The Pinkerton Labor Spy. 197
that, regardless of the fact that it has not yet been tried, an analytical study of it will be of considerable value.
As the reader is aware, the mine owners of the State of Colorado, with the aid of Governor Peabody, succeeded in breaking the Cripple Creek and Telluride strikes; but they failed signally in all their attempts to land some of the leaders of the Federation in prison, on trumped-up charges and false confessions.
Again, as the reader will remember. Operative Riddell at Telluride, despite his "brilliant efforts," succeeded no better in finding the "Inner Circle" of the Western Federation of Miners, than did Ponce de Leon in discovering the magical Fountain of Youth. Both failed for the same reason; it is impossible to find that which does not exist The only difference between these two men is, that while Ponce de Leon believed in the existence of the youth-restoring fountain, the Pinkerton Agency knew well enough that there was no such thing as an Inner Circle in the Federation; and Operative Riddell's absolute failure proves that the Agency deliberately fleeced the Telluride Mine Owners' Association, by virtue of the same reputation which is going to figure so prominently in the trial of Messrs. Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone.
One more episode we would request the reader to recall, is the Florence & Cripple Creek derailing case. During the progress of this trial it was proven conclusively THAT THOSE GUILTY OF THE ATTEMPTED CRIME WERE NOT THE UNION LEADERS IN THE PRISONERS' DOCK, BUT THE EVIDENCE POINTED WITH ALMOST ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY TO THE MINE OWNERS' AND RAILROAD COMPANY'S OWN DETECTIVES, SCOTT AND STERLING, WHO ACCUSED THEM SO BOLDLY, AND WHO HOPED TO SECURE A CONVICTION