Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-08-25
lNiRiHCY N IGNNESSEE.
RElE MINING REGION IN
THEHANDS0F a MOB.
MILITIA SURRENDER TO TIE MINERS. WHO

capture and BnrHG Convict Stock
ades Battle Raging
at Coal Creek.
KNo1vILLE, Tenn, August H.
Anarchy reigns supreme i'll the
mining regions ndrtRof this city.
The excitement here.is intensified
and heightened by lack Of definite
information. the wires having been
cut. The mob is inHactnal posses
sion of the property of East
Tennessee railroadsin the neigh
borhood of Coal Creek and Oliver
Springs. They have cut the wires
in numerous places torn up the
tracks in every direction and
captured every locomotive in the
mining regions. 8ssaE
At a late hour last night more
than 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
ninetv-fve convicts were employed
in the mines of the Cumberland
Coal Company. They arrived at
Oliver Springs about 4 o'clock
this morning. and at once planned
an attack on the stockade, where
the convicts were confined. About
z o'clock they assaulted the
stockade, and a lively battle
proceeded. This was defended by
fifty picked guards and company
of thirty-eight militiamen. Two
Companies Of National Guards en-
route from Chattanooga, via
Hartman, were compelled to take
the sidetrack q few miles from
divers, on account of displaced
rails. Hundreds of shots were
exchanged, but NO one was injured.
The guards and militia, seeing
that it was useless to combat q
force. of, 1000 infuriated mens
quietly surrendered. saFE :S
Tie Econyicts, guards and
soldiers were loaded on train of
fat-cars, and the engineer, at the,
point of Winchester rife, was
compelled to pdl12the train out in
the direction of Knoxville. The
stockade was then burned to the
ground. =
Arriving at Clinton, permission
was obtained from the railway
officials to- bring..the i:conVicts to
this city. The train, which was
the only one in or out for twenty.
four hours, arrived in Knoxville
about 3 o'clock. and was soon
surrounded by an immense throng
of the curious.
A special train left the station
at 5 p. NJ, taking the convicts to
the main prison at Nashville.
Four convicts escaped between
Oliver and this city.
Communication with Coal Greek
was restored this afternoon. The
line was no sooner reopened than
the miners took peaceable posses
sion of the Office at Coal Creek,
and to prevent the dispatch of
regular business they filed thou
sands of words of matter. They
paid for all messages at regular
rates, and the company could not
refuse them. The miners have
two or three operators employed,
and it is utterly impossible to get
a message through with anything
like accuracy or speed.
Passengers on a train just ar
rived from Coal Greek say that
Camp Anderson at that place, the
only point in the State where
convicts are at work, will be taken
tonight. The assault will take
place before midnight, SO they
say. More than 1900 miners are
massed at Coal Creek, all heavily
armed, They have captured the
two companies of militia sent to
Oliver last night. They locked
the soldiers id a warehouse at
Clinton this morning, then
marched across The mountain to
Coal Creek.
When the proposed assault on
Camp Andersonh.isi made tonight
they will force theaeaptive soldiers
in uniform to march at, the head
Of the column, and have sent
word to the officers in command
of their intention. They believe
That the officers ofthe camp will
refuse to fire on them as long as
the soldieralare in front.
The minera held q 1neetino tb;s