The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-08-25
ANARCHY AT COAL CREEK.
Severe Fighting in the Mining Regions Of
Tennessee.

Severe Fighting in the Mining Regions of
| Tennessee.
| All this past week anarchy has reigned
| supreme in the mining regions north of Knox
| vile, Tenn. The mob took actual possession
of the East Tennessee Railroad in the neigh
borhood of Coal Creek and divers. They cut
the wires, tore up the tracks. and captured
every locomotive i'll the mining regions.
On Tuesday night about thousand miners
captured three locomotives at Coal Creek, took
them to divers Springs, and at o'clock the
next morning attacked the stOckade where the
convicts were confined.
The stockade was defended by 80 picked
guards and company of 80 mlitiameu. Two
companies of National Guards en- route from
Chattanooga via Hartman were compelled to
take the side track few miles from divers 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 force of 1000 in
furiated and determined men, quietly srir-
! rendered. The convicts, guards, and soldiers
were loaded on train of fiat cars, an; ;hc en-
gineer, at the point OF Winchester rifle, was
compelled to pull the train out in the direction
of Knoxville. The stockade was then burned
to the ground, and the convicts and troops
were sent to Nash vile, where the conviets were
again imprisoned.
Meanwhile the people in Chattanooga were
in most excited state. Fear seized upon
Knoxville. A political scheme is said in a
large measure to be responsible for the out
RACES Gov. Buchanan. it was charged. refused
to call out the entire State militia to quell the
riot, solely to boost his independent canvas for
reelection. He appealed to the rioters for
votes, and declined to call out the troops
against them However, at last Gov. Buch-
anan ordered out the entire State militia,
under Gen. Samuel 7. Carnes. and made requs-
itions on the sherifs of the neighboring towns
for 500 men or more. The militia were in
badly organized state. and not particularly
willing to 90 after 1000 desperate miners, men
who in the past have been known as hard
fighters and sturdy mountain men.
Word was sent on the morning of Aug. is to
Gov Buchanan that if he did not at once order
the withdrawal of troops and convicts they
would attack the fort at Coal Creek, where 100
soldiers were penned up before daylight. The
Governor evaded direct answer in his dispatch
replying. and they sent word again. The Gov
ernor this time answered that he would remove
the soldiers and convicts in n few days. The
miners at Coal Creek that day received large
reinforcements from Kentucky.
Col Woolford departed from Chattanooga
Thursday morning with a small detachment OF
the Sd regiment to relieve the soldiers at Coal
Greek, who. by the way, had been there since
the troubles Of last year.
In the meantime the little garrison at Coal
Creek fought and beat CIT the 5000 miners,
killing several and wOunding many. This
was as result of demand upon Gen. Ander-
son to surrender and to deliver up the con vcts.
Gen. Anderson then determined to hold the
fort until the arrival of the 1st and Cd regi-
naents under Gen. Carnes, and 1900 men under
six Sheriffs, who were speeding in the direction
of Fort Anderson on special trains.
But Gen. Anderson on Thursday night was
enticed into the village by five men coming to
him under flag of truce. The party met
mob, who took him to hotel and tried to
make him sign paper for the surrender of tho
fort. Though threatened with hanging he
held out.
At this juncture Brig Gen. Carnes arrived at
Coal Creek. The miners in the telegraph Of
fee and in the village surrendered. The Gen
erai then marched for the fort. and on the way
had sharp fight with about 300 miners. who
surrendered after about 10 minutes. Anderson
was delivered to Gen. Carnes, after 100 miners
had been taken into custody and the General
had threatened to bnrn the town and shoot the
prisoners. He also caught Bud Lindsay, the
miners leader, a desperate character.
Several skirmishes took place at different
points, and he men who left Knoxville for
Coal Creek Thursday had fight in which they
lost three men killed, and two miners were also
killed. Wo0lford,s men got nearly to Fort
Anderson after hard climb over the mount
aims and were caught in an ambush and re.
turned to Offutt's badly dem0ralized.
The War Department on Friday in response
to an appeal from Gov. Buchanan for aid, sent
from Rock Island arms and ammunition to the
scene Of trouble. Six hundred rifles and 10000
rounds of cartridges arrived at Knoxville Aug.
81
The State Board of Prison Inspectors has re-
solved that in accordance with the contract
with the Tennessee, Coal, Iron and Railroad
Company, all convicts in excess of 400, and wo-
men and hospital inmates, must BIO removed
from the pcnitentiary, in which there are now
1910. The Board agrees to furnish guards for
the safe keeping of the convicts wherever the
company may desire to locate them.
Gen. Carnes telegraphed the Govern yester-
day that on Monday trials of all his prisoners
against whom cases could be made out would
be begun before Civil Magistrate at Clinton.
Adjt.-G Norman replied: procure best
counsel obtainable and send all prisoners bound
over to Knoxville Jail for safe keeping" The
charges against the prisoners will be murder,
attempted murder, assault aud battery and re-
ssting officers.
Wisconxin Sawmiu Men Strike