Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-09
Investigation at West Virginia
Coal Fields Reveals Case of
Wholesale Slaughter
NO CHANCE TO SURRENDER
Agreement Between The United
States Marshall At kinsviIle and The
Mine Workers officials To Have
Bond For All Who Were Arrested,
Was Broken.

Indianapolis, Ind, March 9.-The Of
fetal report of Chris Evans, who was
sent to the West Virginia coal fields
10 investigate the killing of the colored
miners. at Kinsville, has been received
at the headquarters Of the United Mine
Workers.
The report says that General st.
Clair, who is the attorney for the coal
companies. created an agitation to have
the men arrested, and taken to Charles
ton, and that Immediately afterwards
arrangements were made with the
United States Marshal by the Mine
Workers officials to have bond for all
who We're arrested. but that later, on
account of The agitation created by
Deputy Marshal Cunningham, the agree
ment entered into with the marshal
was broken and Cunningham was sent
to arrest the men.
According to the report there was
the men decided not to allow him to
arrest them, and he was driven away.
Mr.. Evans says that he sent a tele-
gram to the men to submit quietly, but
that the coal companies, who own all
the telegraph and telephone lines con-
nected with the town, refused to de-
liver it, and before he could get any
message to the men, Cunningham ana
his deputies who. he says We're the
worst characters he could collect. went
out to the town q second time and
killed the miners in the night time in
their beds.
Mr.. Evans says that he went to the
scene OF the trouble the NEXT morning
and that forty-eight men had been ar
rested for conspiracy to kill Cunning
ham, and found there in a house oc-
cupied by colored man called Stone
wall Jackson the dead bodies of VIM.
Dodson, Wm Clark and Richard Clay
ton, all colored.
The report continues: "On inquiry
we found that the wife of Jackson, with
four children, together with eight coll
ored men, We're in the house and that
about daybreak all that We're inside
were awakened by shots fired into the
house from The outside. The shooting
took place with out anything being said
TO those on the inside, and the three
colored men have mentioned We're
found dead on the floor. Two were in
their night clothes and the other one
was partly dressed. with one shoe on.
partly laced, and the other foot bare.
We visited another house where Jo-
seph Hizer lay in bed, mortally wounds
ed, having been shot as he was get
ting out of bed. HiZer lived with his
sister and she made the statement at
the inquest tnat she pleaded with those
shooting, not to kill her children, and
i'm reply Cunningham said: Women and
children must take care of themsel-
yes In no instance could ne find
where these neople We're asked to sur
render until after the deputies had
commenced shooting at the occupants
OF the houses named.
1--WE next went to the house of Lu-
clan Lawson, who was considered NOR
tally wounded. l am led to conclude
that after the shooting referred to. this
man, with others, returned the fire of
the posse, and this is the only instance
where any atleiilPl Ws.' 'iisiuS " y -
the fire on the part of the miners. Dur
ing the shooting, in many instances.
the men and women pleaded with the
men outside to have mercy on them,
but their cries were met with deris-
ion and curses. Our investigation
proves conclusively that no effort had
been made to shoot or resist, except In
the one case mentioned, but that all
would have been too glad to have sur
render if they had been allowed the op-
portunity to 90 So.
Mr.. Evans says that the coroner's
Jury has returned a verdict of felor-
Gus killing against Cunningham, for the
killing of William Dodson.