Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-12-30
UsT FOLLOW AS THE NIGHT TIs DAY: THOU CANS
SOUTH CAROLINA TUESDAY, ISaCEsrBER 80 1918
MOYER CLAIMS WAS ASSAULTED.
Declares He Was Beaten, Shot at and
Then Kidnapped.


| dent of the Western Federation of
Miners, passed through this city
| early to-day on a Chicago, Milwau-
l1ee and st. Paul railway train, on
| which he claims he was forcibly
placed and guarded by two thugs un-
| til the train reached Charming, Mich.
at o'clock this morning.
81 was assaulted in the Hotel Scitt,
at Hancock, by members of the Citi-
zens' Alliance and man named
Waddell Mahon, gunman," said
Meyer, as he drew the curtains apart
and addressed the interviewer.
Continuing, he said: 81 was terri
bly, beaten, shot at in the dark, drag
ged more than mile through the
streets, threatened with death by
hanging and finally placed aboard a
Chicago train about $50 o'clock last
night. / was guarded by two thugs
on the train till it reached Charming,
Mich, about 2 a. m.
"a committee OF fifteen men, led
by an attorney for the Calumet and
Hecla Mining Co., named Pederman,
had been in conference with me and
had barely left the room more than
four minutes-hardly time enough to
get out Of the hotel-when the mob
appeared
81 believe the strike is won in the
Calumet district. | expect to return
to Calumet in a few days under gov
ernment protection, State and ma
tional.
81 have been trying to settle the
strike. The Governor and Attorney
/ General OF Michigan, the latter hav-a
ing visited Hancock a few days ago,
acknowledge l have been doing my
utmost to settle the strike. The terms
I submitted were acknowledged to be
fair. They admit | have kept my
word with them, the State officials
and local authorities
| When asked the question, "Is it
true, Mr.. Meyer, that the mine own
ers are willing to form local unions,
but are against being affiliated with
the Western Federation Of Miners?"
he replied:
''No, it is not true. The mine own
ers are against organized labor"
Embittered by Calumet Disaster.
Calumet, Mich, Dec. 27.-Striking
miners in the Michigan copper re-
gion were generally aroused to-day
over the deportation of Charles H.
Meyer, president of the Western
Federation of Miners, last night.
Feeling here between the strikers
and the Citizens Alliance, embitter-
ed by the panic disaster of Christmas
Eve, has reached a point where the
conservatives look forward with re-
lief to the early arrival of John B.
Densmore, Federal agent, who has
been delegated to investigate condi-
tions.
At the headquarters Of the West
ern Federation of Miners it was
charged to-day that Meyer was kid
growing out Of the panic in Italian
Hall. Meyer was conducted out of
the State, it is said, by some of the
alliance because he would not re-
tract the assertion that, according to
his information, the man who start
ed the panic with a cry of Fire"
was at the bottom Of the Citizens AL
lance, and because of his advice to
bereaved families to accept no aid
from the alliance.
Meyer refused to listen to the ap-
peal Of members of the Citizens AL
lance in Hancock last night. He was
escorted by three men to a railroad
station and placed on a train for Chi
cago. With him went John Tanner,
who recently came here from the
West, where he was raising money
for the strike fund. Moyer and his
companion are due to arrive in Chi
cago early this afternoon Members
prominent in the Citizens Alliance
deny any knowledge of the deporta-
ton OF Meyer. None of them would
make statement except general
denial that the alliance had anything
to do with the affair. Sheriff Cruise
has started an investigation of the
kidnapping charges of the union and
says he will find out the identity of
the three men who accompanied the
Il a. L.