Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-04
STRIKES HATREDS
PREVAIL AT MINES
Paint Creek Conditions Almost
as Bad as When Men
Were Idle.
GUARDS GRAPHIC STORY
OF AMBUSHED ATTACK
Reported Dead, His Blood Stained
Coat Cut Up for Souvenirs.
He Declares.

Conditions along Paint creek In the
West Virginia coal fields are almost as
bad now they were while the strike
was last spring. according to testi-
mony given today to the Senate commit
tee Investigating the whole situation by
w. s. Wood. general manager of the
Standard Splint Company. He declared
that the feeling of the former strikers
against the men who remained at work
in the mines is still bitter, that assaults
are frequent. and that whisky drinking
makes the situation still worse.
W. w Phaup. one Of the leaders of the
Baldwin-Felts guards, employed by the
coal operators along Paint creek during
the attacks made upon himself and the
other guards by the strikers.
Unarmed at Beginning.
He testified that he and his men had
gone unarmed until after the first as
sault, and that no arrests had been made
up to that time, The guards were fired
upon again and again from ambush. he
said. The first attack occurred May D.
just three weeks after he ana his guards
came into the district, About two or
three hundred ehets were fired.
He told how he and q man named
Stringer were flred upon July 25, and
he was wounded twice and Stringor
was killed. They were attacked. he
along the railroad track.
His coat was lost, he said, and later
Mother Jones exhibited the coat. with
his blood on 1t. and made an address
only mine guards coat that had ever
suited her,
"The coat was cut UP into little
squares. and the strikers wore them In
nf heir I'm m
Shot or His Bicycle.
Phaup told Of being shot OF his rail-
way bicycle at Holly Grove at the time
when his companion was killed. AS he
revived, he said. he heard one man say:
Don't shoot any more, that's got him."
Phaup said he dragged himself to the hos
pital two miles away with his arm broken
by a bullet, another bullet buried below
his shoulder blade and bullet wound
in his chest.
'.Fhe doctor at the hospital was afraid
Of trouble and put out the report that I
had died on the operating table," said
Phaup.
Phaup in conclusion said that the strik-
ers were the meanest lot Of men he had
ever had to deal with. and In response
to Senator Kenyon explained this on the
theory that Paint Creek. being non-union.
got the miners that were kicked out Of
the union mines.
The new working agreement between
the miners and the operators. which be-
came effective August j, has resulted, "
was claimed before the committed, In the
reopening Of practically all mines Under
the agreement differences between the
operators and miners are to be referred
for settlement to a board Of arbitration;
the operators are not to discriminate
against any one as hitherto, because of
membership in a union: the miners are
not to be coerced to trade at the COM
pany stores: the miners are to be permit
ted to employ check weighman: nine
hours shall constitute q days work, and
payments are to be made semi-monthly
instead Of monthly.
Denies Mail Outrages.
g. X. Capell, postmaster and company
storekeeper in the Paint Creek district,