St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-10
DESPERATE MINERS.
Tennessee WoPkingmen in a
Frame Of Mind to Do Mis-
chief.
They Threaten to Release and
Drive Convicts Out Of the
State.
Coal Operators Are Fearful
That the Threat Will Be
Executed.
Philadelphia Appraisers in a
Tight Box on Serious
Charges.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn, Sept. 9.-Informa-
ton reached here tonight from Brice-
vile and Coal Creek and shows an
alarming condition of affairs. Whether
it is bluff for the legislature or IN
earnest remains to be seen. 1t is stated
that the miners have determined to turn
loose the 200 convict miners employed
by the Knoxville Coal company. Dur
ng the last trouble with the miners the
convictS were turned out of the stock
ade and sent to Knoxville the same day
that the eonvicts and troops were cap
tured at Briceville.
Since they were returned and put to
work matters have been going along
smoothly, but it seems that the free
miners have now determined to play
desperate game. The coal-mining sea-
son is opening with rush, and with no
disturbance the mines could not fill
their orders. Operators do not know
what to do. Whether the miners will
attack the convicts or not remains to be
seen, but there is. great uneaSineSs in
the entire district tonight. and a
gentleman who is thoroughly posted
on the situation says the public need
NV W oOl IL ONOlJ NOHNiCl Ill bllC
district is released within twenty-four
hours. The convicts in the Oliver
Springs district will also be released
The programme this time is not to send
the conVictS to Knoxville or any other
place and surrender them to the author
tiles, but to turn them free in the mount
AIMS and
Run Them Gut of the State
into Kentucky. Another alarming re-
port is that the forty or fifty free miners
whom the Tennessee Coal Miners COM
pany has been working during all the
trouble over the conyicts have been
notified that they must leave the mines.
and if they continue to work they will
be killed. A gentleman who is largely
Interested in the mines says the dis
turbance has SO alarmed the operators
that it will paralyze all developments
in the region, which was beginning
to develop rapidly. He says that not
only will the capital now invested lie
idle, but that the large sums coming
from the East will cease. He says the
effect upon Knoxville and East Ten
nessee, which depends upon the mining
industry. will be ruinOus unless some
settlement is reached at once. He is of
the opinion that there is plenty of work
for cOnvictS and free miners, and
anywhere with so lutte interfer-
ence to free labor. He says the
present trouble arose over what was
largely sentiment, as only about $50
men were affected, and they could all
have secured work. On the other hand
all labor organizations are more deter
mined than ever that no conYicts shall
be worked in the mines. 1t is stated
that one cause of the renewal
of the disturbance at Brice-
vile is the opinion of the state
attorney general, which was submitted
to the legislature. He held that the
lessees had no authority to sub-let the
conyictS. The miners, learning of this
fact and seeing nothing done to remove
them from the mines. propose to get rid
of them themselves. Con servatiVes are
hopeful that the miners will not commit
any outbreak until the legislature takes
some definite action.
NASHVILLE. Tenn. Sept. 0.-The
proposition submitted by the Tennessee
Coal, Iron 81 Railroad company, looking
to new and extended lease, was re-
jected by both the senate and the house
to-day, the vote in each branch being
unanimous. Mr.Curtis' bill to empower
the government to summon and main
tain military and other forces to sup
press riots " as passed by the senate.