Evening journal., 1903-02-26
TTHHME STRIKING
MINERS KILLED
TwoI Others Fatally Injured
in ! Fight With Officers
Np West Virginia
lEFIED INJUNCTION OF COURT

Charleston. w. Va, Feb. 20. - At
Stamford City, Raleigh county. a ter
rible battle took place at dawn yester-
day between the joint posses Of deputy
United States Marshal Cunningham
and Sheriff Cook on one side and strik-
ing miners on the other as a 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 trouble grew out of the attempt
20 arrest "a miners for violation of the
blanket injunction issued by Federal
Judge Keller last August. Deputy Mar
shal Cunningham went last Saturday to
Atkinsville, a mining town in Raleigh
county, to arrest men charged with vio-
lating the injunction. He was sur
rounded by a large party of miners
armed with Winchester rifles, who or
dered him to leave the place, an order
which he quickly obeyed. Sheriff Cook
at this time attempted to make some
arrests under process issued by the
state court and was treated in a like
manner. Cunningham returned TO this
city and reported to the marshal and
district attorney that he could do moth
ing without large force and then only
at imminent risk Of precipitating
bloody conflict He was instructed to
return with men sufficient TO serve the
process given him and to do it at all
hazards.
Tuesday morning a strong posse
went from here to make the arrests.
When Atkinsville was reached the fed
eral forces were joined by Sheriff Cook
and his posse, the coal companies near
by furnishing some guards and the
deputy and sheriffs found themselves in
command of about 100 well armed and
determined men. The rioters on Tues
day were parading up and down before
the various coal works from $50 to 200
men armed with Winchester rifles.
They intimidated miners at work, drove
away 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 sue
| cess they attempted to burn down a
bridge Of the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad over Piney Gulch and threat
ened the destruction of other property.
About daybreak yesterday the officers
and their combined posses surprised
the rioters in their camp ard called on
them to surrender. The reply was a
shot. This was answered by a shot and
/ Immediately a furious battle was rag
ing. When it ceased three Of the riot
ers lay dead and many others were
found to be wounded, two of them IA
tally. Seventy-three arrests were
made. All the prisoners were taken tc
Beclhey, the county seat Of Raleigh
where the United States prisoners were
given a preliminary hearing and held
for appearance here.
The Injunction which the miners
were charged with violating was the
blanket writ of Judge Keller in the
suit of the Chesapeake and Ohio Goa
Agency Company. The defendants in
the case were all the coal companies
operating in the New River field, 15C
members Of the Mine Workers Of Amer.
lea, by name, including President
Mitchell and Secretary Wilson and al
persons who aided and abetted them
The injunction covered almost every
foot of ground in the coal region Of
New River.
Later advices from the scene Of the
conflict are TO the effect that all is
quiet now. but fears are entertained
that trouble will break out afresh a
any moment, and the conflict yester
day is thought to be the forerunner o.
many more to come in the near future