13 Strikers are Committed For Trial

Charges of Rioting Face Bienfait Miners

Two Killed and Score Injured in Bloody Conflict on Town's Main Street Tuesday. Warrants Issued for Arrest of Sloan, Scarlett, Forkin, who Have Disapeared.

Thirteen of the fourteen strikers arraigned before him were committed for trial by D.A. Wynne-Jones, J.P., at 2.40 o'clock this afternoon, on charges of rioting arising out of the bloody conflict waged on Estevan's main thoroughfare Tuesday afternoon.
One prisoner, Harry Michelowsky, Bienfait, was released. The magistrate did not take the suggestion of Crown Counsel that three others, Joe Leptack, Andy Levie, and Mike Pulhauiski, also be set free. Bail in the case of R.W. Dixon, M. & S. Mine, was set at $2000; the recommendation of the Crown that Metro Uhyrn be allowed out on bail was refused by the magistrate.
H.E. Sampson, K.C., of Regina, and W.J. Perkins, Estevan Crown Prosecutors, conducted the case during preliminary hearing, which was held in the courthouse. R. D. Newsome, Estevan, appeared in behalf of the strikers.
Two men were killed, three more are not expected to live, and a score of miners, police, and citizens were injured by stray bullets and flying missles when 400 strikers and their wives fought a grim battle against local and Mounted Police in front of the town hall Tuesday. Although a special meeting of the Town Council in the morning had refused them permission to parade throught the streets, the strikers attempted to do so in defiance of the edict.

Fourteen Charged Fourteen men were charged when the hearing opened at 10.00 o'clock this morning. They were placed in the jury box. Among them was Mike Pulhauriski, the striker who was found in bed at the M. & S. Mine yesterday afternoon by police with a deep bullet wound in his back; his condition was so weakened that he had to be taken from the courtroom before adjournment was made for the noon recess.
Six of the prisoners had to have portions of the evidence referring to them given through an interpreter. For the most part throughout the proceedings they all maintained a stolid silence with the exception of Martin Day, who several times interrupted the police witnesses by saying "It is a lie."
On the floor was a pile of weapons and missles allegedly taken from the strikers or picked up after the melee was over. There was an old rifle with its butt broken, and axe, a loaded club, a baton whittled from the trunk of a small tree, heaps of heavy iron washers three inches in diameter, and chunks of metal.
Fifteen policemen gave testimony, three of them from the town force. Two citizens, Councillor Jas. Parkinson and John Mather, also gave evidence. Several of the policemen were still wearing thick white bandages over wounds they received in the fracas.

Claim Day First From the evidence of crown witnesses, all the prisoners were identified as having been at the scene of the riot, although it was not definitely established that all had taken part in it. Sgt. John Molyneaux, the first witness, stated that the first blow of the fight was struck by Martin Day of the Crescent Mine, who was the official delegate of the local unit at the recent Mine Workers' Union in Calgary. Molyneaux said that Daq rushed up the street with a stick in his hand, leading a band of strikers and shouting "Come on, boys, come on. Give it to them." Day had struck Chief McCutcheon, Molyneaux stated, and when the police attempted to arrest him, Joe Bernatos, who was close behind him, had drawn a loaded rubber club from beneath his coat and wielded it on the chief's head and shoulders. The melee had the broken loose.

List of Arrests All strikers confined to hospital here and at Weyburn are under arrest, and police are guarding them in the event of their attempting to escape. Thirteen others who were arrested following the riot appeared Tuesday before D. A. Wynne-Jones, J.P. of Bienfait, and were held until Wednesday morning. Five are in the town police cells and eight in the cells at the courthouse. Thier names are: R. W. Dixon, M. & S. Mine; Alex Petryk, Winnipeg; John Kolemkas, M. & S. Mine; Harry Michelowski, Beinfait; Martin Day, Bienfait; John Grycuik, M. & S. Mine; Andy Levie, Bienfait; Peter Smarx, M. & S. Mine; Metro Uhyrn, Bienfait.
Three women, Mrs. Alex Boruk, Stella Boruk, and Ellen Pryznyk, were arrested immediately following the riot but were later released.

85 Police here Although complete calm has prevailed over the strike sector since the riot, police vigilance has not relaxed for a moment. Reinforcements of 45 officers under Inspector Carnock arrived in a special train from Regina over the C.N.B. at midnight on Tuesday, joining the detachment which had repulsed the strikers under Inspector Moorhead and swelling the total number of R.C.M.P. to 85.
Patrols thread the mining areas incessantly through the night, the officers armed with rifles and revolvers. Three machine guns are mounted in readiness for an outbreak. Extra policemen do sentry duty on the streets of Estevan. The district engineer and the engineer and the gerneral staff officer of Military District No. 12 reported to be in town late last night, making arrangements for billets in case militia has to be moved in from Regina.
At ten minutes after midnight on Tuesday, while the nerves of the police and public were still on edge following the bitter reign of terror of the afternoon, a pistol shot cracked the stillness of the night. It was believed to have been fired in the vicinity of the railway tracks. Officers stationed at the moment on Fifth St. made an immediate search of the street and lane, but the source of the mystery shot was not discovered and remains unknown.

