The
Pinkerton Labor Spy
by
Morris Friedman

CHAPTER IV.

NO. 43, JOSEPH F. GADDEN, AT COLORADO CITY.
NO. 23, J. H. CUMMINS, AT FLORENCE.
NO. 9, PHILANDER P. BAILEY, AT VICTOR.

The exposure of No. 5 encouraged the striking millmen at Colorado City very much, as it seemed to them an augury of success, but they were mistaken.

Manager MacNeill did some rapid thinking. The strikers were quiet and orderly, and had no intentions of returning to work unless their demands were granted, as they received ample support from the Western Federation of Miners. His smelter was in bad shape for want of competent help. To get new men was impracticable. Operative Crane had been exposed. Clearly, then, the strikers so far had the best of the situation, and would win the strike by simply watching and waiting. But this would never do.

Nor did it take Mr. MacNeill long to decide upon a course of action. He held a conference with Sheriff Gilbert, of El Paso County, and then left for Denver, where he lost no time in calling upon Governor James H. Peabody. He handed the governor a letter from the sheriff, stating that there were armed mobs in control of Colorado City who were resisting the laws of the state, and threatening to commit felonies; the sheriff was unabh to cope with the situation, and prayed for military assistance.

Governor Peabody immediately ordered the militia to Colorado City, to the surprise and indignation of every intelligent inhabitant of the state.

The mayor and city council of Colorado City sent a message of protest to the governor and assured him that everything was quiet, and that there was absolutely no need of the military. But nowadays, of what weight is the statement of a mayor and city council as opposed to the word of a corporation general manager?

The first acts of the troops, upon their arrival at the scene, proved what kind of peace they were sent down there to preserve. They drove the union pickets from their posts, invaded the union hall while the men were holding a regular meeting, and marched up and down the quiet streets of Colorado City with a swagger. To describe fully the foolish sayings and doings of the military at Colorado City and Governor Peabody at Denver would take too much valuable space. Therefore, we will, instead, see what Manager MacNeill did to repair the loss he sustained in the exposure of No. 5.

The Agency felt the exposure more keenly than Mr. MacNeill, as it meant decreased earnings for them. They at once began to hunt for a man capable and willing to resume the operation, and in a few weeks found what they were looking for in the person of Joseph F. Gadden, styled No. 43.

Supt. Fraser, of the Denver Agency, then wrote Manager MacNeill that he had an excellent operative available to take up the thread of No. 5's work. Mr. MacNeill replied by return mail to send him forward at once. And go forward he did.

But he had a hard time right from the very start. The union men were on the alert and suspicious of every new-comer, and in order to further protect themselves, passed a resolution that no stranger to town be admitted to membership in the union.

The following report of No. 43 will give the reader an idea, how suspicious the Colorado City smeltermen were of strangers at this time. The romantic vileness of the detective trade is well brought out with unconscious art. The episode of "the young man John" deserves not to slumber in the Pinkerton archives.

Dear Sir:—

OPERATIVE NO. 43 REPORTS:
Colorado City, Colo., Thursday, April 9, 1903.

This morning I walked around town for a while and met a few of the mill men, but nothing of interest occurred. At 9.30 I helped a brother of the secretary of the union here, who has a van, move a lady to Colorado Springs. He questioned me all the while regarding myself and my business, but of course learned nothing.

After dinner I met Gilbert, Nichels, Burr, Elder and Aberlene at the Hoffman bar, where we had some drinks. Some of the men got the drinks on credit from Hames, while others borrowed some cash of him.

There was considerable talk about the club house to be built by the U. S. R. & R. Company, some claiming it would be a good thing, and others claiming it was done simply to get the good feeling of the people here.

I was with these men quite a while when Nichels and Elder left us and went to the pool hall, and I went to my room until supper time.

After supper I met a young man, tall, dark-complexioned, who wears a stiff hat, and who told me he was one of the first three men discharged from the Standard Mill. I have not yet learned his name, but they call him John. We went to the pool hall and there met Gilbert, Elder, DeLong, King and Epperson. Epperson and DeLong wanted me to play pool and they took off their coats. I saw it was their scheme to get me to take off my coat, and I handed it to the young man John, who went to the other end of the hall with the garment and went through the pockets. I played two games of pool, giving him plenty of time, knowing he would find nothing, and then the crowd broke up.

