Dempsey, L. Walter, Stenographer's Notes, 1917 (C3016)

1 folder, originals and photocopies

INTRODUCTION

Shorthand notes taken during the investigation of the Lead Belt Riots in St. Francois County, Missouri, in 1917.

DONOR INFORMATION

The Dempsey Stenographer's Notes were donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri by V. Lonnie Lawson on 13 June 1977 (SHS Accession No. 2089).

HISTORICAL SKETCH

In July 1917 native born lead miners attacked foreign miners in Flat River in St. Francois County, Missouri, and forced them and their families to leave the area. The riots spread to other lead mines in the area and were the culmination of tensions between the native born and foreign miners. Lead was an important material for the American war effort during World War I and the riots threatened to disrupt production. Missouri state troops soon entered the county to quell the disturbances.

An investigation into the cause of the riots was started and a grand jury handed down over 100 indictments in August. L. Walter Dempsey was the clerk of the Federal Lead Company, and he was commandeered by the state militia to take the statements of people brought in for questioning.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

Sixteen pages of shorthand notes were probably given to the donor V. Lonnie Lawson when he interviewed L. Walter Dempsey in 1975 for his research on the Lead Belt Riots while he was a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia. The research was published under the title The Lead Belt Mining Riot of 1917. Chapter six is a transcription of Dempsey's notes. Dempsey's own transcription of the notes has been lost.

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.

• Dempsey, L. Walter
• Strikes and lockouts, 1910s