Strikers Are Bitter Bitterness expressed by several of the miners in Bienfait yesterday afternoon might be taken as indication that there will be attempts on the part of the union at reprisal. Although none of the strike leaders could be reached, some of the men claimed that the fate of their parade had made them "stronger than ever." They were unable to refer to the police without the use of unprintable adjectives.
Harry Hesketh, Secretary of the union, sent the following telegram to the headquarters of the Farmers' Unity League in Saskatoon:

"Brutal and unwarranted attack by R.C.M.P. on peaceful miners' motor car parade whilst going through Estevan, resulting in the slaughter of miners and their families. Three killed outright; many severely injured. Considerable number of men and women arrested. Rush all support at once."

The executive committee of the union was understood to have held a secret meeting yesterday, but nothing could be learned ragarding decisions.

Jury Empanelled Called to Estevan immediately after the riot, Dr. M. H. McDonald of Griffin empanelled a coroner's jury, members of which are: W. Nichol, foreman; J. A. Smith; D. A. McNeil; H. Holmgren; Allan Pyper; George Macready; E. Pierce, Sr. After the bodies of the two fatalities in the shooting were viewed the inquest was adjourned until two o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, when it reopened in charge of H. E. Sampson, K.C., who had arrived from Regina. When it was found that one of the bodies could not be positively identified, and also that more deaths from the fracas were possible owing to the grave conditions of at least three of the wounded men, the inquest was further adjourned until a week from Friday.

Seek Strike Leaders Carrying warrants for the arrest of Jas. Sloan, Martin J. Forkin and Sam Scarlett, outside organizers of the strike, a motorcade of 60 Mounted Police proceeded to Bienfait shortly after noon on Wednesday under command of Inspector Carnock and Staff Seargent Mortimer. All the officers carried revolvers and several bore Lee-Enfield rifles. They rode in 10 cars and a patrol wagon. Protruding from the rear end of the wagon was the muzzle of a squat Lewis machine gun, mounted for action.
Dashing into Bienfait the policemen disembarked and quickly surrounded the Boruk restraunt, in which the three organizers were reported to be hiding. A thorough search of the premises and close inquiries about the village failed, however, to produce any clue as to the whereabout of the men.
Leaving Bienfait, the patrol visited each of the mining camps of the field, in vain search. At the M. & S. Mine a striker was found who was injured in the back in Tuesday's riot. At first he declared he had had the wound for some time but finally admitted he received it in the fracas. He was treated by the R.C.M.P. doctor, Colonel Frederick Guest, who arrived in town Tuesday night from Regina, and who was with the motorcade. After his wound was dressed the man was placed under arrest and taken to Estevan Hospital. His name is Mike Pulhauriski.

Said To Have Flown The police returned to Estevan withought having secured any trace of Sloan, Forkin, or Scarlett. Rumours are prevalent that the three leaders left Bienfait late Tuesday night in a car, headed for the northern part of the province. The R.C.M.P. detachments throughout Saskatchewan have been warned to keep on the watch for them. If apprehended they will probably be charged with inciting to riot. Jas. Sloan, whose home is in Calgary, is Dominion president of the Mine Workers' Union of Canada, and played a prominent part in the organization of the local unit of that body. Press dispatches from Lethbridge last night stated that he is known as the leader of a radical wing of the Union, and is alleged to be affiliated with the Communist party of Canada. The Union, it is further claimed, is organizing mining fields through the West for a general attack on operators. Martin J. Forkin of Winnipeg, official organizer of the National Unemployed Association, is acting secretary of the local union. When news of the Estevan fracas spread to Regina, Communists of that city were reported exclaiming "God help them if they killed Forkin." The third leader of the local strike, Sam Scarlett comes from Saskatoon. He was formerly a labor organizer in the United States. On Monday afternoon police seized the papers and belongings of the three in the house at which they were boarding in the east end of town.

Commission Underway After several postponements pending federal government efforts at conciliation negotiations, the Royal Commission investigation into the complete strike situation got underway on Wednesday morning. Vested with authority by both provincial and federal governments, His Honor Judge Wylie opened the inquiry at the Courthouse. W. J. Perkins appeared as counsel for the Commission. W. W. Lynd was acting in behalf of the Saskatchewan Coal Operators Association, and J. Galloway was present in the interests of 22 operators of smaller mines in the field. The disturbance of Tuesday, however, resulted in a complete absence of striking miners, while evidence comes first on the order paper of the COmmission. The sittings were therefore deterred until Monday next, at which time it is expected at least six will be ready to present grievances. W. H. S. Glew is secretary of the Commission.

Cancel Agreement In the meantime the situation with regard to the actual strike remains practically unchanged. There has been only one major development since last Thursday, when negotiations conducted by M. S. Campbell, chief conciliation officer of the Dominion, collapsed. On Saturday the small mine operators of the field, who had signed agreements recognizing the union, withdrew from these declarations. Apart from that there is nothing new. The strike seems no nearer settlement. It's expected, however, that as the strikers air their grievances before the Royal Commission and steps are taken to adjust these, the strike-cloud will lift.