Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-08-15
THE MINERS DEFIANT
Determined to Put an End to
Convict Competition.
THE MILITARY READY TO MOVE.

Governor Buchanan Says He Is Going to
Stop the Trouble for All Time--NIore
Dead Convicts Enthusiastically TrOu-
bIe--Great Anxiety.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Aug. 15.-Three
COMETS were found dead yesterday, rid
died with bullets. Matt Wilson, another
convict, was killed in the night, and John
Smith is dying These five uncoupled the
train and attempte escaped. 1t is feared
that the Inman mines will be attacked, and
the so guards who brought the So Tracy
City convicts here were sent flying
there.
Governor Buchanan is very nervous and
anxious over the Inman convicts, some
400 in all. He is waiting to hear from
sheriff of Grundv county, who wired him
yesterday that he would probably call for
the troops to-day.
Gov. Buchanan said last night ~ am
tired of this foolishness, and l am going
to put stop to it for all time. l am go
ing to issue proclamation Offering big
reward for the leaders. If nothing else
happens, and if anything else does hap
pen, then upon their heads | will hurl
the swords of the Tennessee National
Guard"
Tom Carrick, the leader of the miners,
wrote yesterday that this was only the
beginning; that the miners had been i'm
posed on by standing army who insult
ed them with their airs, and that soon
the flames shall crackle in the stockades
at Inman and Coal Creek. The miners
have held meetings every night for week
past in the valley, and have sworn that
the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railway
Company shall not operate the mines in
| that region again. They swear also that
| the State shall take it's convicts away and
| only free labor can operate the mines if
| they are ever reOpened.
Another reason for fearing an attack is
| that the labor unions all over this section
| are better organized than ever, and are
| urging the men who sympathize with la
| Dor to withdraw from the militia. This
is having the effect to keep some men
| from volunteering. though there have
| been few, if any, assertions. But this
| action of the labor unions encourages the
miners to believe that they will be sup
| ported, and that the State cannot materi-
| ally increase its force if it should become
| necessary.
The outbreak Saturday, when the free
miners forced the guards to remove the
convicts from the stockades at Tracy
| City, after which the stockades were
burned, was but the elimination of a
| long contemplated plan of the free miners,
| and goes to show how determined they
hreIto keep up the fight against the EN-
| bloyment of convict labor
| The capture of the stockade at Tracy
City was an easy matter, the guards real
| iZing that resistance would be useless,
| and surely result in serious loss of life,
gave way to the determined miners.
A stolen switch engine with nine flat
cars, which the miners captured, was
| started down the mountain loaded with
| conVicts The train was bound for Nash
willie with 800 helpless conVicts on board
under Il guard of miners armed to the
teeth. Six miners were in the cab forcing
the engineer to make time.
I After the prisoners had been placed OF
the train the conductor and engineer were
/ ordered to leave at once for Cowan with
the convicts, who had been turned ovel
to Deputy Warden Burton and twenty
| five guards.
Between Scwanee and Mount Eagle the
cuuvicts cut the train in two and ten o.
fifteen made Il break for liberty.
Several shots were fired
Matt Wilson. white, was killed, anC
| Tom Smith, cOlored, wounded.
Six or eight made good their escape.
The train was held at Cowan unit
orders to come on We're received from
Nashville.
The cOnvicts taken from the Trac!
City stockade were brought to the mali
prison here and will he kept here unit
a new stockade can be built, when the.
will be returned, as was done at Goa
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