A brave and impartial jury rendered justice. Yet, notwithstanding tshat the verdict of the court was in favor of the Federation, the Mine Owners' Association, State administration, the military and the Pinkerton Agency kept on insisting that this crime was the work of the INNER CIRCLE of the Western Federation of Miners, and to this day the Federation remains charged with it.
We have analyzed this case with a purpose in view;
86 The Pinkerton Labor Spy.
namely, to show that the public must be careful, in the future, about believing the official statements of the blue-blooded Anarchists known as mine owners, trust magnates, smelter officials, et al. If the mine owners stooped to conspire with a degenerate like McKinney against the liberty of three men and the fair name of thousands, we have a right to doubt any further statements or charges made by this unscrupulous band.
During the time of the troubles in the different mining camps, the Mine Owners' Association censored all newspaper accounts of the doings of the military in the alleged rebellious districts, and only allowed such news to be printed as was adverse to the miners.
The Rocky Mountain News, of Denver, which refused to be muzzled, was boycotted by the different monopolies, and forced to put up a strong fight for the right to print news as it occurred.
The courts were insulted, threatened, humiliated and abused by the military.
In view of all these facts, we now ask: Is it not possible, aye probable, that the subsequent trouble in the Cripple Creek district, namely the Vindicator explosion and the terrible explosion at the Independence depot, was the deliberate work of tools of the Mine Owners' Association, and not of the Federation?