Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-06
HOW MINERS[|YE
GLIMPsEs or THEIR DAILY LIVES
OF Toll.
::ACH. SIDE. DENIES VIOLEN CE.
but the Baby Mines Are Burning and
several Men HAVE Been shot-The
Attitude of Operators and Work
(From a staff. correspondent.)

(From Staff Correspondent.
POCAHONTAS, Sept..74.-{Special)-
is shifting process requiring the hardest
kind of leg work, and the most careful
questioning and nosng around, to get
anywhere near the truth Of the coal strike
situation in this section Of Virginia and
West Virginia.
The representative Of the coal mine
owners declare all that the strikers say
to be lies and the strikers laugh to scorn
any statement that comes from the offices
OF the mine officials
They meet on common ground only when
they pronounce as liar par excellence the
newspaper man who tramps over noun
tain passes at night, and buys his meals
in the cabin of the coal mine laborer In
the daytime-in. a struggle to get at the
truth.
The story is one of bold facts, and dis
agrees to marvellous extent with all
things given forth from both sides OF the
battle line in this warfare of Labor
against Capital.
Strikers and operators deny that there
has been disorder at Pocahontas. At the
same time there are about three acres OF
soft coal in the bowels Of the earth, only
a few yards from here, blazing hercely'
and shifts of twenty-five men each are
pouring in and out of the mines to alter
nately fight the hottest kind of nre ana
to Stake its thirst with gallons of water.
On one side of the mine, at crane creek;
a party of non-union men was ampusneo
fau, dave on and one killed with no
mules.
DEAD IN WIFES ARMS.
On the other side of the mine. at Coop
er's. a. special policeman was filled with
buckshot, few days ago, after ne hao
arrested and. later. killed negro
labor agitator. This policeman, Fannlng
by name, was known as a bad man, ana
is said to have killed a halt, dozen OF MS
fellow humans. 1t was night, and the
ambuscade was perfectly planned
After killing his prisoner. Tanning went
home. When he knocked at the door OF
his house his wife opened the door anu
held her lamp over her head to see who 1t
was asking admission. The light shone
on the figure of the policeman. the bushes
around the house f1ared up angrily
through the blackness; there was roar.
but no answering moaN from flaming
He fell dead in his wifes arms. She
was unharmed. The men in the bushes
must have been excellent marksmen,
There were ia shot in Fanning's body
Moreover, Tanning was an enemy OF
organized labor. end the negro he killed
was q leader in the local OF Cooper
The strikers tell me that Tanning killed
the negro by order of the coal operato~S
1t would take a mountain of eVldene
to make a man of avera se intellect pc
lieve this.
Again, yesterday at Coopers a gentle-
man with poor aim fired his Wlnches-
ter from the hill, a few yards from the
telegraph station, toward a house below.
The occupant of the house was a non
union man, I was told The man on the
hill took six tries for life, and the
sixth leaden ball hummed so close to
the ears of the supposed intended vic
TINS wife that she has not recovered
from the fright vet.
STRIKERS GATHERING.
At Burke's Garden, in the Elkhorn,
strikers are assembling as an army
would assemble. If an order was given
in a great and sparsely settled section,
to prepare to srepulse invaders.
A railroad man from that point told
me Yesterday that several hundred men
had Joined the big camp of strikers
there in the past forty-eght hours.
From Ashland. Coaldale and other
points very difficult of access reports OF
disorder, of shooting of rifles and pfs-
tolls, ETC., are continuously heard. Yes
terday T sent striker, man Of m
telligence, to Coaldaie to get the news
and he reported that only six miners were
working there, but that there has been
no fatal shooting that he could learn OF.
1 got Ashland on the long distance
phone, and the operators there denied
having had any trouble.
AT POCAHONTAs.
Pocahontas has a population Of from
$500 to 4,5oo, with all Of the modern
vices and devices for killing time and
enemies. There are saloons to the right
of yoh, saloons to the left Of you, saloons
in front of YOU saloons in the rear of
you and. if you have thirst, the saloon
around you.
A few miles away is keystone another
bIbulous but much smaller community,
the place where is said the end of your
cane will burn off if you stick it In the
earth. so near is it to hell. There are 10
saloons there. and a negro saloon keeper
worth at least $4,000 from his sale Of
"rot gut He was few years ago
common railroad laborer.
Pocahontas town has been quiet and
lawful because it is big enough to sup
port policemen, police court. calaboose,
etc 1t has been peaceful all the time,
but the neighborhood of shaggy noun
tains and SCARED hills has furnished the
yellow end of the news.
PAINTED WOMEN.
I had visited the general superintend-
ent Of the Pocahontas colleries. and had
listened to his side of the matter Also
/ had gone to the haunts of the officials
and counsel Of the strikers and had list
ened intently when. suddenly, some
thing bade me seek the police court of
the town and get glimpse of the wrong
side of life in mining community.
A pretty female of twenty-od years
was on the witness stand at the time.
She was perfunctorily painted for she
was CARRIED poorly and knew to what
class she belonged She was testifying to
having paid dollar half dozen for
beer one Sunday, having paid the said
dollar to young man in the prisoners
box. Other females, with paint on their
faces, testified to having paid similarly
outrageous prices for beer to the young
man.
enquired and found out that there
were not only many saloons in the town
but also many painted women who could
afford to pay double the price the discreet
city tipplers pay.
This l observed for the simple reason
that on one side there was poverty, ac-
claimed as self inflicted for the sake Of
principle, and on the other side great
wealth. self inflicted on account Of that
mysterious, and to me inexperienced OPP.