The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1891-07-29
SOLDIERS HAD TO RUN.
THE TENNESSEE MINERS ARE
UP IN ARMS.


The crisis in the labor troubles at
Briceville, Tenn, came when the miners
and crowd OF sympathizers from the
country surrounded the camp OF the
State militia, captured the troops and
convicts employed in place of the strik-
Ing miners, marched them off to the
depot and put them on q train and
shipped them to Knoxville.
The camp was on little knoll in a.
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 all the mines i'm o.
radius OF fifty miles. The organization
was complete and their leaders
placed them along the hillsides with
IN ilitary precision. AT the call TO arms
| the little garrison turned out CALAMITY
! and prepared for defense. 1t was APP
! parent at glance that fight would
result in q massacre. A meeting of the
I officers was called. Some declared that.
stout resistance to the first attack
would be sufficient and the mob would
withdraw. Others thought that it,
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 suf-
! ficient force to overwhelm the soldiers,
! but did not care to shed blood il the
convicts were quietly turned over 10
them. This request was emphatically
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 to the mining company's property,
which was also under his protection.
| They replied that it would not be in
| jured He also asked if an attack would
| he made on the Knoxville Iron Com
pany's stockade just below Bricevile.
| II such was intended, he would fall back
there and fight it out regardless OF tho
| consequences. The leaders replied that
no attack would be made.
The troops then marched out of camp,
| taking with them the convicts, all their
| commssary supplies and baggage. They
marched to Bricevile and there were
| loaded in box cars or whatever could be
| had, and the entire lot sent TO Knoxville.
sympathy, which has been entirely on
| the side of the miners is now against
| them for their lawless act at a time
| 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 he 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
Briceville, 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 sentiment is that
they must be 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 it is in the tele 9ra h
Office all the time and reads all the mat
ter sent out by the newspaper men.
or by the miners organization. told the
OPERATOR on duty at the key that If he
did not let them read the messages they
would cut the wires. The wire is a pri-
vate 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.
Another view of the situation is the
danger to capital invested at Coal Creek
Large sums of money ha re 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
Costly machinery is exposed TO the fury
of the mob. Citizens say such high
handed outrage will destroy public con-
fidence, 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 militia that has been on these
,ounds, 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 - convcts, and TO come and get
them at once, that they would not fight
them for the convicts. AS the troops
were marcnel OH the miners Jeereu ana
hooted them, and yelled, Tell Back 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 Cover nor mus.
arrest and punish the leaders.
The mob is celebrating its victory by
cheering, carousng, and shooting. 1t
| shou'd be stated that n force of 500 men,
properly equipped and led, could subdue
the entire party, for they have no idea
of openly facing n force. They knew
| from the statements made them that tho
troops would not fight but every one
| feels that the mob has made bad mis-
take, and that they will be subdued. In
other words, they have lost public SYM
pathy.
Tur lonoost dav of tho vasr bas nipa