The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-08-20
GUARDS" NOT MINERS GUILTY

W. K. Farley, Alabama mem
her Of the National Board of the
limited Mime Workers Of America
last Thursday issued the following
statcmcut:-
81. together with every officer
Of the United Mine Workers,
uuoualiIieuly condemn the
atrocluu~ and inhuman conduct OF
those WHO fired into the train neal
Blocton, murdering and manning
some of the men on it; as also the
dynamitjng at Action, as well as
any other violent or unlawful con-
duet committed during this strike.
Nearly ali of those who are charged
with amy participation in this
}.orlon affair, as shown by the
CORES pondence in the daily papers
are SIayS and other foreigners, who
were imported to that place by the
Tennessee Company as strike
breakers during the strike three
wears ago. We have at all times,
and do now, beg and implorc all
union miners to desiSt and refrain
from any violent or unlawful CON
dUc' The peace and quiet Of the
community is more valuable to
them and the state than the sue
cess OF this strike or of anything.
Humanity and good citizenship,
as well as the good name and sue
tess OF tie miners organization,
demand thatthis course be pursued
and the officers of the mine work
ers int"nd at all hazards to pursue
it,
II feel that it is but just to the
union miners that the public
should hc informed, at least to
some extent. about the unfOrtu-
nate situation now existing and to
know that the miners are not re-
Spou>ihIc for the murder and vic.
lencr which has occurred. They
surely were not responsible for the
murder and violence which has oc-
cured. They surely were not re.
spon>iblc for the murder of one
man and the shooting Of three
others by guards and deputies at
Republic ON the 10th day Of July.
That ease has been investigated by
ajudlriaI officer Of high character,
Hon. |, IL. Benners, one Of the
Judges OF the Inferior Court of JEFF
ier""n county, who sat for over a
week, and after hearing all the
evIdrnr" and argument of counsel
hrd SIN u! the guards and deputy
>h'iIi1> 10 answer before the grand
jury ON Il trial OF murder. Union
miners al" l.ot responsible for the
occurrence at jefferson, read and
r&Iad"d IN some of the daily papers
as the battle of Jefferson. The
acling Mayor OF Cardiff, who had
jnvN'Ilrilon over the police, was at
Jefferson at the time as IL peace
oiiIrrr lie has made au affidavit
mat b" was present and that the
miners dld not lire q single shot.
Sixteen ot the union miners were
arrested, charged with shooting g
ihi"ih'l train and with assault and
battery Wlth intent to kill and
Muidrr; they =. appeared before
The same Judge, Hon. l. II. Ben
hrT>, and were all discharged by
MN. ""j even a witneas appearing
agau~' them. They certainly
were not responsible for the
a'I"ri'0S murder of the union
nil."j who WIS put in Jail at
h"Sh'"u on lulc suspicion, taken
rom 'a'rr at night and hung and
ms t".DN riddled with bullets
III 'hi~ injl the officers had nc
"-A' L" place this person. He was
taIi"tJ mere on a street car which
Ia" ll"m birmingham to Bcsse,
""'. and he should have been
'aNvN .o'omH or the other of those
Par'~ aUd not left at the Brighton,
'a.a"""-", Intended only for the
j"'>'.'@. vt the town. anL at which
"!'."."@ of guards and deputies
u III" " "nQward Iron Compan,
Wa.' '.clr headquarters at night
'' ,i"d"ly the miners are no
.'S .l''l" for the outrageS per
f'l'',..'. "n John Burros. Il white
'''..- ." was dragged from hi:
,.'t " >.an ut night by depu
'''.~ .t -Wrd~. and in order t
''.'' "." confess that he knew
"' ..-- "i the dynamiting on
''''. "r hung by his neck unit
.'" ami eyes protIuued. hi
"'''' '." L" bleed, and when h.
.""n was more dead thar