Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-07-30
RUN OFF THE MILITIA.
TENNESSEE SOLDIERS cAPITU-
LATE TO STRIKING MINERS.

Both the Militiamen and Convicts Are
Loaded Onto Cars and shipped To Knox
vfile-Goy. Buchanan Orders Out All the
Troops I'm the State and Blo0dshed IL
More than Likely 20 Occur.
The crisis In the labor troubles at
Briceville, Tenn, came when the miners
and q crowd OF sympathi7ers from tho
country surrounded the camp of the
State militia, captured the troops and
convicts employed In place OF the strik-
ing miners, marched them of 10 the
depot and put them on train and
shipped them to Knoxville.
The camp was on little knoll in q
hollow and surrounded on all sides by
mountains. About 1000 miners, farm
ers and other natives who have no occu-
patton at all took possession Of the hills
around the Briceville camp Fifteen
hundred OF these were armed with rifles,
the rest had shot-guns and pistols.
They came from oil the mines In
radius of fifty miles. The organization
was complete and their leaders
placed them along the hillsides with
military precision. At the call 20 arms
the little garrison turned out CALAMITY
and prepared for defense IL was an.
parent at glance that a fight would
result In a massacre. A meeting OF the
officers was called. Some declared that
a stout resistance to the first attack
would be sufficient and the mob would
withdraw. Others thought that f.
would be suicidal, yet every one was in
favor of doing his duty, notwithstand-
ing the exposed position they were to
defend. The miners called a parley and
were met on neutral ground by Col.
Sewer. They stated that they had SUI.
ficient force to overwhelm the soldiers,
but did not care TO shed blood II the
convicts were quietly turned over tn
them. This request was emphatically
refused. The miners then asked
Colonel Sewer II he would remove
his troops and take the convicts
with him. He asked what would be
done to the mining company's property,
which was also under his protection.
They replied that 1t would not be in
jured He also asked II an attack would
te made on the Knoxville Iron Com
pany's stockade just te,ow Br,ceville.
II such was intended, he would fall back
there ana fight 1t out regardless Of the
consequences. The leaders replied that
no attack would be made.
The troops then marched out of camp,
taking with them the convi Is. all their
commissary supplies and baggage. They
marched TO Briceville and there were
loaded in box cars or whatever could be
had. and the enuIre lot semitic Knoxville.
sympathy, which has been entirely on
the side of the miners, is now against
them for their lawless at at q time
when everything was being done to re-
lieve the situation, and the great mass
of citizens say the law must be observed
and that Gov. Buchanan must enforce
the law, regardless OF cost
The sentiment is that he must send all
the State troops, who are few and poorly
organized, to the front at once, and put
experienced men and officers in charge.
If ne has not force enough he must call
for volunteers.
A report has been circulated that he
asked the President for 500 regulars, but
the truth of this cannot be verified. 1t
is known that the leaders of the mob
were not miners, either last week or to-
day. One Eugene Merrill led them in
each instance. He is merchant at
Brlceville, but is said TO be determined
man. He spoke in reply to Gov. Blu
chanan last week and really treated the
Governor with indignity. Other leaders
are known. and the entiment is that
they must-r-bo.. arrested and taken
to Nashville as the law pro-
vides, and punished. The miners
have appointed committee TO
see what dispatches shall be
sent out and what not, and this commit
tee or some one of IL is in the tele1r h
Office all the time and reads all the mat
ter sent out by the newspaper men.
The committee, whether self-appointed
or by the miners organization. told the
ocerator on duty at the key that If he
did not let them read the messages they
would cut the wires The wire is pri-
vate one and does all business, including
railroad and train dispatching. There
are reports that the railroad company
will call for special detectives 10 guard
their property.
Another view of the situation Is the
danger TO capital invested at Coal Creek.
Large sums of money ha &c been invest
ed there by men in New York and other
places, and the great development of the
properties is largely due to this money.
of the mob. CITIZENS say sfcihf ehfghy
handed outrage will destroy public con-
fdence, and money will cease to come in
for developments now just started.
There is another bad feature connect
ed with the affair which has not yet
been brought out. That is the conduct
OF the mlilJlb JnuJ mas Occn on THESE
grounds, Many were allowed to go out
side to get food, and they mingled freely
with the miners. These troops tod the
miners that they did not want to guard
the - convicts, and 10 come and get
them at once, that they would not fight
them for the convicts. AS the troops
were marched off the miners jeered and
hooted them, and yelled, Tell Buck to
send some more dudes; we will eat them
as fast as they come"
Citizens say that the insult is to the
entire State and that the Governor must
arrest and punish the leaders.
The mob is celebrating its victory by
cheering, carousing, and shooting. 1t
should be stated that force of 500 men,
properly equipped and led, could subdue
the entire party, for they have no idea
of openly facing a force. They knew
from the statements made them that the
not ,faht--hpt~a avery one
feels that the mob has made a bad mis-
take, aud that they will be subdued. In
other words, they have lost public SYM
patty.