The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-23
TO ARREST WHITE
. MINERS ON CHARGE
OF INTIMIDATION
Federal Authorities to Issue
Warrants for Men Who
Fired on Negroes at
Benoit Friday

Warrants charging violation of the war
time Lever act will be issued today be
fore United states Commissioner J. X.
Shields at Jasper against Marion San
ders and Reuben Phillips, white union
miners. through instructions issued late
yesterday by United States Marshal Fl.
~ skeggs to Richard Blake, his deputy
in Walker county.
The warrants will allege intimidation of
nonunion miners and attempting TO re-
strict the production of coal in the Ala
bama fields.
This action by the federal authorities
follows upon the heels of the shooting
late Friday of Sid Mcdaniel and Duke
Bell. negroes, nonunion men recently
brought to the Benoit mines as machin-
lists
Bell is in the Birmingham infirmary,
suffering from pistol wound through
the lungs, having been shot in the back
Physicians last night said he would re-
cover Mcdaniel, who fled after he had
been shot twice in the legs, was found
yesterday afternoon near Dolomite and
will be brought to the Birmingham in
Urinary for attention
Federal authorities will hold both ne
groes as witnesses against Sanders and
Phillips.
Whereabouts of the white miners since
the shooting are unknown to the federal
authorities, but search will be instituted
after issuance of the warrants in Jasper
today.
Charges of shooting with intent to kill
probably will be made by the state au-
thorities in addition to the federal pros
ecution, it was stated at the office OF
the United States marshal, in Birming
ham.
According to the latest information a
the federal building last night, Bell and
Mcdaniel were employed at the Benoit
mines several days ago. They were work
| ing on a mine motor, it was said, wher
| a difficulty arose between them and thu
| two white miners Sanders and Mechanic
! are said to have reported the affair t.
the superintendent, who agreed to inves
+, tigate the trouble. He promised the whit
miners, it was reported, that if he fount
the negroes in the wrong and their pres
ence was distasteful to the whites they
| would be discharged
| AS the negroes left the mines late Fri
| day, it was stated, they were fired upor
| by the two white miners. Bell fell witt
| bullet in his back. Mcdaniel managed
| to reach a house after receiving two
| bullet wounds in the lower limbs.
| When firing was continued against thu
| house, Mcdaniel is said to have hobblet
| out a rear door and sought refuge in th'
| woods. There was no trace of him unit
| he was found Saturday afternoon nea
| Dolomite.
| Marshal Skeggs yesterday declared tina
the federal authorities intended to give
! all the protection available to the mer
! working in the mines, and that Friday
affair apparently was so aggravated tina
the warrant charging violation of tn
Lever act would be issued today il
Jasper
| 1--WE do not know what has become o
| the two white miners since the shoot
| ing" the marshal said but as soon a
the warrants can be obtained we will
endeavor to bring them into custody ant
prosecute them under the provisions o
! the Lever statute.
] The situation at Benoit was reporte,
quiet last night with no surface indica
ton of further trouble.