Western Federation of Miners

Hellraisers Journal: The Scene of Ex-Governor Steunenberg's Murder, Cold-Blooded Assassination

There are no limits to which the powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones

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Saturday January 27, 1906
Caldwell, Idaho - The Scene of the Cold-Blooded Assassination of Steunenberg

From Indiana's Fort Wayne Daily News of January 26th, comes a vivid description of the horrific murder of Ex-Governor Steunenberg:


Scene of Steunenberg Murder; Victim
and Suspected Assassin
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Harry Orchard, Ex-Gov Steunenberg, Assassination, Fort Wayne (IN) Daily News, Jan 26, 1906.png

Hellraisers Journal: Pinkertons Search for Clues in Steunenberg Murder; Seek Jack Simpkins of WFM


There are no limits to which the powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones

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Friday January 26, 1906
Boise, Idaho - Authorities Seek Simpkins of W. F. of M. in Steunenberg Case

From The Salt Lake Tribune of January 22, 1906:


NEW CLUES IN STEUNENBERG CASE
-----


Detectives Had Busy Sunday in
Searching for New Evidence.
-----
OFFICERS ON TRAIL OF SEVERAL SUSPECTS
-----
Sheriff Nichols of Canyon County Has
Collapsed Under Strain of Work.
-----

Special to The Tribune.

Pinkerton's National Detective Agency, wiki.png

BOISE, Ida., Jan. 21.-Among the detectives, today was an active day for them in the search for more evidence against Harry Orchard and others in the Steunenberg murder case. It is reported that some new clues were found, which officers seem to think are very important.

View of Pinkerton Men.

Pinkerton men have been hunting up the new evidence, and they are positive in their findings. One of them said:

Hellraisers Journal: Harry Orchard Will Stand Trial in Idaho for Murder of Ex-Governor Steunenberg

There are no limits to which powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday January 16, 1906
Caldwell, Idaho - Harry Orchard Committed on Charge of Murder

From today's edition of The Wichita Daily Eagle:

ORCHARD TO STAND TRIAL
-----

Committed On Charge of Murdering Ex-Governor Steunenberg.
-----

Harry Orchard, alias Tom Hogan, Jan 1906.png

Boise, Idaho, Jan. 15.-At Caldwell today Probate Judge Church committed Harry Orchard on the charge of having murdered ex-Governor Frank Steunenberg. The defense offered no testimony. The most important witness today was Andy Johnson, a Boise officer who talked with Orchard several times before and after his arrest. He had a collection of exhibits connected with the case.

Julian Steunenberg, son of the former governor, testified that a man whom he identified as Orchard, came to him or Wednesday before the murder and asked when his father would be home. He said he had a deal with his father for some sheep and was anxious to see him. The boy told the man his father would be back Friday night.

Hellraisers Journal: Pinkerton Who Framed-Up So-Called Molly Maguires Now on Steunenberg Murder Case

There are no limits to which powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday January 15, 1906
Boise, Idaho - Pinkerton Detective James McParland Meets with Gov. Gooding

James McParland, the Pinkerton Detective who assisted in the frame-up and judicial murders of the Martyred Miners of Pennsylvania (1877-1879), is now active in the investigation of the Steunenberg murder case.

From The Salt Lake Tribune of January 13, 1906:

ORCHARD HEARING WILL BE SECRET
-----

[...]

James McParland, Spartacus Ed.png

Special to the Tribune.
BOISE, Ida. Jan. 12-Fred Miller, attorney for Orchard in the Steunenberg murder case at Caldwell, will take advantage of statutory right and ask that the preliminary examination be held behind closed doors, which he stated he thought would be to the public interest to do.....

Pinkertons Are Engaged

A five-hour conference between Chief Detective McFarland [James McParland] of Pinkerton's Denver agency and Gov. Gooding was held at the Idaho hotel here last night. They went over all circumstances surrounding the assassination. As a result the Pinkertons will now take an active part in solving the mystery, although Pinkerton men have been on the scene since a few hours after the assassination.

McFarland will direct the operations of his men from this city. Next Tuesday he will go to Denver, returning to Idaho in a short time. McFarland says he has little doubt of Orchard's guilt and in his opinion others aided him and he is sorry that more arrests were not made immediately after the assassination....

[Photograph of James McParland added.]

Hellraisers Journal: Mine Owners Seek to Oust Governor Hunt of Arizona Who Stands with the Miners

You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones

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Saturday January 8, 1916
From The Day Book: "Bosses Seek to Oust Governor Who Backed Miners"

Arizona Governor WP Hunt, 1912-1917.png

Friday's Day Book reported that the Copper Bosses are out to have Governor Hunt of Arizona recalled. The governor has consistently refused to allow the mine operators to import gunmen and scabs in order to break the strike, now ongoing, against the Clifton-Morenci Co., owned by Phillips-Dodge & Co. The Copper Bosses refuse to meet with the miners, and, instead prefer to initiate a recall campaign against the Governor. The article states:

The companies refuse arbitration or any consideration of the men's demands.

From the Chicago Day Book of January 7, 1916:

Day Book, AZ Gov Hunt, Jan 7, 1916.png

Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Will Lead Miners to Bullpen or Coal Mine, with Arms or Armless

You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones

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Sunday January 7, 1906
From The Miners Magazine: Letter to William Johnson, Mine Superintendent

The following letter was published in the January 4th edition of The Miners Magazine, official organ of the Western Federation of Miners.

