1001 Stories From the Old West

A Cowboy Detective – Chapter VIII

“United States Troops Fill the Bull‑Pen — My Evidence Convicts Eighteen Union Leaders”

Episode Summary

Chapter VIII is one of the most dramatic and revealing chapters in A Cowboy Detective. It captures the chaos of the Coeur d’Alene labor wars, the violent tactics of union dynamiters, the arrival of federal troops, and the author’s transformation from hunted man to key government witness. It’s a chapter of flight, fire, deception, and justice—told with the raw immediacy only Charles Siringo could deliver.

Key Events of the Chapter

Flight Through the Timber

After escaping Wallace during the union uprising, Siringo and his companion Stark hide in the mountains, sleeping under the open sky. Their first refuge is the cabin of a “sauerkraut Dutchman,” a union member secretly sympathetic to the mine owners. The danger is constant—Siringo notes that he feared the two partners might “blow us into kingdom‑come with giant powder.”

A Wickiup in the Rain

The men build an improvised Indian wickiup deep in the timber. Rain falls, but for one night they “slept the sleep of the just,” a rare moment of peace in the chapter.

A Front‑Row Seat to Chaos

From a mountaintop overlooking Wallace, they watch the unions’ “grand day of reckoning.” Siringo describes the scene with dark humor—especially the lanky man in a stovepipe hat who “hit the high places, twenty feet to the jump” as union gunmen fired over fleeing “scabs.”

The Dead Are Buried, the Town Burns

Union men seize a train to bury their dead. Ivory Bean—whom Siringo saw shot through the heart—is denied burial under the Knights of Pythias ritual. The union insists he be buried as a “scab.”

The Troops Arrive

Trainloads of U.S. soldiers and state militia roll into Wallace. When the American flag is raised near the Carter Hotel, Siringo writes: “My heart broke loose from its mooring… Stark and I gave three cheers for the Star Spangled Banner.”

This moment marks his emotional turning point—his vow to defend the flag “to die and bleed, if necessary.”

The Irish Mother‑in‑Law and the Betrayal

In one of the chapter’s most vivid scenes, Siringo poses as a union miner to gather intelligence from “French Pete’s” Irish mother‑in‑law. She reveals that union president O’Brien and other leaders are hiding in her cellar. When she later describes Siringo to the union men—“pitted with smallpox”—they realize he is the detective they’ve been hunting.

A mob is sent to capture him.

The Army Moves

General Carlin dispatches 25 soldiers to rescue Siringo and Stark. The two men reach the Carter Hotel just in time. Soldiers surround Mrs. Hollihan’s house and arrest O’Brien, Poynton, and others.

Martial Law and the Bull‑Pen

Martial law is declared. Siringo becomes a deputy under Dr. Simms. He helps round up union dynamiters and agitators, filling the “bull‑pen”—a stockade holding hundreds of prisoners. He notes: “Instead of burning me at a stake, they were now begging me for mercy.”

The Frisco Mill Explosion

Siringo recounts how Judge George A. Pettibone led the dynamite attack on the Frisco mill. Pettibone miscalculated the concussion and was blown “up in the tree‑tops,” shattering his hand. The explosion killed and maimed many non‑union miners.

Violence, Arrests, and Narrow Escapes

Siringo describes multiple close calls—angry mobs, dynamiters, and armed union men. In Burk, he nearly loses his life. In the bull‑pen, his appearance causes a riot: “His presence had the same effect as a red flag on angry bulls.”

The Mission Massacre

John Monihan recounts how union dynamiters attacked defenseless men waiting for a steamer—shooting, robbing, and dumping bodies into the river after cutting them open so they would sink.

Testifying Before the Grand Jury

Siringo travels to Murray, Idaho, where union men plan to kidnap him. He spends nights hidden on the mountainside with his Winchester rifle, returning at dawn to testify.

Trials and Convictions

He becomes the star witness in federal court. Eighteen union leaders are convicted, including Pettibone and Tom Whalen. Siringo expresses sympathy only for O’Brien, whom he believes was misled by more violent men.

The End of the Operation

After more than a year, Siringo returns to Denver—only to learn his building in Gem has burned down and his partner has shot a union merchant during the fire. His income is gone, but his work in the Coeur d’Alene is finished.

Themes & Takeaways

Law vs. Vigilantism

The chapter contrasts mob violence with the arrival of federal authority.

Identity and Deception

Siringo’s undercover work—especially his manipulation of Mrs. Hollihan—is central to the narrative.

Violence of the Labor Wars

The Coeur d’Alene conflict was one of the bloodiest labor disputes in Western history.

Loyalty and Courage

From Stark’s steadfast companionship to Siringo’s vow to the flag, loyalty becomes a defining force.

The Price of Justice

Siringo’s testimony convicts eighteen men—but places him under threat from the Clan‑na‑Gael assassins.

Closing Note for Listeners

Chapter VIII is a sweeping, dangerous, and deeply human chapter—one that reveals the violent underside of Western labor history and the courage required to stand against it. It’s a story of mountains, mobs, soldiers, dynamite, and one cowboy detective determined to see justice done