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Saturday February 5, 1916
From the United Mine Workers Journal: Imported Gunthug Walter Belk Acquitted

From the Journal of February 3rd:

Justice Ravished
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Organizer Gerald Lippiatt, Center
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In our last issue, commenting on the action of the miners' convention in pledging moral and financial support to the miners whom the men in power in the State of Colorado are attempting to condemn to felons' cells for daring to resist the oppression of the economic masters and their henchmen, their hired armies, we remarked that the counties of that State where the coal mines are located "were not ruled, but terrorized."

In the last week we have had further proof of the truth of that statement.

Walter Belk, imported from West Virginia to Colorado and there employed because of his reputation as a mankiller who could be depended upon to use his ready gun any time in the service of those who would pay him his price, was acquitted, on the instruction of the judge on the bench to the jury, of the charge of killing Gerald Lippiatt, union organizer, on the streets of Trinidad just before the opening of the strike in Southern Colorado in the fall of 1913.

Belk was then, and is now, one of the agents of the real government of Colorado—the Baldwin-Feltz [Felts] strike-breaking agency.

The murder of Lippiatt was peculiarly cold blooded and atrocious. He had arrived in the city to attend a session of the Colorado Federation of Labor, to which he was a delegate, less than one hour before he was shot down. The methods of the thugs were those generally adopted by such curs, carefully prearranged, and avoiding danger to themselves. Lippiatt was accosted and insulted as soon as he alighted from the train. After registering at a hotel he was again approached, goaded to show resentment, and then shot down by the two thugs, as prearranged.

For this hideous crime the men guilty thereof never were required to remain one hour in jail. As agents of the real government of Colorado they were above the law. Indictments were returned against them, but they were allowed their liberty on bonds, and after, were retained as deputy sheriffs, in the pay of the mine owners, however, through the so-called detective agency, and took leading part in subsequent outrages upon the striking miners.

Belk was freed, by order of the judge of the court to the jury. It was expected that he would be acquitted.

We believe that the evidence against him was not sufficient to convict, for who would dare to testify against the agent of a relentless force that is powerful enough to ruin or destroy any person who opposes.

We can only wait and hope for the awakening of the people of Colorado to a sense of their degradation; to a realization of the fact that foreign corporations have taken over the government of the State, by force; and are now proudly parading their power before a nation astonished and ashamed.

[Photograph added.]

Ludlow Martyrs to be Honored

Also from the latest issue of the Journal comes this news:

Ludlow Memorial.
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The committee on officers' reports concurred in the suggestion contained in President White's report, and in the report of the committee from the International Executive Board, of which Robert H. Harlin was chairman—"That a suitable memorial be raised on the sight of the destroyed Ludlow tent colony to the martyrs, the men, women and babes who were massacred there." The convention unanimously concurred in the committee's report.

[Photograph added.]

SOURCE
The United Mine Workers Journal, Volume 25
-Executive Board of the United Mine Workers of America
Nov 11, 1915 to May 25, 1916
https://books.google.com/books?id=NQpQAAAAYAAJ
UMWJ Feb 3, 1916
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=NQpQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcove...
"Justice Ravished"
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=NQpQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcove...
"Ludlow Memorial"
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=NQpQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcove...

IMAGES
Gerald Lippiatt, in center with mustache
http://www.scottmartelle.com/blog.htm?post=923748
The Black Hole of Ludlow
http://john-adcock.blogspot.com/2012/06/rogues-gallery-socialist-cartoon...
Ludlow Monument
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludlow_Monument

See also:

"WE NEVER FORGET: August 16, 1913 Trinidad, Colorado" by JayRaye
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/26/1250056/-WE-NEVER-FORGET-August...

DK search: gunthug Belk + JayRaye
http://www.dailykos.com/search?story_type=&search_type=search_stories&te...

"WE NEVER FORGET April 20, 1914 The Ludlow Massacre" by JayRaye
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/4/20/1083217/-WE-NEVER-FORGET-April-2...

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Dig The Devil's Blood - Gray
Lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DzUd4aq5sI