The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-03-13

the progress OF the strike the coal
companies employed large number
of men. commonly called Baldwin
Guards, who were armed with rifles
of various kinds, includingsa number
of machine guns; that while. the strike
was in progress, the mine operators,
by their guards, eyicted number of
miners from the houses occupied by
them, claiming the right to do SO
under their contracts and that in
some of these cases the evictlons were
forceable; that many reports, cal
culated to bring on conflicts were
circulated from time to time; excite
ment ran high and charges and
counter charges of .acts of violence
were made by the mine guards and
the strikers against each other.
Second: That the striking miners
armed themselves with high power
rifles of various kind and descrip-
ton, but mainly Swiss and Italian
Mausers; that they established camps
at various points within the zone and
acts of violence as result of the
conflict between the striking miners
on the one side and the mine guards
on the other were numerous; that
these camps of the Union miners have
been established on private property
at various places and principally at
Eskdale and Holley Grove and that
the union miners living in these
camps have drawn from the United
Mine Workers of America, certain
stipulated amounts, either in grub"
or money, each week; that the mine
owners have claimed that the striking
miners in these camps, have from
time to time shot into coal plants and
the miners living in these camps, have
contended that the guards had fired
into their camps; that a number of
persons have been killed and several
battles have been fought:
Third: That on the first day of
September, 1912, martial law was
declared; troops sent into the dis
trict now covered by the proclamation
of martial law of February 10, 1913,
and all the arms of every kind and
description that could be gotten hold
of were taken in charge by the mill
tary authorities, including machine
guns and rifles of the mine guards and
the Swiss and Italian Mausers in the
hands of the strikers and that on the
third day of September, 1912, every
mine guard employed in the district
was deported therefrom.
Fourth: That the martial law
proclamation was withdrawn about
the middle of October, 1912; that the
strike continued and there were other
cases of disorder and violence; that
martial law was again declared on
November Is, 1912, and continued un-
til the middle of December, 1912, at
which time the troops were with
drawn, and between December IS.
1912, and February 10, 1913, disor-
ders of various kinds occurred in what
ic called the martial law zone; that
the feeling between the non-union
employees of the coal companies and
mine guards employed by them, on
the one side, and the union miners and
their sympathizers, on the other, was
intense and that there were many
disquieting rumors afioat at all times
and that there were many acts of vio-
lence, including shootings; that the
coal companies had employed armed
guards and in some instances had
machine guns on their property and
the striking miners on the other hand,
had re-armed themselves with high
power rifles and that there were sew
eral shootings and conflicts that led
up to the declaration of martial law
of February 10, 1913. and prior to the
shooting which is now being tried by
this military commission"