Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-07-23
MADE 10 co.
Militia and Convicts Driven Out Of
Briceville, Tenn.
COAL CREEK WILL ALSO ACT.
No RIoOd>hed Reported - Threatening
State OF Affairs Gov. Buchanan Calls
Out All the state NiIItia-A Legal
Question.

crisis in the attempt of the coal miners
OF this district to keep out convicts who
were brought from the state prison at
Nashville has at last been reached
When about 100 armed strikers at
tackled the guards who had charge of
fifty felons at Briceville last Wednesday
night and liberated their charges it was
confidently predicted that this would
be but the beginning of a general
movement throughout the entire mining
district in the state. Gov. buchanan
was Immediately notified and responded
by ordering two companies from Chat
tanooga and one from Knoxville to the
scene. Of the fifty convicts taken from
the guards at Briceville, 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 pro-
tect them at all hazards Gov. Bu-
chanan at once proceeded to the seat Of
trouble and in a 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 the only recourse of the men was
through the legislature. The miners
announced that their families were
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
soldiers and declared that they would
not harm the 'spider-legged, cigarette
smoking dudes" but that as soon as
the militia were withdrawn they would
release every convict in the region
The crisis came at about IL o'clock
when the miners and crowd of sym
pathizers from the surrounding country
gathered around the camp of the state
militia, capturing the troops and con-
victs, marched them to the depot and
put them on a train to Knoxville.
The camp was on little knoll in a
hollow and surrounded on all sides by
mountains The miners and their
friends to the number of 1900 or 1000
were divided into four equal squads
and approached on the four sides of the
square in which the camp was formed
The miners sent rp flag of truce and
sent in a committee to the officer in
command. The committee notified the
officers that they had come to take the
convicts peaceably if possible, by force
IL necessary.
Fifteen hundred of the men were
armed with rifles, the rest had shotguns
and pistols. They came from all the
mines in a radius of fifty miles. The
organization was complete and their
leaders placed them along the hillsides
with military precision. At the call to
arms, the little garrison turned out gal
lantly and prepared for defense. 1t
was apparent at a glance that fight
would result in a massacre and a meet
ing 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
it would be suicidal Yet every one
was in favor of doing his duty notwith-
standing the exposed position they were
TO defend
The miners called a parlcy and were
met on neutral ground by Col Sewer.
They stated that they had sufficient
force to overwhelm the soldiers, but
they did not care to shed blood if the
convicts were quietly turned over to
them. This request vas emphatically
refused
The miners then asked Col. Sewer if
ne 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 it would
not be injured. lie also asked if an
attack would be made on the Knoxville
Iron Co.'S stOckade Just below Brice-
vile. If such was intended, he intend
ed 10 fall back there and fight it out re-
gardless of the consequences. The lead
ers replied that no attack would be
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
there took the train to Knoxville.
The promise not to attack the Knox
Vile company's stock has already been
violated and the $50 convicts at that
place were put on train and sent to
Knoxville.
The mob then started for Oliver
Springs, where they also intended to
hberate the prisoners. The whole of
eastern Tennessee is in sympathy with
the miners and takes great delight in
spreading the lawlessness.
There is a bad feature connected
with the affair which has not vet been
brought out That is the conduct of
the militia that has been on the
grounds Sunday many were al
lowed to go outside to get food and
mingle freely with the miners These
troops told the miners they did not
want to guard the convicts and to come
and get them at once; that they would
not fight them for the convicts. A
Chattanooga company, whose members
largely belonged to trades organiza-
tionS especially acted badly and made
the statements to the miners.
The mob is celebrating its victory by
cheering, carousing and shooting. The
report came from Coal Creek that the
miners declared that no troops could be
landed there There were threats that
they would wreck the trains or burn
railroad bridges.
When the miners made the attack on
the camp Lieut. Chandler, of the Knox
Vile rifles, solicited the colonel as a
volunteer for permission to fight the
mob with his twenty men.
A number of the leaders of the mob
were in the city last night getting all
the information they could of the in
tentions of the governor. Some of the
men returned to Coal Creek on the $50