Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-03-09
Deputy Msrshals Fire on Defensslsss
Virginia 0itisena
BATTLE CALLED COLD BLooDED CRIME
Union Attorney Throws More Light on
sanguinary Conflict
OFFICERS SHOOT WITHOUT WARNING
Never Ask Surrender Of Those They Are
Sent 10 Arrest
OFFICERS SHOOT WITHOUT WARNING
BULLETS CRASH THROUGH WINDOWS
only one Victim Returns shots and
Jury FINDS Peace OHiciaIs Guilty
of FeIonious killing in
One Case.

INDIANAPOLIS, March s-The ofRciai
report Of Chris Evans who was sent to the
West Virginia coal fields to investigate
the killing Of colored miners at Atkins
Wills on February %. has been received at
the headquarters OF the United Mine Work
ers.
The report says General ST. Clair. who
Is the attorney for the coal companies, Gre
ated an agitation to have the men arrested
and taken to Charleston and that lmmedi-
ately afterward arrangements we're made
with the United states marshal by the
Mine Workers oficials to give bond for
all who we're arrested, but that later, on
account OF the agitation created by Deputy
Marshal Cunningham, the agreement entered
into with the marshal was broken and
cunningham was sent to arrest the men.
Operators suppresA wires.
According to the report there was great
feeling against Cunningham and the men
decided not to allow him 10 arrest them and
he was driven away. Mr.. Evans says he
sent a telegram to the men to submit
quietly, but the coal companies, who own
all the telegraph and telephone lines con-
nected with the town, refused to deliver It
and before he could get any message to
the men Cunningham and his deputies who,
he says, we're the worst characters he
could collect, went to the town a second
time and killed the miners in the night
time in their beds.
Mr.. Evans says he went to the scene of
the trouble the next morning. when forty
eight men had been arrested for conspir-
acy to kill Cunningham, and found, in a
house occupied by colored man called
"stonewalr Jacl son, the dead bodies of
William Dodson, william Clark and Rich
ard Clayton. all colored The report con-
tinues:.
on inquiry we found that the wife OF
Jackson. with four children. together with
eight colored men, were In the house. and
that about daybreak all were awakened by
shots being fired into the house from the
outside. -'his shooting took place without
anything being said, and the three colQred
aiie sl5of. Two swefes IN tier nieiifci6thes
and the other one wac partly dressed, with
foot foot bare. bare w We visited another hbase where
Joseph Hizer lay mortally wounded. hay
ing been shot through the window as he
getting out OF bed. Hizer lived with his
sister and she made the statement at the
inquest that she pleaded with those shoot
ing not to kill her children and in reply
Cunningham said.
Women and children must take care OF
In no instance 90 we find where the per
sons were asked to surrender until after the
deputies had commenced to shoot at the oc
cupants of the houses named.
We next went to the house OF Luciar
Lawson, who was considered mortally
wounded l am led to understand tha
after the shooting referred to this man
with Others returned the fire of the posse
and this Is the cnly instance where any at
tempt was made % return fire on the par
OF the miners. During the shooting, II
many instances, the men and womeI
pleaded with the men outside to hav,
mercy on them, but their cries were me
with derision and curses. Our investigation
proves thai no effort had been made 4
shoot or resist except In the one case men
toned but that ali would have been gla,
10 have surrendered II they had heen al
lowed the opportunity to do so.
Mr. Evans says the coroner's jury re
turned verdict of felonious killing agains
Cunningham I'm the case of William bod
son.