You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Wednesday December 30, 1903
Cripple Creek, Colorado - The Shoot-Out at the Office of John M. Glover
The following is the military report concerning the shoot-out at the law office of the former Congressman from Missouri, John M. Glover:
On December 28, 1903, an incident took place which I have the honor to refer to by attaching herewith a report in detail concerning the arrest of one John M. Glover, at Cripple Creek, Colo., that date, to wit:
Headquarters
TELLER COUNTY MILITARY DISTRICT, NATIONAL GUARD OF COLORADO.
Victor, Colo., December 28, 1903.
To His Excellency the Governor,
State of Colorado.
I have the honor to report as follows: A few minutes before twelve o'clock this noon, Mr. Sam Viddler, correspondent for the Denver Republican, called at my office and handed me a letter dated Cripple Creek, Colorado, December 28, 1903, addressed to the editor of the Denver News, signed by John M. Glover, which I attach herewith and make a part of this report.
The contents of this letter were made known to Major Naylor, on duty at these headquarters, and he was instructed by me to immediately go to Cripple Creek and arrest Glover and bring him back and place him in confinement at Camp Goldfield Guard House, and at the same time to possess himself of any weapons he might find. The report of Major Naylor, which is attached hereto and made a part of this report, explains itself.
Respectfully submitted,
EDWARD VERDECKBERG.
Colonel First Infantry, First Brigade, N. G. C.,
Commanding the District.
Victor, Colorado, Dec. 28, 1903.
Colonel Edward Verdeckberg,
Commanding Teller County Military District.
Sir— In compliance with the verbal Instructions I received from you at about 12:05 p. m. to-day, ordering me to proceed to Cripple Creek, Colorado, and arrest one John M. Glover and take possession of guns he claimed to have in his office, I left Victor at 12:30 p. m., proceeded to Cripple Creek, and securing the assistance- of Lieutenant Young, Company "D," Second Infantry, First Brigade, N. G. C., also Sergeants Dittemore and Smith, of the same company, proceeded to the office of the said John M. Glover, same being located in the Fairley & Lampman block, corner of Third street and Bennett avenue, second floor.
At about 1:20 p. m. I rapped on the door of Mr. Glover's office. He replied by asking who wanted admittance. I informed him and demanded admittance. He stated that he would not open the door, and would "kill the first son of a b---- " who attempted to get in, and that we were all a gang of anarchists from the Governor down. I withdrew to the office of Mr. Cole and held a conference with yourself over the telephone, in which we decided to starve him out. After this conference I instructed Lieutenant Young to procure a rope and screw-hooks to screw the hooks into the door case and with the rope tie the knob of the door to the screw-hooks, in order to prevent the said Glover from taking the men on guard by surprise.
After securing the necessary material Sergeants Dittemore and Smith proceeded with the work of tieing up the door. At about two o'clock, as we were putting the last screw-hook I approached from Mr. Cole's office. Upon arriving in front of Mr. Glover's office I asked them if he, meaning Glover, had said anything. Before they could reply a shot came through the door, evidently fired by Glover. Sergeant Smith, being on his knees at this time working on the screw-hook, the shot struck the floor just beneath his body and between his legs. The slivers from the floor penetrated his clothes and struck in the testicles.
Glover fired another shot instantly, which just grazed Smith's head. Myself and all the men under my command immediately opened fire through the door — firing not to exceed twenty shots in all. Immediately everything became quiet, and I called: Hello, there, Glover! Glover replied: "I will come out; I am shot." I instructed him to put up his hands and walk out. This he did. I immediately took him across the hall to the office of Dr. Cunningham and had his wound dressed, said wound being in the left forearm and a flesh wound.
After the doctor had finished dressing the wound I lodged him in the county jail. Upon entering Glover's office I secured a Winchester pump shot gun No 174,446, also a Haenel Shul rifle, 30-30 caliber, made in Germany. It was with this rifle that Glover fired the shots.
I especially wish to commend the actions of Lieutenant Young and Sergeants Dittemore and Smith under fire.
Respectfully submitted this the 28th day of December, 1903.
Your obedient servant,
H. A. NAYLOR,
Major Second Infantry, First Brigade, N. G. C.
