The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-08-24
THE CONVICT MINERS WAR.
TENNESSEE TROOPS CALLED OUT
To Quell the Disturbances. Severe
Fighting at Cove Creek. A Militia
Captain Held as a Hostage.

mine stocSade ut Oliver Springs, Tenn. IL
was defended by 40 guards Before flag OF
truce was shown two guards were fatally in
iured and eight miners shot. The miners
were finally repulsed.
Governor Buchanan ordered the Third
Regiment out and they have left for the
scene of action. The repulse of the miners
Mt Oliver Springs was brought about by the
timely arrival Of 80 picked men as reinforce.
ments to the guards. There are about l0O
convicts at Oliver Springs.
OFFICIALS 1N LEAGUE WITH MINERS. r.
A remarkable change has taken place in
the sentiment of the people in the region Of
the lnman outrages. Judge Moons charge
to the grand jury had the effect of produc.
ing 20 indictments against rioters. These
de cndants will be arrested at once, and
severely dealt with. TIE rioters declare
that armed resistance will be made TO any
effort to arrest the miners. IL has develop
ed that the sheriff of Marion county is
member of the Miners League, and may be
impeached.
Anarchy reins supreme in the mining
regions north of Knoxville, Tenn. Excite
ment there is intense and is heightened by
sthe lack of definite information from the
scene of the trouble, the wires having been
cut. The mob is in actual possession of
property of the East Tennessee Railroad, in
the neighborhood of Coal creek and divers.
They have cut the wires in numerous places,
torn up the tracks in every direction and
captured every locomotive in the mining
D region.
Alta late hour Tuesday night over
thousand miners captured three locomotives
and several empty coal cars at Coal Greek,
and forced the engineers to take them to
Oliver Springs, where about % convicts
were employed in the mines of the Cumber-
Hand Coal Company. They arrived at
Ohvers about o'clock next morning and at
once planned an attack on the stockade
where the convicts were confined.
About o'clock they. assaulted the stock
ade and a lively battle proceeded. The
stockade was defended by 80 picked guards
and n company of 80 miitiamen. Two
companies of National guards, enroute from
Chattanooga via Hartman, were compelled
TO take the side track few miles from Oil
vers on account of displaced rails. Hundreds
of shots were exchanged, but strange to say
no one was injured. Guards and militia
seeing that it was useless to combat q force
of 1000 infuriated and determined men,
quietly surrendered.
The convicts, guards and soldiers were
loaded on train of fiat cars, and the engi-
neer at the point of n Winchester rifle was
compelled to pull the train out in the direc-
ton of Knoxville. The stockade was then
burned TO the ground. Arriving at Clinton,
permission was obtained from the railway
officials TO bring the convicts to this city.
The train which was the only one in or out
for q hours, arrived in Knoxville about
o'clock, and was surrounded by an immense
throng of the curious.
Bulletins posted in the leading buildings
of Chattanooga, Tenn, told the following
story Tennessee to Arms" "Will you
allow your State to be disgraced?" The
miners have captured soldiers. let volunteers
come at once" Lieutenant Royster is in
the nrmory ready to receive volunteers"
bring any kind of weapon you have"
A thousand people stood i'll the drZzling
rain reading these bulletins Terror was
added when Colonel Woolford wired from
Hartman that the 80 Knoxville soldiers
had been captured en- route to Oliver Springs.
Wires were cut and no one could say what
fate they would meet. IL is intimated that
fully 5000 armed miners are in the field in
East Tennessee, and the fight against the
troops is uneven to say the least.
Citizens are very indignant at the course
of Governor Buchanan, and loud threats of
lynchng him are freely made on the streets.
Some of the citizens are forming companies
TO leave for the scene of trouble, and all
kinds of weapons are being gathered for
use in the fight, which is sure to come.
A BATTLE IN PROGRESS.
The telegraph wires to Coal Creek have
been cut. A battle is raging between troops
and miners. Cannonading can be heard in
the distance.
The streets at Knoxville are crowded with
bowling mob and the greatest excitement
prevails.
Five newspapers correspondents who went
10 Coal Creek have been captured by the
miners aud are held prisoners.
Late Wednesday night Governor Buchan'
an was forced to call out the entire State
guard.
Governor Buchanan refused to call out
the entire State militia to quell the riot,
solely TO boost his independent canvass for
reelection. He appeals to the rioters for
voters and declined until the last moment
10 call out the troops against them. The
few at present in the field are without or
ders or leadership and have no fixed pur-
pose. They are simply spectators of the
miners wild work.
THE GOVERNOR CALLS FOR VOLUNTEERS.
The Sheriifs of Knox, Shelby, Hamilton
and Davidson have been ordered to summon
1000 men each and go on special train to
the scene. The Governor claims to be able
to have 5000 men ON the ground by Thurs
day morning.
A private message from Clinton, Tenn,
says: "a courier arrived here at 9:15 P. NJ,
from Coal Creek He says fighting has been
going on all the afternoon. Four soldiers
were killed and their gatllng gun is ont of
order. The Knoxville volunteers and sold1
reach Coal Creek, as the track is loaded with
dynamite
Captain Keller Anderson, who for nearly
a year has held the convicts at Coal Creek,
is in the hands of the miners at last. The
latest reports, which are reliable say that
the battle at Camp Anderson was commen-
ced as early as 10 o clock Thursday morning.
For several hours the firing was not general.
About oclock the miners to the number
of 1000, made an organized assault on the
fort and were successfully repulsed. The
second assault was also easily repulsed
The third attempt resulted in n regular
pitched battle and the gatline guns got in
their work, but to what extent is not known.
Several of the assailants were wounded and
some of them were probably killed, but no
one knows for certain.
CAPTAIN ANDERSON CAPTURED.
Between the first and second assault on the
fort three miners were captured. The strik-
ers sent up q flag of truce to Captain Ander.
son 70 ask for their release. He was expect
ing such message and met the men on
equal grounds He was seized by several ot
them and rushed down the hill and finally
taken to one of the hotels in the village,
where he is guarded by Robert Lindsay, a
Deputy United States Marshal, and mum
ber of friends They are holding him as
hostage, and will not agree to give him up
until troops and convicts are withdrawn
al .tAlA