Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-06-18
TELLS OF FIRING
ON Strike CAMP
Witness Asserts Armored Train
Was Used by Operators.
MACHINE GUNS ON COACHES
Former Guard Declares Mine Owner
of w. Virginia Wanted to Return
and Renew Shooting at Tent
City-Women on Stand.

OlIy-WOHlGn on OLdnQs
Charleston, w Va, June 16.-About
single battle in the coal strike on
the Paint and Cabin Creek districts
centered the days inquiry by the SEN
ate committee investigating the coal
mine strike Almost all day the COM
mittee heard statements of the attack
on Holly Grove, a strikers camp, from
an armored train which was run up
into the strike district on February 7.
The committee was astounded at the
testimony presented by Lee Calvin,
former mine guard, who was one of
the men in the armored train when
the strikers camp was fired on. Cisco
Estep, a miner, was killed, and Mrs.
Annie Hall wounded
Calvin, called by the attorneys for
the miners, told a sensational story of
the attack. After relating that he had
been chief guard" on Cabin Creek
and had left the district because of
the shootings there, he said that Sher-
if Bonner and Quinn Morton, mine
operator had met him in Charleston
and prevailed on him to join a party
going up Paint Creek in the armored
train
Rifles Were Dealt Out
''There were ten or twelve men in
the armored car attached to the train"
said Calvin, "and when we got just
above Paint Creek Junction all of
them began getting rifles which were
in the car. They tried to give me a
rifle, but told them l had no shooting
to do.
1.-THE brakeman came through the
train and turned down the lights. He
to shoot right through the windows.
was leaning out of an open window
and as we came up to Holly Grove
saw stream Of fire start out Of the
baggage car just ahead, where the ma
chine guns were mounted. The stream
kept up as we went through Holly
Grove.
LAS we passed saw three or four
flashes from the tents"
Were there any shots from the
tents before the shooting began from
the train?" asked Attorney Belcher for
the miners.
q didn't see any" said the witness.
81 just heard the engine whistle blow
and the shooting from the train began.
I am positive the shooting first began
from the baggage car"
The witness said that Quinn Morton,
one Of the operators, was on the train.
When the train had passed the miners
camp at Holy Grove on it's way to
Mucklow, he said, Mr. Morton came
running back through the car
What did he say?" Attorney Belch-
er asked
HE said, Back up the train and we
will give them another round" the
witness answered. ''He was talking to
the sheriff, and I'm not sure, but
think the sheriff told him something
about there being women and children
up in those tents and he wouldn't
shoot"
At this statement Senator MARITIME
of New Jersey almost leaped from his
chair
what sort of a man is this Nor
toni" he shouted. rs he an ordinary
American citizen that he could order
such a thing?"
The attorneys for the coal operators
were on their feet in a moment and
| for time the committee room was in
P, confusion.
"Mr Morton will be brought before
your committee" shouted Attorney
Jackson, and you will see him and
talk with him.
God help me them remarked SEN
ator MARITIME.
Women Tell of Strike War.
Women and men who showed the
| traces Of years of toll digging coal
| from the West Virginia mountains told
the committee their side of the con-
| troversy.
1t was the tale of a peaceful COM
munity of happy, contented people,
| transformed into theater Of war, and
the members of the senate committee
sat back with startled chances as wit
ness after witness told the story.
Mrs. Annie Hall, who limped into
the committee room, told the commit
tee how she shielded her three little
children from the bullets by hiding
them in the chimney corner of her lit
! tie home at Holly Grove when the ar
mored train made its appearance. She
said she had been shot through the
| foot by a bullet. Several other men
and women described the situation at
Holly Grave when the armored train
i IL,