Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-26
PITCHED BATTLE
Between Strikers and Deputies
in West Virginia.
Three Killed, Two Will Die and Sey
eraI Others Wounded.
Officers Arrest 70 Strikers and Con
troll the Situation.


Va. Feb. 25.-At Stamford, Raleigh
county terrible battle took place at
dawn, today, between the joint posses
of Deputy United States Marshal Cum
ningham and Sheriff Cook, on one side
and iioting miners on the other. as a
result of which three miners were kill
ed. two others mortally wounded and
a number of others on both sides more
or less severely hurt.
The trouble grew out of the attempt
to arrest "a miners for violation of the
blanket injunction issued by Federal
Judge Keller last August. Deputy
Marshal D. w. Cunningham went TO
Atkinsville, a mining town in Raleigh
county. last Saturday, to arrest men
charged with violating the injunction.
He was surrounded by a large party of
miners armed with Winchester rifles
who ordered him to leave the place, an
order which he quickly obeyed. Sher-
iff Cook at this time attempted to
make some arrests under process issued
by the state court and was treated in
a like manner. Cunningham returned
to this city and reported to the mar
shall and district attorney that he
could do nothing without large force
and then only at imminent risk of pre-
cipiitating a bloody conflict. He was
instructed to return with men suffi-
cent to serve the process given him and
to do it at all hazards.
When Atkinsville was reached the
federal forces were joined by Sheriff
Cook and his posse the coal companies
near by furnishing some guards ana
the deputy and sheriff found them
selves in command of about 100 we'll
armed and determined men. The riot
ers had recrossed the river, Tuesday,
and were parading up and down before
the various coal works from $50 to
200 men, armed with Winchester rifles.
They intimidated miners at work,
drove away the guards of the mines,
and even went so far as to disarm one
guard and force him to march at the
dot tnaar- procession Emboldened
by their success they attempted to
burn down a bridge of the Chesapeake
& Ohio Railroad over Piney gulch and
threatened the destruction of other
property. Last night, they went into |
camp near Stamford city
+ About daybreak, today, the officers |
and their combined forces surprised |
the rioters in their camp and called on |
them to surrender The reply was {, |
shot. This was answered by a shot
and Immediately a furious battle was
raging. When it ceased three of the |
rioters lay dead and many others were |
found to be wounded. two fatally.
Seventy-three arrests were made, 10 |
by the federal officers. All the prison. |
ers were taken to Beckley, the county |
seat of Raleigh, where the United |
States prisoners were given a prelimi- |
nary hearing by Commissioner Dunn |
and held for appearance here They |
will be brought here on an early morn !
ing train.
S. c. Burdette. attorney for the Mine
Workers of America went to Beckley. |
this afternoon, to attend to the case of |
the miners.
The Injunction which the miners |
were charged with violating was the |
blanket writ of Judge Keller in the |
suit of the Chesapeake & Ohio Coal |
Agency Co. The defendants in the
case were all the coal companies oper- !
ating in the New River field, $50 MEM |
bers of the Mine Workers of America, |
by name, including President Mitchell |
and Secretary Wilson and all other per- |
sons whatsoever who aided and abetted |
them. The injunction covered almost |
every foot of ground in the coal mining |
region of New River
While all the mines in the Kanawha ,
and New River sections have been
worked for some months, the strike has
not been officially declared off and it's |
embers have been smouldering in the
New River gorge threatening to break
into flame in the spring. The locality
in which today's tragedy occurred is
one in which the mines have but re-
Gently opened up and the small towns
are filled with the most desperate men
that have ever come into the state.
Advices from the scene of the con-
flict, tonight, are to the effect that all |
is quiet row but fears are entertained
that trouble will break out afresh at
any moment and the conflict of today
is thought to be the forerunner OF
many more to come in the near future.
The fencing team of the Naval Academy
defeated Yale, Wednesday, at Annapolis.