org/...
West on CF&I attorney
appointed as Judge by Gov Carlson
https://archive.org/...
Name: Judge Granby Hillyer
https://archive.org/...
The Seamen's Journal: (1914-1915), Volume 28
Sailors' Union of the Pacific, 1915
https://books.google.com/...
Lead Daily Call
(Lead, South Dakota)
-Apr 19, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/...
IMAGES
Policy Committee of District 15, UMWA
https://archive.org/...
John R. Lawson
http://www.loc.gov/...
Cover: Militarism in Colorado
https://www.facebook.com/...
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Carry It On - Joan Baez
They will tell their empty stories
Send their dogs to bite our bodies
They will lock us up in prison
Carry on, carry it on
-Gil Turner
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