The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-09
MINERS SLAIN In BED.
Another Version Of the Recent La
Dor Battle in West vir-
ginia Mines

Indianapolis, March ,9.-The official re-
port of Chris Evans sent to the West
Virginia coal fields to investigate the kill
ings Of colored miners, has been received
at the headquarters of the United Coal
miners.
The report says that General Slack. who
was in commond created an agitation to
have the men arrested and taken to
Charleston. Arrangements were made
with the United States marshal by the
United Mine Workers Officials to give
bonds for all arrested, but later, on ac-
count Of the agitation created by Deputy
Marshal Cunningham, the agreement en-
tered into with the marshal was broken,
and Cunningham was sent to arrest the
men. According to the report there was
great feeling against Cunningham. and
the men decided not to allow him to ar
rest them, and he was driven away.
Mr.. Evans says he telegraphed the men
to submit quietly, but that the coal COM
panies, who own all of the telegraphic and
telephone lines connecting with the town,
refused to deliver the message before he
could get to the men. Cunningham and his
deputies, who, he said, were the worst
characters he could collect, went to the
town a second time and Killed the miners
in the nighttime in their beds. ..#E.
Mr.. Evans says that he went to the
scene of the trouble next morning, and
that forty eight men had been arrested
| for conspiracy to kill Cunningham, and
| found there in a house occupied by col
ored man called StoneWan Jackson the
fdead bodies of William Dobson,> William
Clark and Richard Clayton, all colored
The report continues: -
On inquiry we found that the wife Of Jack
SON. with four children, together with eight
| colored men, We're in the house. and that abou
dayhreak were awakened by shots fred into til,
house from the outside. This took place withou
anything being said to those on the inside ant
the three colored men were found dead on tn,
floor. Two were in their night clothes. and th
other was partly dressed, with one shoe partl!
| unlaccd and the other foot bare. We visited an
other house, where Joseph Hiser lay in be-
mOrtally wounded, having been shot through th
window HIS he stopping to put his trouser
on after getting out of bed. Hiser lived witt
his sister, and she made the statement at th
inquest that she pleaded with those shooting no
to kill her children, and in reply Cunningham
said: ''Womcn ard children must take care o
| themselves"
In no instance could we find where thes
people had been asked to surrender until afte
| the deputies had commenced shooting at tn
occupants Of the houses named.
l We next went to the house OF Lucian Lawson
who was considered mortaly wounded. 1 wa
| led to understand that after the shooting oc
Cured this man, with others, returned the fire O
the posse and this is the only instance wher
any attempt made to return fire on the par
Of the miners. During the shooting in many ir
stances men and women pleaded with the me
outside to lave mercy. but their appeals Wer
met with derision and curses. Evidence point
conclusively to the conclusion that 10 effo1
had been made to shoot or resist except in til
one aforementioned. but that all would hay
been too glad to surrender if they had bee
allowed the opportunity to do SO.
Mr. Evans says that the coroner's jur
has returned a verdict Of felonious KILN
against Cunningham for the killing
EWilliam Dobson.