Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-04

A special correspondent of the Dispatch
who left Richmond Tuesday night arriv-
ed at Pocahontas last evening He tele-
graphed from that point, evidently hasti-
ly, that the Western Union operator
there refused to do any business after $40
P. NJ, and that he would seek some
adjacent point at which to file his mes
sages. He added:
Nobody has been killed here but the
strike seems to be almost general.
'All five mines are yet burning fierce
ly.'
The Very Latest.
Later.-The Dispatch special staff cor
respondent later proceeded to Cooper's,
W. Va, and there succeeded in getting
wire. From that point late last night he
te!egra phed the Dispatch the following
authentic summary Of the situation based
on personal inquiry and observation:
Four Have Been Killed.
"Only four people have been killed in
this vicinity in the past week, but they
were tragic deaths, and all connected
in some way with this long and terrible
battle between Ia Dor and cal pital- In this
little mining station. from which | write,
two of the killings occurred
"a white policeman, named Tanning.
arrested negro labor leader, and, on his
way with the prisoner to Bramwell, kill
ed him. Tanning returned to his home
here. He knocked at his door. and his
wife opened it, and held up lamp, show
ing him to number of men in ambush
around the house. Tanning was filled
with buckshot, and died with his arms
around his wife's neck. This was
chronicled in the Dispatch at the time.
The other two killings were of nom
union men at Crane creek. I have been
unable to get any Of the details.
Military Are Not Needed.
'I have not heard a threat. nor an oath
this afternoon nor tonight, and believe
the presence hera OF iii egS SffffTttsa would
have only harmful results. The guards
at the Pocahontas mines are plentiful and
are well armed. They are watchful and
seem to be looking for trouble. but if there
is any brewing, 1 have not been able to
locate it.
Occasionally there is a shot from the
mountain side, and a non-unionman, or
his mule. or both. roll in the dust but
ambusca1ing is rare, and the little ba tile
Of last Friday at Crane Neck resulted in
only two deaths instead of seven, as was
first reported. Several were wounded,
am told.
Sleep in Tents to Save Rent.
1.-THE men in this part Of the great Flat
Top coal field have been out on strike
since June 7th. In the little town of Po-
cahontas, which houses perhaps 1000 or
5000 people, 1,105 are being furnished with
rations by the national body every day.
Thousands are now sleeping in tents to
save house rent. How they will manage
to keep up the fight in cold weather no
one knows.
'The West mine fire is big one. and
it may be several days and nights yet be-
fore it is under control.
Mine Oflcia,s Rosy View
II have been able to see only one mine
official, minor official, tonight. His ac-
int is a rosy one, and is to the effect
that there is not only plenty of men to
fight fire. but plenty also to mine coal.
The cars here; however, are many and
empty.
Tonight there are plenty of shotguns,
rifles and pistols to be seen, but they be-
long to the guards, and the strikers are
sober and quiet.
THE fight to turn back the hundreds
Of foreigners being brought into the sec
ton has been very successful, so far. I
am told one Pennsylvania who was
brought here with a carload of men two
weeks ago said tonight that nine-tenths
of the imported men changed their minds
about taking the jobs after week. He
did, and is now living on union rations.
Bullets Whizzed by Woman
my last piece of information tonight
concerns the narrow escape of Mrs.
Harman this afternoon, a few yards from
this station building. A Winchester ball
hissed by SO close to her head that she
thought she was gone. Six shots came
her way, but only one frightened her She
was not the one for whom they were des-
tined, but happened to be in line
]. A. N.
What the Strikers Say.