The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-07-28
WHERE HILLS
BELCH BULLETS
Martial Law Supersedes Guerilla War
fare Along Paint Creek Whore
Strikers Carry
Rifles.
SEVERAL MEN KILLED
Militia Has Arrived and Miners Are
overawed for the Present
But More Trouble Is
Expected.
SEVERAL MEN KILLED

CHARLESTON, w. Va, July 27.-
With the arrival at Mucklow of a bat
talon Of state militia tonight. martial
law superseded the guerilla warfare
which broke out fiercely Friday in a,
pitched battle between the striking
coal miners and the private detectives
guarding mine property, costing prob
ably dozen lives. No fresh out
breaks were reported today, Not until
tonight was the true story of Fridays
engagement learned.
Two armed guards are known to
have been killed and one injured. The
miners carried their dead and injured,
if any, back with them into the hills.
The militia at once repaired tele-
phone and telegraph lines and COM
munication with Mucklow was normal
/ tonight
The troops, under Major James
Pratt, pitched camp in Mucklow and
the husiness-like way they posted
pickets, and patrolled the mining camp
overawed the strikers. Plenty Of am
munition was brought along by the
soldiers. The mine owners said the
fighting Is over, but armed strikers
are known to be in the hills.
i Two private detectives who started
] from MuckIow to reconnoitre were
J, ambushed One Of the pair, P. F
stringer, was killed The other, w. w
Phaup, was badly wounded but man
aged to escape, and later rejoined an
other party of guards.
The detectives retreated to Muck
low and entered barracks where
perhaps one-half of the 200 detectives
in the vicinity were quartered. Early
Friday the hills around the barracks
began to belch bullets. The guards
brought swivel machine gun into
!, play. 1t can kill at three miles. Where
: ever they saw smoke from Krag
) Jorgensen, the guards pointed the ma
) chine gun. Other detectives hearc
Z the firing and marched over the hills
). to the rescue Of their Mucklow com
. trades. A non-union miner, Gus Pinson
!. who Joined the party was killed, th'
/ guards attracting the fire of the min
ers at several points. Still later an
other party of guards from Holl.
! Grove joined the barracks camp, ant
4 thus reinforcing the guards finally sil
enced the miners. 1t Is CONSIDERS
j certain that some of the miners wer
n killed.
The guards reported no furthe
: tlosses but it is said seven men in tn
barracks were struck by bullets.
: When the mine owners got wind o
!, the fight they at once demanded stat
/. : troops. The national guardsmen wer
y then in camp at Mt Gretna, Pa.
battalion was ordered rushed to Mucl
:, low and arrived today by special trair
The miners declare that they ar
not allowed to congregate or to Wis
q neighbors They are threatened b
II the armed private guards, they CLAIM
r and their wives and daughters are nc
L safe from attack by these importe
u gun men, as they call the dete
= tives. Working conditions are wors
u here than in Siberia, declare the stril
ers The operators have steadfastl
e refused to recognize the miners uniol
'e and have turned down their deman
for higher wages and better workir
'e conditions. The strike was calle
IL April 20.
The armed guards are loathed !
er the strikers and personal clash'
81 have been frequent. The guards a
sF well paid, the miners claim, while thu
d. can not earn decent living, workiI
h long hours in the diggings Faci1
ty absolute starvation for themselves al
OF their families, the strikers are becol
ing desperate and yesterdays OF
I break is not expected to be the Ia
despite the presence of militiamen
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