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Show BLAMES MILITIA OFFICER FOR DEATH j OF STRIKE LEADER ! TRINIDAD, Colo.. May l.---Tho direct ' charge that an officer of the Colorado 1 national guard gave an order to "clean out" the LUdlow tent -olony end burn the tents was made before Lne coroner's jury today by J. R. McDonald, stenographer stenog-rapher for tho military commission. McDonald Mc-Donald testified In the inquest over the Tjudlow victims. The witness said the order was given by cither Major Hamrock or Captain Carson, he was not cerlaia which. McDonald was questioned about the capture and death of Louis Tikas. Grek loader of the strikers. He, said that whll near the scene, of the battle he heard a commotion behind some box cars nnd was told that Tlkas was a prisoner and probably prob-ably -would be hanged. A llttlo later he met Lieutenant E. K. JJnderfelt. He asked Llnderfclt If Tlkas had been hanged. "No." ho testified Llnderfclt replied. "I gave instructions that Tlkas was not to be killed, but I spotted a good rifle." The witness swore that Llnderfelt was carrying hla rifle over his shoulder, stock to the rear, and holding it by tho barrel. Tlie physicians autopsy showed that Ti-kus's Ti-kus's skull was 'fracrured. G. A. Hall, chauffeur, told the jury that ho had heard a militia officer give the order to "clean out" the tent colony and burn the tonts. "That's right, glrllc: have your big Sunday and tomorrow we'll have the roast." This was tho remark of a man wearing a mllllla uniform 011 the day before the battle of April 20, In which the Ludlow tent colony was burned, according to the testimony of Mrs. Pearl .Tolly before the coroner's Jurv at the Ludlow inquest to-dav. to-dav. Tho alleged remark was made lo a woman who had laughed nt four militiamen militia-men who wore Vr'atchlng a baseball game between strikers. Mrs. Jolly did not know the name of the man who she said made the statement. The witness declared that the mllltla turned a machine gun on the tent colony and fired explosive rifle balls into the camp. She swore that she had seen and heard the bullets explode. Shot in Heel. "Several times during ths day of the battle I went from one tent to another and I never once made my appearance without being shot at." she testified. "Once a bullet shot off the heel of my shoe." Mrs. .Tollv gavo her version of he beginning be-ginning of "the battle. She said that on the morning (Monday) after the ball game, four militiamen came to the tent colony and asked Louis Tikas (Louie the Greek) to permit them to arrest a man. who, she said, was not In the colony Tlkas asked them for a warrant and demurred de-murred at a demand to produce the man at the order of the military alone. "Louie said he would like to talk with Major Hamrock," the witness testified. "The major sent word to Louis to come half way to the military camp. Louie went to the designated spot, but Hamrock Ham-rock was not there. Later he went to the Ludlow station and met the major. "After his return to the tent colony, Tikas told me that he saw two machine gun3 near the railroad station. Major Hamrock said he would recall his soldlers If Tikas would control the men In the tent colony. "Tikas was on the way back to the tents when two bombs were fired and the shooting began." ' Mrs. Jolly said Tlkas was not killed until Ihe night of April 20. Sho did not sec the Greek's death. Shfi salrl she stayed In tho lent colony until about S:30 o'clock after the fire had been burning since between 5 and 6. Tho next morning, sho said, ehe aaw from a ranch houso militiamen setting fire to the four or five tents still standing. stand-ing. Mrs. Maggie Donllske gave testimony similar to that of Mrs. Jolly. Lester Killed Feloniously. W'ALSENBURG. Colo.. May 1. The coroner's Jury today returned Its verdict In connection with the killing of Major P. P. Lester, a follows: "Major-Lester wafl killed by a gunshot wound and internal hcinorniage. The killing was felonious and he was shot in the line of duty as a medical official and while bearing a Rod Cros?." Doctors Ira Lahmer and P. G. Mathews testified that the fatal shot entered high on the right breast, cutting the hcavv I blood ve3sels of tho lung.v. that tho two other bullet wounds in tho body were post mortem. |