Upon the representation of Mr. L. E. Hill, Mr. Austin Holman and Dr.--------, that Glover was a particular friend, and also counsel, for the Golden Cycle Mining Company, in which Messrs. Hill and Holman were officials, and that their influence over him would be sufficient to guarantee that he (Glover) would make no inflammatory talk in the future if he be allowed permission to leave prison and go to a Colorado Springs hospital for treatment. Glover was then released from confinement in the county jail and permitted to leave the district, after he had signed the following agreement:
Cripple Creek, Colo., December 29, 1903.
I accept release from confinement in Teller county on the following conditions, which I pledge myself as a gentleman to observe strictly:
First. That I shall return to Cripple Creek and deliver myself to Colonel Verdeckberg (or other officer in command) when requested to do so by such officer.
Second. That until I shall have placed myself in the custody of such officer or other proper authorities (sheriff, etc), I pledge myself not to talk or write for publication, nor institute any proceedings, legal or of any kind.
JOHN M. GLOVER
Witness:
H. A. NAYLOR,
Major Second Infantry, First Brigade, N. G. C.
SOURCE
Report Colorado. Adjutant-General's Office
1904
Pages 124-126, using scroll bar at bottom of document
http://books.google.com/...
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Tuesday December 30, 1913
Mother Jones, "labor agitator," appears on front page of newspapers across the nation.
Mother Jones Leading Labor Parade in Denver, Colorado
Several newspapers across the nation have recently profiled Mother Jones, many on the front page, as a "labor agitator" now leading the coal strike in the Southern Coalfields of Colorado. The
Times Herald of Olean, New York, will serve as an example. This story appeared on the front page of that newspaper:
MOTHER JONES
Denver, Dec. 30.-"Mother" Jones, the well known labor agitator, is taking a leading part in the big strike of coal miners in the Ludlow district which has sent the price of coal soaring. "Mother" Jones has been active in many strikes in various parts of the country, but never before, probably, has she place herself in a position where more serious trouble is expected. The men involved are practically all foreigners-Greeks, Italians, Hungarians, etc.-and the authorities find difficulty in preserving order. Governor Ammons of Colorado has his eye constantly on the situation.
SOURCE
Times Herald
(Olean, New York)
-of Dec 30, 1913
Photo: Mother Jones Leads Denver Labor Parade
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/...
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Monday December 30, 2013
More on Military Despotism in the Cripple Creek Strike Zone:
A proclamation was issued by the occupation forces of the Colorado National Guard on December 30th of 1903. Although the proclamation did not specifically cite the striking miners of the Western Federation of Miners, it was used against them in the following weeks. Striking miners were soon to be rounded up, put on special trains, and transported out of the district and away from their homes and families. They were forbidden to return to their homes. This is a copy of that proclamation:
On December 30, 1903, all unemployed men were notified to leave the district in a proclamation issued by the Military District Commander, as follows:
PROCLAMATION.
Headquarters
TELLER COUNTY MILITARY DISTRICT, NATIONAL GUARD OF COLORADO.
Victor, Colo., December 30, 1903.
Any person able to work and support himself in some honest and respectable calling, who shall be found loitering or strolling about, frequenting public places or where liquor is sold, begging or leading an idle, immoral or profligate course of life, or not having visible means of support, shall be deemed a vagrant.
Notice is hereby given that from and after January 7, 1904, all vagrants, as hereinbefore defined, who shall be found within any of the cities and towns, or any part of Teller county, Colorado, will be promptly arrested by the military authorities and dealt with according to law.
All persons within the said territory who fall within the above definition of a vagrant, are hereby given until the above mentioned date within which to become engaged in some honest and lawful pursuit, after which they will be taken into custody without further notice.
By order of Colonel Verdeckberg.
H. M. LIBBY,
First Lieutenant and Adjutant First Infantry,
First Brigade, N. G. C.,
Adjutant of the District.
SOURCE
See above: Report Colorado. Adjutant-General's Office
1904
p. 124 on scroll bar
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Popular Wobbly-Utah Phillips
Oh, the "bull," he went wild over me.
And he held his gun where everyone could see;
He was breathing rather hard, when he saw my union card,
He went wild, simply wild, over me.
-T-Bone Slim,1920