The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1891-07-24
THE LAW DEFIED.
Thousands of Natives in Pos
session at Briceviile.
TENNESSEE MILITIA oyEEAwED.

Utterly Unable to Cope with tho Deter
mined Men They Leave the Mining bis.
trict to Return Observation-Disclosures Tx
citoment Rcigns and Wholesale Blood
shed Likely.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn, July 2t.--Ths
crisis in the trouble between the ousted
miners in this district and the conyicts
who were brought from the state prison
at Nashville, has at last been reached.
When about four hundred armed strik-
ers attacked the guards who had charge
Of fifty felons at Briccviliel last Wednes-
day night and liberated their charges,
it was confidently predicted that this
would be but the beginning of gen.
cral movement throughout the entire
mining district of the state. Gov
ernor Buchanan was Immediately noti-
fed and responded by ordering two
companies from Chattanooga and one
from Knoxville to the scene. OF the
fifty convicts taken from the guards at
Briceyille, two escaped and the others
were brought to this city. When the
militia arrived they took the convicts
along back with them and warned the
mob that they would protect them
at all hazards. Governor Buchanan,
at once proceeded to
The Scene of tho Trouble.
and in his speech explained his position
to the rebellious miners. He told them
that it was his sworn duty to uphold
the law, and if the convict lease system
was wrong he WAS not to blame, and
that the only recourse of the men was
through the legislature. The miners
announced that their families We're
starving and that they were compelled
to drive out the convicts if it cost the
life Of every man in the valley. They
made all sorts of fun of the handful Of
would not harm the "spider-lcsgcd.
cigarette smoking dudes" as they char
acterized the militia, but as soon as
the ~1nilitin We're withdrawn they
would release every convict in
the region. Becoming impatient,
however, ut the delay in recalling the
troops they decided to try to overcome
the troops by force of numbers and sue
ceeded only too we'll.
Troops from Driceville
arrived here at 4 O'Clock. They are all
in good spirits and will return with re-
Inducements. The boys were badly
treated Ey the people Of Briceville, who
seemed to be i'll perfect sympathy with
the lawless element iu Coal Creek val
ley. AT 10 O'clock a. III. 1000 miners,
farmers and natives who have no occu-
patton. at all, took possession of the hills
around the B%riceville camp. Fifteen
hundred Of these were armed with rifles,
tho rest with shot guns and pistols.
They came from all the mines within q
radius of fifty miles. The organization
wss complete and their leaders placed
them along the hillsides with military
precision. At the call to arms the little
garrison turned out calamity and pre-
pared for defense. It was apparent ut q
glance that a fight would result in
A M~assncre.
A meeting of the officers was called.
Some declared that Il stont resistance to
ths first attack would be sufficient and
the mob would withdraw. Others
thought that it would be suicidal, yet
everyone was i'll favor Of doing his duty,
notwithstanding the exposed position
they were to defend. The miners called
q parley and were met on neutral
ground by Colonel Sewer. They stated
they had sufficient force to overwhelm
the soldiers, but did not care to shed
blood if the convicts were quietly turned
over to them. This request was em-
phatically refused. The miners then
asked Colonel Sewer if he would remove
his troops and take the convicts with
him. He asked what would be done
with the mining %..ccmpany's property,
; which was also under his protection.
They replied that it would not be in
iured. He also asked if an attack would
} he made on the Knoxville iron com
I pany's stockade just below Briceville,
If such was intended he intended to
Fall Back There and FigE. It Out
: regardless of the consequences. The
leaders replied that no attack would he
made. The troops then marched out of
camp, carrying with them the %convicts,
all their commissary supplies and bag
gage. They marched to Briceville and
took the train to Knoxville. After the
!, release of the convicts at Briceville
: and the troops and convicts had been
placed on the train, the mob Went to
the mines of the Knoxville Iron COM
pany and surrounded the stoclade and
captured the 125 convicts there with
the guards. They were shipped to
) 4.kAOAtA14C &AAA tiIC Oll lSIS dIO uOH
/ here in On old building under guard. A
call of some labor leaders has been ill.,
: sued for q labor meeting here tonight.
U 1t is reported that the miners at Oliver
Springs have released 1870 converts.
h Excitement Here Is Intense.
Streets are crowded and a diversity of
S opinion is heard. Many of the labor
$ men say the miners have done right.
Troops are being hurried forward. The
p troops here say that the statements
made that they would not fight, but
4 wished the miners to capture the con-
victs. deny the report most vehemently.
The Chattanooga boys show a brave,
i determined mind TO go back to the
: front. Many miners from Jellico and
Newcomb were in the mob.
1 Governor Buchanan received . tele.
y gram from Warden Blevens at Brice.
U Vile that over one thousand men had
gathered between that place and Coal
S Creek, preparatory to marching against
the Briceville stockade. Governor
n Buchanan, who has been guided by tho
utmost caution since the troubles be
gan, at once decided to
Call Out tho Entire Military
Of the state, and for that purpose he i'm
mediately telegrapled each company
g and instructed General j. L. Weakly t.
c r~1-onl ,,,~Aks e.,