The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-01

force the law. Upon these dispatches
am not vet ready to act. What / will
do depends largely upon what the sheriff
is going to do. We are here to give him
support in his efforts to enforce the civil
law. We were ordered here because of
his inability to do so. The National
Guard has no opinion to express as to
the merits of the question agitated by
either side to the controversy, as that
is not within it's province"
WANT THE TROOPS WITHDRAWN.
The mine workers are greatly incensed
over the calling out of the troops. They
assert that this action was entirely un-
warranted and is an unjustifiable ex-
pense on the State. The strikers, through
their officials, are making an effort to
have the soldiers withdrawn. The first
step in this direction was taken this af-
ternoon when the following telegram was
sent from here to Governor Stone:
I'VE, the officials of the Ninth district
Of the Miners Union, believe that the
request made to you to send troops to
Shenandoah was based upon exaggera-
ton and as we are confirmed in this be-
lief we respectfully request you to send
personal report into this town to in
vestigate the conditions and after such
investigation believe that you will learn
that the presence of the troops in this
town is unnecessary and that the order
should be revoked
1t is said the mine workers officials in
tend to circulate among the citizens of
the town for signatures petition call
ing upon the governor to withdraw the
member of the United Mine Workers,
from this district, told the Associated
Press representative tonight that Deputy
Sheriff Thomas Beddall. who is a ne
phew of the sheriff of the county, and
who was escorting workmen along the
street, which action led to riot, was
wholly responsible for the trouble. Mr..
Doughertv said Beddall had no good rea-
son to shoot, as no one was making an
attack on him. The firing of the re-
volvers he said, angered the crowd, which
soon got beyond the control of the peace
makers. Beddalls brother, Joseph, who
attempted to go to his rescue. was badly
beaten by some of the crowd, Mr.. Dough-
erty said, because he was carrying sew
era1 boxes of cartridges to his brother,
Thomas.
1t is not improbable that the strikers
will call upon the county offices to fix the
responsibility for the shooting of the
deputy sheriff
OF the twenty or more persons who
were beaten with clubs or struck with
bullets during last nights rioting, one
man, Joseph Beddall, who last night was
reported to have died. is still living but
is in a critical condition. The physicians
at the miners hospital at Fountain
Springs, where some of the wounded were
taken, fear that Beddall will die. The
four policemen who were shot and the
strikers who were also hit by bullets
will recover. Most of the wounded
strikers claim they were merely on
lockers.
The district attorney and the sheriff
are prosecuting an investigation with a
view of placing under arrest all those
who participated in the riot. Several
of the wounded strikers called at the
miners hospital today to have slight in
jures dressed and after the doctors got
through with them they were arrested
and taken to the PCyttsville Jail.