Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-02-27
FIGHT FIERCE BATTLE
UNITED STATES MARsHAls AND
DEPUTY sHeRlFFs CLASH
WITH MINERS.


Four Miners Killed, One Fatally I'M
Many Others on Both sides More
Or Less Seriously Hurt-Troub!e
Grew Out Of Attempt 10 Arrest
T~hirty.four Miners for Violation ct
Blanket injunction.
Charleston. w. Va, Feb. 26.-At
Stamford City, in Raleigh county. a
battle took place during the day be-
tween the joint posses Of Deputy Unit
ed States Marshal Cunningham and
Sheriff Cook on one side and rioting
miners on the other, as a result of
which three miners we're killed. two
fatally wounded and a number of 9th.
ers on both sides more or less serious
ly hurt.
The killed are: Dick Taylor, -
DobsOn, and al unknown miner.
Joe Heiser and Irwin Lawson are
fatally wounded.
Joe Heiser. of the wounded, has
since died.
The trouble grew out of the at
tempt to arrest thirty-four miners for
violation of blanket injunctions issued
by Federal Judge Keller last August.
Last Saturday Deputy Marshal D. w.
Cunningham went to Atkinsville, a
mining town in Raleigh county, t o ar
rest men charged with violating the
Injunction. He was surrounded by a
large party Of miners armed with
rifles who
Ordered Him to Leave
the place, an order that was quickly
obeyed. Sheriff Cook at this time at
tempted to make some arrests under
process issued by the state court and
was treated in a like. manner Gun.
bingham returned to Charleston and
reported to the marshal and district
attorney that he could do nothing
without a large force and then only
at the imminent risk of precipitating a
serious conflict. He was instructed
to return with men sufficient to serve
the process given him and to do it at
all hazards. Before Cunningham re-
u to A~tkinsville, however, Marshal
John X. Thompson and s. C. Burdette.
attorney for the United Mine Work
ers. went to the scene. spending most
OF Sunday and Monday there. They
found everything quiet. the
Rioters Having Withdrawn
from the immediate neighborhood and
crossed New River going into camp
300 strong a the big @ mine on
the north side. Thompson and Bur-
dette came home Tuesday morning
and Cunningham and a strong posse
went from here to make the arrests.
When Atkinsville was reached the
federal forces were Joined by Sheriff
Cook and his posse, the coal compa-
MES near by furnished some guards
and the deputy and sheriff found
themselves In command of about 100
we'll armed and determined men. The
rioters had ~recrossed the river on
Tuesday and were parading up and
down before the various coal works,
from $50 to 200 of them armed WITH
Winchester rifles. They intimidated
miners at work. drove way the
guards of the mines and even went so
far as to
Disarm One Guard
and force him to march at the head
of their procession. Emboldened by
their success they attempted to burn
down a bridge of a railroad over Piney
gulch and threatened the destruction
of other property. AT night they went
into camp near Stamford City. In
the morning about daybreak the Of
ficers and their combined posse sur.
pr!sed the rioters in their camp and
called on them to surrender. The re-
ply was a shot. This was answeree
by a shot and Immediately a furious
battle was raging.
When 1t ceased three of the rioters
lay dead and many others were found
to be wounded. Seventy-three ar.
rests were made. All the prisoners
were taken to Beckley, the county
seat OF Raleigh, where the ten UniteI
States prisoners were given a prelimi.
nary hearing by Commissioner Dunn
and held for appearance at court here.
They will be brought here on an early
morning train. The federal authori.
ties will try to get the state to
Give Up the sixtythree Prisoners
they took. so that they may be tried
In the federal court, but it is doubtful
whether it will be done. as the state
court meets on Monday. S. c. Bur.
dette. attorney for the mine workers
of America. went to Beckley in the af.
ternoOn to attend to the EAST of the
miners.
The injunction which the miners
charged with violating was the
blanket writ issued by Judge B. F.
Keller at the suit Of the Chesapeake
and Ohio coal agency company last
August. The defendants in the case
were all the coal companies operating
In the New River field, $50 members
Of the Mine Workers of America. by
name. including President Mitchell!
and Secretary Wilson and all other
persons whatsoever who aided and
abetted them.
Further Trouble Feared.
The Injunction covered almost every
foot of ground in the coal mining re.
gicn of New River. While all of the
mines in the Kanawha and New River
sections have been at work for some
months. the strike has not been Off
Cially declared Off. The locality in
which the tragedy occurred is one in
which the mines have but recently