Horrid Scene.

The back of their mine strike broken, the I. W. W.'s in Colorado resented it last fortnight when Louis N. Scherf, "hero" of the Columbine Mine "massacre" (TIME, Dec. 5), was posted in Walsenburg, Colo., with his squad of sharpshooting State Police, to watch over the town while the State Industrial Commission parleyed there on the strike. The State Police were in town at the request of Mayor John J. Pritchard, whom the Walsenburg city council declared a virtual dictator during the disturbances. Mayor Pritchard cried: "Bolshevism shall not prosper in Walsenburg as long as I am mayor."

Walsenburg is Colorado's "Wobbly" (I. W. W.) capital. The Industrial Commission, from the "Wobbly" point of view, was certain to whitewash the mine operators for refusing to honor "Wobbly" demands or to admit "Wobblies" to a pay-raise lately given to company-union men. A horrid scene ensued.

The I. W. W. hall in Walsenburg is at the foot of Main Street. There they gathered, there they got excited, there they talked bigger than their strength. They started marching up Main Street. The State Police fell in beside. At Seventh and Main, the policemen diverted the march from passing the court house, where sat the Commission. Out of the "Wobbly" ranks stepped a ragged man and shot a trooper in the groin.

Police shots spattered after the ragged, running man. He dropped. The parade broke back for the "Wobbly" hall, the police in pursuit.

Men argued about what happened at the hall, but soon another "Wobbly" was shot dead, gun in hand, beside the building. Another was wounded picking him up. . . . Last week a coroner's jury pronounced the State Police shooting "unprovoked." State Police and many a Walsenburger wrangled over the verdict.

Great Britain's last coal strike was active from May until November, 1926. In it, many a head was bashed but few shots were fired. But at no time did police or soldiers line up and fire upon marching strikers. At no time did the strikers provoke organized police gunfire by stubborn demonstrations, armed or unarmed.

Conclusions: 1) the I. W. W. in Colorado are callow, emotional, obstinate, primitive; 2) so are the blood-shedding Colorado operators, police, government.