Columbine Mine massacre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Columbine Massacre |
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| Part of the Coal Wars | |||
| Date | November 21, 1927 | ||
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40°01′31″N 105°01′38″W / 40.02528°N 105.02722°W |
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The Columbine Mine massacre was a sad event that happened in 1927. It took place in a town called Serene, in Colorado. This event involved a fight between striking coal miners and the state police. During the conflict, several unarmed miners were shot. Six miners died, and many more were hurt. It's sometimes called the "first Columbine massacre" to tell it apart from other events.
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What Happened Before?
The Columbine mine was located in Serene, Colorado, which was a company town. This meant the mining company owned most of the homes and stores there. Miners had been on strike for five weeks. A strike is when workers stop working to demand better pay or conditions.
For two weeks, the striking miners had been holding morning meetings at the mine. The Columbine mine was one of the few that was still open in Colorado. On November 21, 1927, about 500 miners arrived at the mine's north gate. Some of them brought their wives and children. They carried three United States flags.
In the past, the mine owner's daughter, Josephine Roche, had offered coffee and doughnuts to the picketers. Picketers are people who protest outside a workplace during a strike.
The Police Arrive
On this particular morning, things were different. The Colorado Rangers, a group of state police who had been temporarily stopped from working, were called back. They met the miners at the gate to block their way. The miners were surprised because the Rangers were dressed in regular clothes. But they carried pistols, rifles, riot guns, and tear gas. Mine guards with rifles also stood on a nearby pile of mining waste.
The head of the Rangers, Louis Scherf, asked the strikers, "Who are your leaders?" The miners replied, "We're all leaders!" Scherf told them they couldn't enter the town. The miners paused, discussing their rights. They argued that Serene had a public post office and a school where some of their children attended. One Ranger reportedly dared them, "If you want to come in here, come ahead, but we'll carry you out."
The Fight Begins
A strike leader named Adam Bell stepped forward. He asked for the gate to be unlocked. As he touched the gate, a Ranger hit him with a club. A 16-year-old boy nearby was holding a flag. A Ranger grabbed it, and the flagpole broke during the struggle.
The miners then rushed toward the gate. Suddenly, the police fired tear gas. Tear gas makes your eyes sting and water, making it hard to see. One tear gas grenade hit Mrs. Kubic in the back as she tried to get away. Some miners threw the tear gas grenades back at the police.
Miners at the front, led by Adam Bell, climbed over the gate. Bell was pulled down by three policemen and hit on the head with clubs. He fell to the ground unconscious. A fight broke out around him as miners tried to protect him. Mrs. Elizabeth Beranek, a mother of 16 children and a flag-bearer, tried to shield Bell with her flag. The police turned on her, hurting her badly and taking her flag.
The police later said they used clubs. Scherf stated, "We knocked them down as fast as they came over the gate." Miners claimed the clubs were actually pieces of gas pipe. One striker hit a Ranger in the face, breaking his nose. Another miner used a pocketknife to cut a Ranger's hand. Other strikers threw rocks at the Rangers. A rock hit one Ranger above the eye, causing blood to flow. The police then moved back.
The Shooting
The strikers were very angry. They forced their way through the wooden gate. Jerry Davis picked up one of the fallen flags. Hundreds of angry miners poured through the entrance. Others climbed over the fence to the east of the gate.
The police retreated again. They formed two lines about 120 meters (120 yards) inside the fence, near a water tank. Louis Scherf fired two shots from his .45 caliber gun over the miners' heads. Then, his men started shooting directly into the crowd.
The miners scattered, running for cover. Twelve people were left on the ground. Some were dead, and others were badly injured.
Machine Guns Used
At least two, and possibly three, machine guns were at the mine. Miners later said they were shot at from two places. One was the mine tipple, a structure used to load coal onto railroad cars. The other was a gun on a truck near the water tank.
Six miners died from their injuries:
- John Eastenes, 34, a married father of six, died instantly.
- Nick Spanudakhis, 34, died a few minutes later.
- Frank Kovich, Rene Jacques (26), and Jerry Davis (21) died hours later in the hospital. The Flag of the United States that Jerry Davis carried had 17 bullet holes and was stained with blood.
- Mike Vidovich (35) died a week later from his injuries.
What Happened Next?
Later, the state police said they did not use machine guns during the fight. However, the miners and some people who saw what happened said that machine guns were used. Some witnesses said they saw a mine guard on the tipple who might have used a machine gun there. This could explain why the police and witnesses had different stories. But the machine gun near the water tank was reportedly operated by one of Scherf's men.
