Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-02-11
Sixteen Are Slain and Forty
Wounded in Fight Between
Strikers and Company EN-
pIoyeS Near MuckIow,
FIVE COMPANIES OF
MILITIA ORDERED OUT
Posse Under Former Captain
in National Guards Attacked
by Laborers and Fierce En-
gagement EnSues,
my Morning journal sprcIal Leased VIE

lBy Morning journal special Leased wite.l
Charleston. W Va. Feb. iO.-SiN-
teen persons are dead and forty
wounded aS the result Of battle to-
day between strikers and authorities
near Mueklow, ". Va. IN the Kama
wha coal strike district. Seven Of the
dead were strikers and three We're
mine guards and police. of the in
iured. fifteen are said to be strikers
and the others guards.
Five companies OF state militia, two
from this city and three from Hunt
ington. ". Va. reached Mucklow to-
night having been ordered To the
troubled district at o'clock by Gov
cfnOr William +. Gnssc0ck A mum
her OF additional companies are un-
der arms and may start for the scene
in the morning Striking miners
marching toward Mucklow were mot
IN the mountains by posse under
Fred Lester "a former captain of the
West Virginia national guard, now IN
the employ Of the coal company.
A sharp engagement followed. A
bookkceper and two mine guards
were shot dead and several others
wounded. Lester and his men were
slowly driven back, contesting every
foot of the ground. Reinforcements
Of guards from other mine companies
railroad police and deputy sheriiis
joined Testers men, but they could
not check the advance Of the miners.
who steadily advanced. pouring a hot
fire into the ranks Of the officers.
The lighting continued throughout
the afternoon. The last telegraph
wire into Musslow was cut Yesterday
and 1t was dihicult to communicate
with the strike district shortly after
5 o'clock this afternoon reports Of the
fighting filtered into Charleston from
persons who had ridden on horseback
70 points within fifteen miles OF this
city. From these reports. Il was be-
lieved that at least a score of lives
had been lost In the rioting and
prompt measures were taken TO get
militia in the field.
Companies NJ and c Of Charleston
and G., II and | Of Huntington, which
have been held in readiness for sew
eral days, were started for the strike
district within a short time. The
Charleston companies had to travel
twenty-five miles through an isolated
mountain territory and through the
heart of the mine strike zone before
reaching Mucklow, while the com
panies from HUNTINGTON were seventy
live miles away.
The coal strike in the Paint and
Cabin creeks district Of Kanawha
county had its inception last April.
1t soon became necessary to send
troops into the district to quell riot
ing and Governor Glasseock issued a
proclamation OF martial law, the first
ever declared in West Virginia. After
a time conditions became normal. and
the troops were withdrawn. After a
few weeks interval rioting again
broke forth. Trains were held up.
coal tipnles burned and persons shot
and beaten.
Governor Gasscock declared mar
tial law for the second time. When
the troops reached the strike district
again, little trouble was experienced.
With the coming Of the troops strik-
ing miners and their sympathizers
took to the mountains. Frequently
shots were fired into mining towns
from the mountains, bur when the
soldiers reached the scene the rioters
had fled. Conditions again became
quiet and the troops were Withdrawn
gradually The second proclamation
Of martial law, however never was
lifted. The first serious outbreak IN
more than a month occurred Friday
when passenger train was fired on,
Mucklow was riddled with bullets and
a number of persons shot down.
Since that time there have been
other outbreaks which eliminated I'M
todays serious lighting.