I took the car to Colorado Springs and received instructions to call on Mr. Hawkins. Upon my return to Colorado City I met John and Epperson, and talked a while with them, and when Epperson left, John told me his people had gone away and he didn't have any place to sleep, so I invited him to come to my room.

At my room I showed him my books and the lessons I am taking through a correspondence school, and told him I had to get a lesson every night, and I made a pretense of studying it, and he looked through my trunk while I was writing.

After we got to bed he got confidential, and told me they had had lots of trouble with detectives, had had one named Cane, or something of that sort, and four others whom he did not know, and that the union kept two men themselves to watch the newcomers. We talked until 2.30, when we went to sleep. I know that I am watched, and must be cautious for some time to come.

Friday, April 10, 1903.

This morning I took John to breakfast, and he then asked me to lend him $1.50. I pulled out about $3.00, which I showed him, telling him it was all I had, but he could have $1.50 if he would pay it back Saturday, as it was his payday, and he promised to do so. I also told him I would have to get work next week; then after leaving him, I laid down and took a nap, as I wasn't feeling very well.

After dinner I was out for a while and met a few of the men, but nothing of interest occurred, and I discontinued early.

Yours respectfully, .......................

Having foreseen the trouble at Colorado City, Mr. MacNeill had also prepared for war in another direction, namely in Florence, Colo., where his company also operates a large reduction plant. At this point J. H. Cummins, No. 23, and subsequently operative *T. J. Conibear, No. 18, were doing excellent work. Very little of importance ever occurred in Florence, yet we will give an extract from the report of No. 23, to illustrate the care taken by the Agency and the trust to keep the men at each of the company's plants under surveillance.

At the time these events were transpiring the superintendent of the company's plant at Florence was John Q. MacDonald, who was also mayor of Florence and a colonel of the National Guard. Indeed, during

* Operative Conibear both preceded and succeeded Operative Cummins. Cummins only worked temporarily on this operation, due to the fact that one night, Operative Conibear, while riding down hill from work, fell from his bicycle and was almost killed. His fellow-workers and the B. P. O. Elks, of which he was a member, took the best care of him; but after he recovered he resumed the operation, and subsequently served quite a long while as President of the Florence Millmen's Union.

Governor Peabody's administration any mine owner or mill manager who cared for the position could become a colonel or general of the state militia, merely for the asking.

Dear Sir:—

OPERATIVE NO. 23 REPORTS:

Florence, Colo., Wednesday, Feb. 25, 1903.

I went to the mill at 7.35 this morning and worked in the barrel room from 8.00 o'clock until 4.00 P. M., getting the lime ready for charging the barrels. During the afternoon Mr. MacDonald visited the barrel room, and while here told me to call at his residence this evening. While Mr. MacDonald was in the barrel room, I was busy helping charge one of the barrels and took out a sample of the ore.

After Mr. MacDonald had left, head barrel man Duckett told me that whenever Mr. MacDonald or any of the foremen were present, the sample of ore must be taken out a little at a time from each hopper. The way the sample is usually taken is all at one time, and from only one hopper. I then made the remark that when the foremen were present everything had to be done a certain way, and it didn't make much difference when the foremen were not present. Duckett said we had to be a little more particular when the manager or foremen were around. All of the men in the chlorinating department seemed to be doing a good shift's work.

I left the mill at 4.10 P. M. and went to town with John Edwards, Jim Edwards and Horace Mann, and John Edwards told me he would have to think a long while before he went on a strike at the mill, as he was in the strike two years ago at the National Mill, and that all those who made the trouble and did the agitating were single men who when they lost their positions could leave town and go elsewhere, leaving the married men and those who had homes to get along as best they could. He further said he believed there were a good many others who looked at the situation in the same way as he did, and that it would take some strong talk and urging to get a majority of the men at the Union Plant to go out on a strike.