Mother Jones, Miners Angel .jpg

New York
December 15, 1905

William Johnson,
Supt. Vivian Coal and Mining Co.,
Jacksonville, Ind.
Dear Sir:

I have a letter from you under date of December 15th, asking for terms for furnishing men to coal mines. Allow me to say that the terms depend entirely upon how many men you want and what you want them for. We have a great number of able bodied men here who are more than willing to go anywhere and men who are not afraid of the police, militia, court injunctions, or government interference in any form. In fact each and every one of them can and will be vouched for by "Mother Jones" whose guarantee should satisfy any coal company in Indiana or elsewhere. If you will state how many you want and just when you want them, also whether they are destined for the bull pens or coal mines, we will be pleased to give your needs our prompt attention. In fact we will be willing to work overtime.

Truly yours,
Secretary Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Superintendents.

P. S. Fortunately, "Mother Jones" has just come into the office and she gives me her personal word that if you want her to head the procession she will gladly come. She would like to know whether the men are to come with arms or armless.

[Photograph added.]

Hellraisers Journal: Ex-Governor Steunenberg of Idaho Murdered by Dynamite Bomb at Home in Caldwell

There are no limits to which the powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday January 2, 1906
Caldwell, Idaho - Ex-Governor Steunenberg Assassinated

From the front page of The New York Times of December 31st comes this very grim news:

EX-GOVERNOR KILLED BY DYNAMITE BOMB
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Frank Steunenberg of Idaho Victim of an Assassin.
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GOVERNOR FROM 1897 TO 1901
-----
The Bomb Had Been Placed at His Gate at Caldwell,
and Exploded as He Entered.
-----

Gov Steunenberg, Idaho 1897-1901.png

BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 30.-Frank Steunenberg, formerly Governor of Idaho, was killed to-night by a bomb at his home in Caldwell. A dynamite bomb had been placed at his front gate with a contrivance that exploded the bomb as he entered. Both legs were blown off and he lived but twenty minutes.

There is no known reason for the outrage, but it is charged to some members of the famous inner circle of the Coeur D'Alene dynamiters, whom he prosecuted relentlessly in 1899 while he was Governor.

Gov. Gooding is in communication with the police and is prepared to lend the full support of the State in running down the perpetrators of the crime. The State will offer a large reward.

Steunenberg was Governor of Idaho from 1897 to 1901, having been twice elected on the Populist ticket. He was born in Iowa forty-four years ago, and had been in Idaho since 1887. He leaves a widow and three children.

Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones on Arizona Governor Hunt, "a most human and just man."

You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones

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Monday December 27, 1915
From the Tombstone Weekly Epitaph: Clifton-Morenci Strike May Be Drawing to a Close

It was reported yesterday by the Tombstone, Arizona, newspaper that a settlement could soon be reached in the Clifton-Morenci strike which began last September:

REPORTS CLIFTON STRIKE AS NEARING END
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Clifton Morenci Strike of 1915, WFM local & national leaders, .png
National & local leaders of the Western Federation of Miners.
Back row, 2nd & 3rd from left: Charles Moyer-WFM President,
& Henry McCluskey-Organizer for Miami Local 70.
Front row from left, John Murray, Canuto Vargas, Pascual Vargas, Luis Soto.
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Hellraisers Journal: United Mine Workers Supports Western Federation of Miners in Arizona Strike

You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday December 26, 1915
From The Arizona Republican: Mother Jones Raising Contributions for Clifton-Morenci Strikers

The Arizona Republican of December 23rd reports that the United Mine Workers of America has now taken on the cause of the Clifton-Morenci Strikers in Arizona. The strike has been on since September and is being led by the Western Federation of Miners. Mother Jones, it is reported, leads fund raising efforts in the middle west district, which district is raising large contributions for the striking miners:

UNITED MINE WORKERS HELP
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Mother_Jones__Boston_Globe__Jan_30__1915.png

From fifteen to twenty thousand dollars monthly is being contributed to the relief of the striking miners in the Clifton-Morenci district by the United Mine Workers of America. A concerted movement, inaugurated by officials of the Mine Workers, has resulted in the raising of funds by practically every local in the organization. Some of these donations are sent in by the locals as soon as collected and in other instances the contributions come as from districts.

Following the endorsement of the strike by the American Federation of Labor in convention at San Francisco, James Lord, president of the mining department of the federation took up the matter of securing aid for the strikers. Representatives of the United Mine Workers soon afterwards visited the district and members of the executive board, upon receiving individual reports approved the work and suggested that it be handled by districts.

Mother Jones, on the payroll of the United Mine Workers, is in charge of the work of raising funds in the middle west district. The contributions from her district are said to be larger than from almost any other section, although the Illinois district is contributing largely.

WE NEVER FORGET: December 24, 1913 - The Italian Hall Massacre, Calumet, Michigan

Up above the strikers stood Annie Clemenc,
girl leader of the miners.
She was not the usual militant Annie Clemenc.
She was saying a prayer for the children.

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Christmas Eve December 24, 2015

This morning I woke up thinking about the Italian Hall Massacre. I thought of Annie Clemenc and I remembered the miners and their families who preserved through the great Michigan Copper Strike of 1913-14.

Let us always honor their sacrifice and NEVER FORGET:

Italian Hall Memorial Christmas Eve.png
Italian Hall Memorial, Calumet, Michigan

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