Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-22
TROUBLE AHEAD.
The Miners of Coal Greek VAL
ley Go a Little Too Far.
The Camp of State Militia and Con.
viCtS Captured,
Placed on Trains and Sent Out
of the Region.
THE ENTIRE STATE MILITIA CALLED
OUT BY THE GOVERNOR.
A TELEGRAPH CENSORSHIP EsTAB-
LISHED BY THE RIOTERS.
THE ENTIRE STATE MILITIA GALE
OUT BY THE GOVERNOR.
A TELEGRAPH CENSORSHIP ESTAB
LISHED BY THE RIOTERS.

|
Order to Prevent the Troops from
Reaching Their DestinatiOn-By Their
Unlawful Acts the Miners Cause Re
vnIsiOn of Public Sentiment, and 1t Is
Now Maintained That the Dignity OF
the Law Must BE Upheld at All
Hazards.
BRICEvILLE, Tenn, July 22.-The cri.
sis came at Briceville Monday about II
o'clock, when the miners and crowd of
sympathiZers from the surrounding
country surrounded the camp of the
state militia and captured the troops and
convicts and marched them off to the
depot and put them ON train and
shipped them 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 1 800,
were divided in four equal squads and
approached on the four sides of the
square which the camp was formed in.
The miners sent up a 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
| :onvicts, peaceably if possible, by force
| If necessary.
The officers parleyed awhile and then
agreed to surrender The troops were
allowed to keep their arms and ammuni-
tion, and then troops and convicts
marched to the train. There they were
loaded i'll box cars or whatever could be
had, and the entire lot sent to this city.
They arrived here about 1870 o'clock.
The troops, to the number of 107, all
told, went to the armory of the Knox
vile Rifles, to await the orders of the
governor. The miners made them
promise not to return to Coal Creek.
The convicts were taken to the Jail,
locked up and fed.
The Law Must BE Upheld.
The town is intensely excited. Lead
ing men of all political parties say the
law must be upheld.
sympathy, which had been enlisted
on the side of the miners, is now against
them for this lawless act at time when
everything was being done to relieve the
situation. The great mass of citizens
say the law must be observed. and that
Governor Buchanan must enforce it re-
gardless of cost The sentiment here 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 i'll charge. If he has
not force enough he must call for volun-
teers. A report has been circulated
here that he has asked the president for
500 regulars, but the truth of this can
not be verified.
The Leaders Sot Miners.
1t is known that the leaders of the
mob were not miners One, Eugene Mer-
rift led in each instance. He is a Jim
Grow" merchant at Briceville, but is said
to be a determined man. He spoke in
reply to Governor Buchanan last week
and really treated the governor with in
dignity. Other leaders are known, and
the sentiment here is that they must be
arrested and taken to Nashville, as the
law provides, and punished.
A Press Censorship by the Mob.
The miners have appointed q commit
tee, some of whom are at the telegraph
office constantly and who declare they
will cut the wire if they are not per-
mitted to read all newspaper dispatches.
The wire is u private one, and does all
business, including railroad and train
dispatching There are reports that the
railroad company will call for special
detectives to guard their property.
Encouraging to Capital.
Another view of the situation is the
danger to capital invested at Coal Creek.
Large sums of money have been in
vested there by men in New York and
other places, and the great development
of the properties are largely due to this
money. Costly machinery is exposed to
the fury of the mob Citizens say such
high-handed outrages rs that of Mon
day will destroy public confidence, and
money will cease to come in for con-
tinuance of the development now just
started.
Troops Frnternize with the Mob.
There is another bad feature connected
with the affair which has not yet been
brought out. That is the conduct of the
militia that has been on the ground
Monday many were allowed TO go out
side to get food, and they mingled freely
with the miners. These troops told the
miners that they did not want to guard
the id convicts," and to come and
get them at once; that they would not
fight them for convicts. A Chattanooga
company, whose members largely be-
long to trades organizations, have es-
pecially acted badly, and made the state
ments to the miners.
Citizens here say that the act of the
mohis a direct insult to the governor.
As the troops were marched off, the
miners ieered and hooted. Citizens say
that the governor must arrest and pun
ish the leaders.
The Mob Celebrates Its Victory.
The mob celebrated its victory by
cheering, shooting and getting drunk.
They knew from the statements made
by the troops that they would not fight,
but everyone feels that the mob has lost
public sympathy.
Ugly Threats OF the Miners-
There are threats that they will wreck
the trains OF burn railroad bridges.
Sentiment hare AlAa says she opersfnrs