Denver Colo April 21 1914

Ludlow tent colony which housed 1,200 Colorado striking coal miners burned to ground after four men three women and seven children were murdered. One hundred fifty gunmen in militiamen's uniform and with state equipment have with six machine guns kept up constant attack on men women and children since day break Monday morning Indications are that mine guards intend to murder all strikers who refuse to go to work at companys terms One boy eleven murdered when he ran to get drink water for mother who had lain in cellar Four other children seven to eleven driven back by bullets of uniformed gunmen into blazing tents burned to death Gunmen guard all roads Passengers on trains say fifteen to twenty men and women are lying on prairies in ruins of tent colony Society women offer to nurse injured men women and babes but are refused Score more women and children probably smothered or murdered in most terrible massacre in American industrial history Water supply cut off early Monday Women and babes forced to lie in ditches and cellars 24 hours without food or water Murderous guards are keeping up attack on men and all may be slaughtered Will you for Gods sake and in the name of humanity call upon all your citizenship to demand of the President of the United States and both Houses of Congress that they leave Mexico alone and come into Colorado to relieve these miners their wives and children who are being slaughtered by the dozen by murderous mine guards.

                                                                                       E L Doyle                                                                                  Secretary Treasurer                                                                      Dist. 15 United Mine Workers of America

TWSr, AFL Microfilm Convention File, reel 26, frame 2615, AFL Records.