Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-09


OF telegrapAins the Consul-General OF
Italy. that II was then that Governor
OFerrall asked Logan Built, pr.siden n.
OF the Southwest Virginia improvement.
Company. N the statements above ,t nau e
were true?' And that gentleman
promptly replied they were not; that nus
company was having them held for tne
purpose OF arranging transportaliVh, az
they did not desire to turn TINS class oi
men loose on the community. TINS an
swer seemed perfectly satisfactory 10
Governor OFerrall. but we have ai~ayS
thought II these same men were soo'
enough 10 be brought here as emp,oie.,s
they ought 10 have been good ehous" ~
stay here or so at VIII.
WORK OF PRIVATE DETECTIVES.
Further. we wish TO state that IN csse ass
too numerous 10 mention men nave pen
arrested by private detectives. notoIiousis
in the employ OF the railroad ana nliilhs
companies. and taken 10 military het ~
quarters where they were imprisoned ~,
DAYS. and then discharged from custVuy
or marched across the West Virginia me
al the point OF the bayonet. Wltnout 'ne
semblance of a charge against ths,i
other than the verbal charge OF tne w
tectives that they were agHators' n'
during Major Smons's sojourn IN foea-
bontas. and with all-perhaps twenty-nVe
or more men private citizens)-ifhprlson
Inv orders. he has never yet, in person u.
by agency. had charge preierfeu "s"'"''
one OF them before a civil tribunal o,.or
BEFORE we 20 further w VIII thucaNo,
TO cave your readers &c hopeless Iash ",
determining the particular Graue Vi VIM
being an .'agitator' constitutes:
Being an "agitator.. III r.'Senced is ms.
according 10 the best evidence that cii
be gained from Major Simons anu lhe ~
tectves ca case never haNihs oe.n
upon iudicially or defined by sta'uisI
AN men who belong to the hi' W
Mine Workers of America; men emo uo
moi choose to work unless my want ~,
and al those who fail TO recognile w
exclusive right Of the southwest 'lrsi,,'
Improvement Company. with the assist
this mart of tne Commonwealth
As u matter Of fact, al the men WHO
have been arrested by detectives an" IN,
prisoned by the military nave teeh ~ g.,
nerfecting the organization OF the miners
~ The Flat-Top coal field. When inns
means failed 10 work mp suIicieh.
amount of terror among the ,iaDorIns
classes the Southwest Virginia lmiroV
rnont Company had its detectives iake
some TWENTY-FIVE men 10 the STATE lhe'
there 10 assault tn IN and drive them ITO
another State with parting Yo)urea'io"
This iefarious business was Kept up
for an entire day before and until me
civil authorities were induced 10 ACT. anu
il Major Slmons did not know ABOUT II
he was about the only man In town VINO
remained In ignorance. ana as soidleT q!
his command was with the detectives al
the time they committed the assaults on
Tho state line before driving the men
over, and afterwards appeared IN court
TO testify in their henalf the detectNesl'
Major Srlons should nave learned 1t with
much less than half the dilig SHOWN
by him in looking after "agltators. We
could say much more about these assaui,s
and arrests but as twelve or more liiulCt-
AT. ~
the courts of Tazewell county we prefer
that a Jury Of Tazevell citizens deal with
them without possible prejudice by reason
of anything thst we might say.
GOVERNORS COURSE NOT APP
PROVED.
Again Major Simons says: Having
come i'm contact with a great many people
OF this county, ] am thankful 10 be abie
to say that | have not met single man
of any standing who did not approve OF
the Governors course
We have no idea what constitutes man
of standing in Major Simons estimation.
but we do know that the citizens or the
town and county who are not !dentifled
with the interests which seems so dear
to Major Simons are unit In condemna-
ton of his course.
As for ourselves, we claim TO be Of as
good standing as Major Simons or any
one else, and take the liberty Tor our
given above as not only false. but mall
ciously and slander0usly so. both in word
and intent.
we are also aware Of the fact that
Governor O'Ferral. as well as other
prominent interests here, has diligently
endea vored to give out the impression
that the only property Interests OF Poca-
hontas was that of the several corpora
tons here While these corporations DO
represent large interests. the limitations
referred to are as false as are many other
statements that have gone out from this
place from the same source since the
eventful first day OF May. and we submit
that more than one-haif of the revenues
arising in Pocahontes by reason OF the tax
imposed on real estate Is paid by private
citizens Of Pocahontas who are in no way
Identified with or interested in the corpo-
ratiOns here.
In Inference to the enforcement OF mill
tary rule here: As men who have lived in
the town for years, and with an intimate
acquaintance with all the people here.
and therefore In O better position 10 judge
Of the necessities than either Major
SimOns or Sheriff Crockett, we believe
that the bringing OF troops into our town
was an outrage on the community. ana
the risors Of military rule and the out
rageous imprisonment of law-abiding cit-
Zens TO have been without precedent or
Justification. and emphatically state that
there was no lawless mob nor were the
lives Of citizens or the destruction OF
We have no doubt that the Mayor Of the
town, who, by the way. is stable boss for
the Southwest Virginia Improvement
Company. did approve OF Major Simons's
course. We also know that this same
man refused to allow and threatened sus-
pension TO the officers oil the town for
executing process Of arrest on private
detectives In the employ Of the before
mentioned company. which process. charg-
ing them with felonious assault. had been
issued by the proper tribunal. We also
know Of this man that he has without au-
thority of law armed large numb r OF
irresponsible persons. ana when those per-
sons were brought before him. charged
were proven guilty. he imposed fines OF 81
and costs.
The Board Of Trade Of Pocahontas never
ga as body object to the occupatlon OF
ferred TO by Major Simons, as VIII be
shown by reference to the petition for
warded to Governor OTerrall, they ask
that the Gordon OF soldiers around the
town be withdrawn from the public high
WAYS. that the business might not be
unnecessarily interfered w. believing
that the rigorous rules Of the military
were not justified by the situation" At
least this was the substance OF the petit
ton when It left the hands OF the secre-
tarv Of our board and We presume il was
so when IL reached Governor O'Ferral.
bot a. II was inspected by private persons
who were not members OF our board or IN
sympathy with us. we. OF course, cannot
be certain.
Major Simons again says that "a large
number Of these men who participated In
the meeting of the Board OF Trade ana
were sever In their denunciation of the
course pursued by me. with the approval
of the Governor. afterwards came to me
Individually and acknowledged that they
could gee Inc wisdom of the steps taken
to maintain the law, and assured me
that they heartily approved OF 1t and
thanked me for having restored order ana
preserved the peace Of the town