The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-09-08
Two Members of International Executive Board of
United Mine Workers of America Beaten Up
by Coal Company Thugs at Clarks-
burg Last Friday Night.
Men Had Been Investigation of Conditions in the
Fairmont Region and Had Completed Their
Work and Were Leaving for Home
When acknowledgements
Commissions ssGuards',

The lawless thugs. known as guards"
appointed by the governor of the State
TO do the bidding of the coal baronS in
the non union fields, have added another
crime to their long calendar. Ten of
these brutes assaulted and beat up two
officers of the miners union. without the
slightest provocation at Clarksburg last
Friday night by direction of the operators
in the notorious Fairmont field.
The coal barons of the State outside
Kanawha (organized) district maintain
an army Of these thugs. many of whom
are ex.convicts and criminals who have
been driven from other states, to intimi-
date and force the miners to work under
savish conditions and to beat up and
drive out all union men and sympathizers
who invade the sacred precincts of the
master minds"
These thugs are commissioned by the
governor as railroad police to protect"
property. and are therefore given free
reign to carry on their 1awless reign of
terror without interference from the
authorities elected by the people and
At the present time a victim of the
New river guards" is hobbling around
this city on crutches, cripple for life, as
result being butchered up last February
and no steps have been taken by the
authorities TO bring the degenerate thugs
to justice
This is another sample of what the
nrltr e. IL.
system into power that owns every
public official from constable down to
governor body and soul.
Following is an account of the Clarks.
burg outrage sent out from Wheeling:
Wheeling, w. Va. Sept. GA. S. Wat
kns, of forkville. o.. and Charles Gar.
ner, OF Canada. both members of the In
ternational Executive Board of the United
Mine Workers, were assaulted Friday at
harrisburg by ten guards" and badly
beaten UP.
Watkins was taken home suffering
from bad compound fracture of his
right arm and horribly cut about the
face and head. Garner was also badly
beaten up about the face and head.
ihey had been in the Fairmont field
Tor the last two weeks investigating con-
ditlonS IN that non-union field, where the
miners are working under deplorable con-
dtons
After investigating around Fairmont,
'ney were proceeding to Clarksburg by
street car when they were accosted by
several strangers who asked them if they
not
country
upon receiving negative answer they
proceeded to inform them that they
so' Deter acquainted before they got
out 0! there.
Cpon reaching Clarksburg Watkins
and Garner went to their hotel. closely
'o"o~sd by the thugs and later when
"'ey eii the hotel for the train the thugs
eh"'h followed them and when they
.e4'n'u particularly dark spot about
'e" oi these vicious company hirelings
"'.acHcc ;he'n with the above result.
"h"n interviewed Watkins and Gar
"eI expressed little surprise that the coal
'aFons II. this section resort to such
''e'h"dS- Ihey stated that the men are
"o'H'''E under deplorable conditions,
,''o'e esirHaiT in the Jamison Coal Co.
mines d. Pennington.
III o;@er 10 get men to work in their
.',''.eS l"arT non-union conditions" ex-
p.e.,'e" watkins, this company sends its
p.l pa'D ''1'F 10 New York, Chicago and
ss s,-'e' s''i"' 70 induce the poor ignorant
e'K''e7S l1st landed from Italy, Rouma-
ma Or oth-- foreign countries, without
ana ".l7out money. to go to the
&c ;aa- : making them fattering prom
~s % ''r si9 money they can make.
s'l." Ilasscock:-We want to ask