The citizens of the Cripple Creek District remained quiet, orderly, and self-contained during the period of military rule. The movements of the militia itself formed the only evidence of a condition of "insurrection and rebellion ''25 The troops were gradually withdrawn beginning with the 11th day of December, and by January 16th only 170 men were on duty.20 This number was reduced to less than 100 early in February, and all the men were finally withdrawn on April 11th.27 The conditions were not by any means satisfactory. Most of the mines were hampered from lack of men, and running with inexperienced men was proving expensive. But the mines were all being operated in some fashion, and the strike appeared to be at an end.

25 The Western Federation issued a proclamation on March 12. One paragraph is given.

"We wish once again to call the public's attention to the fact that the Western Federation has at no time made any demand of the mine owners of the Cripple Creek district other than that they withdraw their patronage from the mill trust in order that living conditions might be secured for the employes of said mills."

26 EXECUTIVE ORDER.

Whereas, On December the fourth, 1903, I did issue my proclamation declaring the county of Teller, in the State of Colorado, to be in a state of insurrection and rebellion; and,

Whereas, Since that date the conditions within said county have been, and are, rapidly changing, and peace and good order in said county are being fully restored, and it has been shown to me that the civil authorities are able and willing to control the situation, to perform their legal functions and to enforce the law; it is, therefore,

Ordered, That the further application of military authority under such proclamation shall be, and hereby is, suspended, and the provisional detachment now in Teller county will act in support of, and in subordination to, the legally constituted civil authorities of said county, and for the purpose of carrying out this order and to enable the civil authorities to enforce obedience to law and to protect life and property, a suitable detachment of the National Guard of Colorado will remain in Teller county, under command of Colonel Edward Verdeckberg, until further orders.

This order to become operative and to be in force and effect from and after Tuesday, February 2, 1904, at 10 o'clock a. m.

Given under my hand and executive seal this twenty-eighth day of January, A. D. 1904.

(Signed) JAMES H. PEABODY, Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

See Biennial Report Adjutant General 1903-1904, p. 134.

27 February 20th, the number of men was 2. Report of Adjutant in Biennial Report of Adjutant General, p. 135.

CHAPTER V

THE FINAL CRISIS

THE SIXTH DAY OF JUNE. INDEPENDENCE EXPLOSION AND RIOTS

The town of Independence lies in a deep valley, some half a mile from Victor and just below Altman. The station of the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad stands high up on the hillside in the area where many of the finest mines of the district are located, and where mining operations have for all the district been most concentrated. The mountain roughness is more than usually evidenced here in steep hillsides and broken contours. Dumps from the mines form an enormous disorder through which the railroads tunnel, over which they run, and against the encroachments of which they scarcely protect by constant "riff raffing." Poorly lighted, gloomy, full of pitfalls, abounding in chances for secret work and concealment,-it is a spot peculiarly suited to the perpetration of crime and deeds of darkness. It is in a sense at the heart of the mining industry. Many of the mines change shifts at two o'clock in the morning. It is the "grave yard" shift that goes on at this midnight hour, and the railroads furnish special cars to take the early night shift men to their homes. The F. & C. C. R. R. train is due at Independence station at two fifteen. On the morning of June 6th it whistled for the station; the platform crowded with men from the Findley Mine; then there came a fearful explosion, and the air was filled with flying earth, and timbers, and the dismembered bodies of men. Where the platform had stood was a yawning hole in the ground, and the station was wrecked and broken, its floors blown up, its walls smashed in, great holes torn through the heavy roof. Men were blown 150

feet straight up the hillside and mutilated beyond recognition.

Thirteen men out of twenty-seven were killed outright, and the smashing upward blow made six amputations necessary. At noon the next day men were still picking up bits of flesh and bone in tin pails. The men from the Shurtloff mine escaped by being a minute late. They were running for the station when the explosion took place.

Word was at once sent to James S. Murphy, the manager of the Findley Mine, to A. E. Carlton, its principal stock holder, and to Sheriff Robertson. At 3 o'clock a special train left Cripple Creek bearing the above named men, deputy sheriffs, doctors, and nurses. The space around the depot was roped off and search begun immediately for clues. The broken pieces of a revolver were found nearby, and about 200 feet of wire running to one of the nearby dumps, where its end was attached to a chair rung. A telegram was sent to Canon City asking

for bloodhounds.1 The bodies of the men were removed to the coroner's office at Victor. The Cripple Creek District military companies were ordered to collect at once at the armory at Victor, where Major Naylor took charge.

The news of the explosion spread rapidly in the early morning and created the most intense excitement. Most of the mines. shut down, few of the men even reported for work, business was generally suspended, and excited groups held discussions everywhere. By common consent the explosion was attributed to the Western Federation, and the most ugly rumors were in the air-the officers of the unions were to be burned at the stake every union man was to be driven from the district. Union men and non-union men alike armed themselves to the teeth, and prepared for whatever should happen. The situation seemed of its own accord to center around Victor. General reports went out of a mass meeting to be held there, trouble was expected, and groups of men went constantly in that direction.2

"There have been various accounts of what the bloodhounds did when put upon the trail, but they succeeded in accomplishing nothing.

2 The annual convention of the Western Federation of Miners, being in session at Denver at the time, passed the following resolution.

"No. 87. Whereas, A crime has been committed in the blowing up of the Golden Circle depot in the Cripple Creek District, we, the delegates of the