The actions of the military in this case were perhaps no stranger than the speech of Secretary Hamlin, of
no The Pinkerton Labor Spy.
the Mine Owners' Association, at the mass meeting referred to in Operative Londoner's report, wherein, instead of appealing to his audience to catch the dynamiters and murderers, he yelled at the top of his voice : "Let us drive the Federation men to the hills!"
We may imagine the plight of the families of the deported miners; how the wives and mothers worried over what was happening to their loved ones; and, besides, they were left destitute, and starvation stared them in the face. To make matters worse for the women and children of the deported miners, all the union stores in the district had been destroyed by the military and mine owners.
The Federation, indeed, tried to help the afflicted families by arranging with some of the large wholesalers of the district to furnish them with supplies, and charge the cost to the Federation. The wholesalers were anxious to fill the large orders of the union, but the military sternly forbade them to furnish the families of the deported miners with supplies of any kind.
The military authorities then informed the Western Federation of Miners that if they wished to send relief to the destitute families, they must turn it over to the "shoulder-straps" for distribution.
Following is a copy of the proclamation to this effect:
Victor, Colo., June 14th, 1904.
SPECIAL ORDER NO. 19. No organization will be allowed, while this County is under military control, to furnish aid in any form to the members of any organization or their families in this County, unless the