At 7.15 to-night I called on Mr. MacDonald at his residence, and he said he was anxious to know if anything was being done by the union men here towards giving assistance to the striking mill men, as he expected something would be done either to-day or to-morrow toward that end. I told him nothing had been done as yet, but I rather expected some one would soon be here to try and organize the men at the Union Plant. He told me that in case a union was organized I should become a member, but not to take a very active part, as he expected to discharge the union men as soon as he got their names, and he did not want to draw the men's attention to me being a union man and still being kept at the mill. Mr. MacDonald then gave me his telephone number and post office box number, and told me that if anything important transpired, I should let him know by telephone or mail to his post office box. I assured him I would let him know immediately if anything was done to get assistance of the men who were working at the mill.

After leaving Mr. MacDonald's residence I went to the National Saloon, where I met Barney Bramhall. I asked him if he had heard anything in reference to the strike, and he said he had not.

I visited the Palace, Opera House, Carroll's and the Miners' Exchange saloons. At the latter place I met mill men Jones, Barker and Fry, and I talked with them and asked them if they had heard anything new concerning the mill men's strike at Colorado City, and they replied in the negative. I stayed at the Opera House Saloon until 10.30 P. M., but learned nothing of importance. I then left the saloon and discontinued.

Yours respectfully, .......................

The strike of the mill and smeltermen received the greatest attention in the Cripple Creek District. The miners in this district realized the gravity of the situation better than any one else. They knew that if Manager MacNeill succeeded in operating his smelters with non-union labor, the Western Federation would order them out on strike in order to shut off the supply of ore. A general strike of this kind was a very serious matter.

A number of the mine owners employed Agency operatives to watch the Cripple Creek unions, and below we will quote a report of operative Philander B. Bailey, No. 9, who was employed by the Woods Investment Company, and worked as a practical miner on the Wild Horse Mine. The report of a union meeting ought to be blood-curdling. Let us see what a refined spy, who abbreviates bad language, says.

Dear Sir:—

OPERATIVE NO. 9 REPORTS:
Victor, Colo., Saturday, February 2lst, 1903.

I reported at the mine for work this morning, and at 7 A. M. we went below. I worked in the Underhand Stope on the 8th level. Francis Herman, James Wasley and Tom Gaynor worked in this stope to-day. Herman spoke (as he always does) in harsh terms about the mine owners and superintendents. He also said there are a lot of S. O. B.'s in this camp, who are ever ready to do the mine owners' bidding. To this Wasley said, "Why in Hell don't the union drive these scabs out of the camp! If they (the so-called scabs) were in Butte City, Montana, they would have to hit the grit, and that quickly, too." Wasley came from Butte to this district.

We worked until 11 A. M., when we went to surface for lunch. Nothing of interest occurred during lunch time, and at 11.30 A. M. we went below to work again. We worked until 3.30 P. M., when we went to surface and home, arriving in Victor at 4 P. M.

After supper I went up-town and spent the evening about the resorts of the men until 7.30 P. M. During the evening I met Arthur Evans, Jack and Fred Minister, Chauncey Williams and Harry McGuigan. Evans is working at the Portland, the Minister boys at the Deadwood, McGuigan at the Independence, and Williams at the Wild Horse. None of these men think the strike at Colorado City will extend to this district.

At 7.30 P. M. I went to the union meeting. The ballot was open to-day from 1 until 8 P. M. (at union hall) for the purpose of voting on the compulsory insurance now existing at the mines of the district, to determine whether the union submit to being compelled to pay the present rate of insurance, 3 per cent., or not. I heard several people say to-night that the Woods people are the only mine owners of the district who compel their employees to pay this insurance, and that at other mines it is optional with the men employed. This balloting will be continued next Saturday, February 28th, 1903.

At 7.30 P. M. lodge opened in due form, with an attendince of about 75 members. There were three initiations. After nominating officers for the ensuing term, the lodge proceeded to the regular dispatch of business.

