The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-09-06
$4,000 MINERS JOIN ~
In DEMONSTRATION
M UGH EXCITEMENT
GUYAN DISTRICT.
Gov. Cornwell Fails to Pacif!
Members - Thousands
on March. M

Charleston, w. Va. Sept. Give
hundred striking coal miners started Z
march today for the Coal river and
Guyan districts Of Kanawha countysto
avenge the alleged wrongs committed
by mine guards there. According 10
officials Of the United Mine Workers
here. 5000 other miners. armed. are
The state has no national guard and
officials today were considering advlsA-
bility OF asking for federal troop1 to
control the strike situation in Kana1ha
county. The men should reach their
destination at noon tomorrow. CIV.
Cornwell last night addressed the styik-
ing miners and tried to pacify theyns
He said that the stories Of crueltiol
were untrue. Agitators later inhaH3o6
the men and the march was started
Coal operators here declare that GLIB
crate preparations have been made M
the reception of the strikers. A carle0d
of machine guns with experienced gum
pers have been sent into the regions -
Gently. .-..,.. ..i, XII
The march of the miners started
from Oak Grove. eight miles UP the
Kanawha river from here. About
$4,000 strikers had gathered there to
hear Gov Cornwell, who went to Oak
Grove Immediately when he learned
that insldious propaganda had been
spread among the men. The governor
was unaccompanied, except by his wife.
Many of the miners carried rifles. The
cause of the entire trouble was the res
port that miners OF the Guyan field were
being shot down by armed guards,
women and children being killed and
starved to death and other crimes were
being committed. t,
The line of march, 1t is said, Will
carry the miners through district N.
tested with moonshiners. Every coal
mine in the coal river district, 1t is
said, besides the Kanawha valley and
the Guyan district Is closed down TO-
day, the Kanawha and Coal river
miners striking with the miners OF
the Guyan district. r.
II federal troops brought in will be
sent into the hills by way OF Hunt-
ington, in this way they could cult on
marchers before they had reached the
mining settlement. III
Wholesale Uprising.
Cleveland. o.. ept. s.-"our Reports
from the Guyan district West Virginia
coal fields, indicate a wholesale uprla-
ing is under way against organizen
brutality practiced ther upon minerS
there by sevral hundred guards mani
tanned by the coal mine owners.
Acting President John l.. Lewis. Of
the United Mine Workers OF America.
hereto attend the biennial convention
of the union. made this declaration this
afternoon: .A
THE miners in this district heret0r
fore have been unorganized. and sorne-
times evidenced desire to organizev
They petitioned the United Mine Work.
ers of America to assist and we are
giving them all assistance in our power
to organize and secure the rights OF
American citizens.
1T is up to the state of West yir-
ginia to protect its citizens; this has
been done in the Guyan field. the
men, mostly American-born citizens
have been denied the right to organizes
the right to gather in free assembly,
and the grossest cruelties have been
practiced by armed guards in denying
these rights 800
Mr.. Lewis said he had received mo
direct advices from the Guyan field to-
day, but said he was not surprised thar
the men were taking the law into their
own hands. $3.50