The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-26
Government Officers Call Up
on Barricaded kentuckians
To Surrender, But Rifle VOL
ley Was Their Answer.
DEFENDERS ARE FINALLY
FORCED TO TAKE FLIGHT
Leave Burning Building Under
Heavy Fire. Carrying Woun-
ded on Their Backs-TWo
Known to Be Dead.

The Dead.
John Mullins, United States marshal.
Ky.
Richard Ross, miner.
The Wounded.
Marshal Tate, Somerset. Ky.
Marshal Ryan, Somerset. Ky.
Several miners, whose names were
not given. were also wounded in the
melee.
Stearns, KY, Dec. 26.-Christmas day
in this little mining town was a day
of fire and bloodshed, markell by a ter
rifle battle between local miners and
Deputy United States Marshals. in
which one of the latter was instantly
killed and some of the former were
wounded and possibly several of them
cremated in the ruins of the McFarran
Hotel here.
After the battle and the burning OF
he hotel by the deputy marshals, the
miners. who had been besieged in the
notel, escaped. and are now at large in
he wild country about here, and the
asst heard from them was a threat
rom the leader. Berry Simpson, to re-
urn here. distribute whiskey to the
60 or more miners and burn the town.
The few inhabitants not in sympa-
Thy with the spirit of today's tragic
Genes are terrorized. and pray. as the
light advances, that help will come to
Irevent the threat of Simpson being
.arried out.
outgrowth Of Strike.
The trouble is the outgrowth OF q
,tfike in the mines of the Stearns Coal
nd Lumber company. which consti-
utes one of the largest industries of
Whitley county.
1t is asserted that. following the orig
nal strike. some of the men returned
o work, and with these and imported
nen, the mines were operated.
The miners, it is said. are members
If the United Mine Workers lof Amer
ca and soon ]. o. Tunstall, an organ
ger from that organization, appeared
o induce those not already out, to
.trike.
The company then. through j. n.
harp and E. L. Stephenson, of Will
iamsburg, appealed to the United
tates courts, and Judge Coshran. at
iaysville, KY, issued an injunction
estraining the striking miners and
heir sympathizers from interfering
18th the men ut work In the mines or
ne property of the company.
1t is said that this Injunction was dis
egarded in that Tunstall and his asso-
iates were interfering with the opera
ion of the mines at Stearns. Barthell
nd Worley and II miles of railroad
onnecting these points, all in Whitley
:ounty.
Berry Simpson. who also was pro-
Drietor of the McFarran hotel. is cred
ted with being the leader of the strik-
ng miners.
Leaders Of the Disturbers.
1t is said that he and Tunstall work.
d together. having as their active as
.istants Jesse Simpson and Harvey
simpson, sons of Berry Simpson: Eli
iha Slavin, Oliver Slavin, George Stan
ey and Reuben West.
The allegation was made that the
Interference of these men was of suffi-
lent force to reduce the output of the
mines from 800 to 800 tons of coal q
lay.
AS no attention was paid to the in
junction, Judge Cochran ordered the
lrrest of the seven men. and directed
United States Marshal Sharp. at Cow
ngton, to have the men brought before
Iim.
Deputy United States Marshal Mas
ingal. of Somerset, was ordered TO
make the arrest. and Deputy Marshal
dullins. of Richmond, was detailed to
-ssist him.
Determined to Fight.
The coming of the officers was
nown to them, and they had decided
resist arrest.
The officers went to the hotel, and,
they approached, were halted just
Itside the two-story frame structure,
I'd told they must not attempt to ar
est the men. The officers were told
he men were In the hotel and would
OF give up without a fight
They had closed and barricaded the
.oors and shutters, and had made port
,oles in the latter through which TO
Ire on the officers.
When the officers were apprised of
his state OF affairs they sent pre-
nIptory order TO the men TO surren-
Ier as II was their intention TO arrest
be miners at all hazards