The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-27

Charleston, KanaWa county, w. Va,
February 25.-At Stamford City, Ra-
leigh county, a terrible battle took
place at dawn today between the joint
posse Of Deputy United States Mar
shall Cunningham and Sheriff Cook on
one side and rioting miners on the 9TH
er. as result of which three miners
were killed, two others mortally
wounded and a number of others on
both sides more or less seriously hurt.
The dead: Dick Taylor, - Dobson,
Unknown miner.
Mortally wounded: John Heiser,
Irwin Lawson.
The trouble grew out of the attempt
to arrest thirty-four miners for the
violation of the blanket injunction is
sued by Federal Judge Keller last Au-
gust. Deputy Marshal d. w. Cum
ningham went last Saturday to Atkins
willie, a mining town In Raleigh coun-
ty, to arrest men charged with viOlat-
ing the Injunction. He was surrounded
by large party of miners, armed with
Winchester rifles who ordered him to
leave the place, an order which he
quickly 0beyed. Sheriff Cook at this
time attempted to make some arrests
under process issued by the state
court. and was treated in a like man
ner. Cunningham returned to this city
and reported to the marshal and dis
trict attorney that he could do moth
Ing without a large force and then only
at imminent risk of precipitating a
bloody conflict. He was instructed 10
return with men sufficient to serve the
process given him, and to 90 it at all
Of lNl1n mi ncrI1o Il
to Atkinsville, however, Marshal John
K. Thompson and s. s. Burdette at
torney for the United Mine Workers
went TO the scene, spending most Of
Sunday and Monday there. They found
everything quiet. the rioters having
withdrawn from the Immediate neigh
borhOod and crossed New river. going
into camp three hundred strong near
the Big @. mine on the north side.
Thompson and Burdet:e came home
Tuesday morning and Cunningham
and strong posse went from here Ia
make the arrest.
When AtkinSyille was r:acheu. the
federal forces were joined by Sheriff
Cooke and his posse, the coal COM
panies nearby furnished some guards
and the deputy and sheriff found them
selves In command of about hundred
well armed and determined men. The
rioters had recrossed the river on
Tuesday and were parading up ana
down before the various coal works
from $50 10 201 men armed with Win
chester rifles. They intimidated miners
at work, drove away the guards of the
mines and even went so far as TO DIS
arm one guard and force him to march
al the head of their procession. KIM
bOlCened nv their success they attempt
ed to burn down a bridge OF the Chesa-
peake and Ohio railroad over f'inev
Gulch and threatened the destruction
OF other property. Last night thev
went into camp near Stamford City.
About day light today, the officers
and their combined posse surprised the
rioters in their camp and called on
them TO surrender The reply was 4
shot. This was answered by snot
and Immediately Il furious battle was
raging. When Ii ceased three of the
rioters lay dead ap(i rnapv others were
found to be wounded, two of them
fatally. Seventy-three arrests were
made, ten falling TO the share or
Deupty Cunningham and siXty-three
to that of Sheriff Cook. All the pris-
oners were taken to Berkley. the corr
ty seat of Raleigh, where the United
States prisoners were given q prelimi-
nary hearing by Commissioner Dunn
and held for appearance here. They
will be brought here on an early morn
ing train.
1 nc 1eUer3l 2uCnOrlIleS Will Try 10
get the state to give up the siXtv-three.
so that they might be tried in the fed
eral court, but ii IS doubtful If it will
be done, as the state court will meet
- on Monday and it is thought they prob
ably can be tried more eypeditiOuSly
there. :. G. BurdettP, attorney for the
Mine Workers of America went to Ber-
kley 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 and Ohio coal agency COM
pany. The defendants in the case were
all coal companies operating in the
New River field. 80 members of the
Mine Workers OF America by name.
Including President Mitchell and Sec
retary Wilson and all other persons
whatsoever, who aided and abetted
them. The Injunction covered almost
every foot of ground In the coal min
ing region of New River. While the
mines in the Kanawaha and New River