There has been a standing committee for some time for the purpose of waiting on some of the mine superintendents in regard to working their men overtime. During the past week the committee waited upon the management (so they said) of the Gold Coin, Independence and Portland mines. The committee reported that the management of these properties promised them that they would not have their men work overtime except when really necessary. The committee's report was received, and the committee discharged.

After the regular business was disposed of, Mr. Mangon and John C. Sullivan, President of the State Federation of Labor of Colorado, addressed the meeting. Mangon was in Colorado City in charge of the striking mill men, I believe, from Sunday last until Wednesday last, at which time he was relieved by a Leadville man named, I believe, Burr or Berg. I could not exactly understand the name, but think it is Burr. Mangon stated that since the men went on strike at the mill, there has been something like 150 men who have joined the millmen's union at Colorado City. He said that he, Mangon, and Charles Moyer; President of the Western Federation, held a consultation with Mr. Fullerton, of the Telluride Mill, and that Fullerton made more concessions to them than they thought he would make. Fullerton told them (so Mangon said), that he will not discriminate against any man, let him be union or non-union, and that he (Fullerton) will not pay his men less than $2.00 per day. Mangon said that MacNeill is a S. O. B., and that he (MacNeill) may wish before this trouble is settled that he had not started anything.

Mangon said that he talked with an engineer who switches the ore to the mill where the men are on strike, and the engineer told him that the railroad men are ready to quit pulling ore to this mill at any time that their union (the railroad men's union) says 'stop.'

Mangon said that the Federation will not call the miners of this district out except as a last resort, but if the trouble cannot be adjusted in any other way, that the men of some of the mines here will be called upon to stop work. He named as the principal contributors of ore to the United States Mill, the Strong, Independence and Hull City Mines. He also said the coal miners are ready to make a stand for the mill men whenever they are called upon to do so.

Sullivan made quite a lengthy speech, but confined his talk mostly to bills which are now before the legislative body, the eight-hour bill being the principal one. He told the union that the only hope he has for the men at Colorado City to win out, is, for the smelter trusts and the Mine Owners' Association to hitch on the treatment and handling of ore. He (Sullivan) further said that if the miners of this district should be called out, that they will stand as a unit in behalf of the strikers at Colorado City. He said, too, that the present legislature will pass no law which will better the condition of the working people, and that all trusts and combines are against organized Labor, and especially the Western Federation of Miners. At 11.20 P. M. lodge adjourned to meet next Saturday evening at 7.30 P. M.

Charley Stuart and I took a drink at the Monarch, and I discontinued.

Yours respectfully,

The reader will note that the operative's report of the regular meeting of Victor Miners' Union No. 32 W. F. M. does not contain one word about secretly killing any one, or blowing up any property. Yet this is the kind of business the union should have transacted, if they wished to live up to the reputation Mr. James McParland has assiduously tried to give them both. As a matter of fact, if the files of the Pinkerton Agency were examined to-day, not a report would be found showing a single item of actual incriminating evidence against the miners, unless it is a crime of itself for workingmen to come together and transact ordinary lodge business. But of this later.

After the state troops had been in Colorado City for about two weeks, the governor, fearing they might die of ennui there, recalled them to Denver, and appointed an advisory board to try and settle the trouble by arbitration.

The board succeeded, after considerable work, in patching up a truce between the Federation and Manager MacNeill, and Mr. MacNeill was given until May 18th, 1903, to carry out the articles of agreement. The terms of settlement were, recognition of the union, an eight-hour day, a small increase in wages and reinstatement of all old employees.

When it became known that an agreement had been reached, there was much rejoicing all over the state, and everybody prepared for an era of prosperity and happiness.

But there were five elements which were a bar to the continuance of peace: Manager MacNeill, who had no idea of keeping faith with his men; the Agency, which preached war to the knife against the Western Federation of Miners; Governor Peabody, who at best was a toy in the hands of corporation managers; the Cripple Creek Mine Owners' Association, which was leagued to crush the Federation of Miners; and Sherman Bell, Adjutant General of the State of Colorado, generally regarded as a hare-brained adventurer, scarcely to be trusted with the guardianship of a pigpen, let alone the military forces of a great state.

Chapter V. Operative No. 42, A. W. Gratias.