The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-17
THE MINERS STILL FIGHTING.
They Attack The Stockade at
Oliver Springs.
The Guards Had Been Warned and tho
Miners Were Driven OT-Several Peo-
pie Hurt-The State Militia Ordered
Out to Relieve the Beseiged Guard.
feet on Business.

ciall-A telegram to tho Times from
Oliver Springs coal mines says that $50
miners attacked the stockade in which
the convicts were confined at $40 o'clock
this morning, their purpose being to
release the conyicts who have been
working in tho mines there. The con-
vict guards numbered between thirty
and forty and were warned of the at
tack. They stood by their guns and the
miners were repulsed. One guard was
wounded and 1t is believed several
miners. The miners are pesieging the
stockade and another attack is looked
for.
Oliver Springs and Briceville are now
the only points in the State where con-
victs are employed. At the latter point
a detachment Of soldiers numbering 1870
arc strongly entrenched, where they
have been for over year. All the con-
victs at Inman and Tracey City have
been released. No further trouble is re-
ported by the Times correspondent at
those places.
Later-Detachment of troops have
been sent from Hartman to Oliver
Springs to go TO the relief of the be-
sieged guards They are going over the
mountain seventeen miles. The guards
have one miner arrested in tho stock
ade, and the miners say they will res
cue him. Gov. Buchanan has ordered
cut tho Third regiment Of Tennessee
militia. 1t consists OF seven compan-
| les. Col. Gator Woodford resides here
n md 10 nn, ,,,tr 1T, mn
courthouse bell is ringing and recruit
ing officers are out. The Governor Or
ders the Colonel to charter a train to
carry the troops to Oliver Springs, and
the soldiers will move within an hour.
The Colonel has authority to enlist men
and the enlistment Is now in progress.
LOUISVILLE, Ky, Aug. TO- Special
Tho liberation Of the convicts at
Tracy City and Inman has set the East
Tennessee mining section on fire with
Excitement and bloody fight seems
inevitable at Oliver Springs and Coal
Creek. The latter was the scene of
trouble last summer and a company Of
militia has been on duty there ever
since. For some time past the relations
between the soldiers and miners have
been strained and shots have been ex-
changed between pickets and men sup
posed to be miners. Houses have been
shot into
This morning at o'clock an attack
was made on the stoclsade' at Oliver
Springs by the miners. and two or three
guards were killed and several minors
killed and wounded. This afternoon
several companies of militia from Chat
tanooga and Knoxville were sent to
Oliver. They reached there in safety
but no news can be had, as the rioters
have cut the wires and forced the oper-
ators from the telegraph offices. This
afternoon band of hundred miners,
armed with Winchesters, took D, ssess-
ion OF train on tho Knoxville and
Ohio road at Coal Creek, on route for
Clinton, where they hoped to be able to
intercept the reinforcements, but they
were too late. The issue is grave one,
for the miners are dynamiting in n dozen
places the Knoxville and Ohio and
Knoxville and Walden's Ridge railroad
to wreck any train carrying militia.
CHATTANOOGA, Aug, 16 Especial +
Troubles over the employment of con.
victs at the coal mines under tho lease
system in this State are coming thick
and fast, and eliminated in battle
at Oliver Springs mines this morning
The controversy between tho FREQ min
erS and the State authorities commenced
year ago at Briceville, when tho strils-
ers arose en- masse and liberated the
convicts, burning the stockade and hurl-
ing defiance at the State authorities.
The militia was called out to quell the
disorder, and a detachment OF troops
conducted tho convicts back to Brfce.
vile, and has been guarding them every
since.
The legislature was called In extra
session to remedy the trouble, but
failed TO do so. The miners were very
FESTIVE and frequent rumorS were ahoat
OF probable outbreaks. The garrison at
Coal Creek was strengthened and de-
tachment OF thirty State guards placed
in charge Of the convict stockade at
Oliver Springs. On Saturday there was
an outbreak at the Tracey City mines.
where $50 convicts were at work. The
guards made no resistance. The con-
victs were put on train and sent to
Nashville and the stockades burned.
On Monday the same thing occurred at
Imam and about 400 more convicts were
sent away and the stockades destroyed.
The miners met with no resistance, but
twenty OF them are now under indict.
ment for rioting.
The only other remaining convict
camps are Briceville and Oliver Springs.
Troops at the former place kept the
miners at bay and all eyes turned to
Oliver Springs. Early this morning
about six hundred free miners were OBJ
served by Head Warden Farris approach
ing the stockada. They marched in a
solid body and the leader was heard to
exolaim: "Close up boys and lets take
EN-, God damn them" The warden
yelled back, Come and get us IL you
can" Then the miners opened hot
fusilade from two sides and tho firing
continued for some time. the miners ad-
vancing all the time. The guards en.
trenched behind the stockade responded