The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-11-23
REIGN OF TERROR At
WEST VIRGINIA MINES
o,,r1 AWRY~ FOLLOWS STRIKE,
AND DEADLY RAIN OF Bull
,pTS POUR INTO MINES
FEUDISTS- ARE ACTIVE

4 FEUDlolO~ AM A
podoraI Forces Attempting to Main
tain Order in TerrOrized Community
Where Men Are Shot Down and
Homes Dynamited. Patrol River.
The valley of the Tug river, region
If sudden death, stronghold Of moon
sinners. breeding ground of many
feuds in years gone by, and the
u,lackers'" paradise during the war,
is again echoing to the bark Of guns.
Tho river, the dividing line between
West Virginia and Kentucky, is the
ocation of one of the finest coal pro-
dncng regions in the United States.
For months, however, it has been the
scene of a strike of the coal miners in
life and death struggle between the
onprators and the United Mine Work
ers of America. The strike already
( is estimated to have resulted in cash
loss of nearly $250,000,000.
Lawlessness is rampant in the val
lev. Already 81 men have been kill
Id from ambush or shot down in vii
LACE streets. More than 600 have
been wounded. Thousands of inno-
cent people are living in daily dread,
as human life appears to be the cheap
est thing in the region. Law enforce
ment officers are either apathetic or
stealthily conniving with the feudists
and gunner who occupy strongholds
in the hills.
Mines Closed or Under Guard
The reign of lawlessness grew out
bf the strike of the coal miners, a
strike forced on the men, according
to the operators, by the United Mine
Workers when that organization
found it could not compete with the
hon-union miners. AL mines are Ell
y Their shut down or operating under
heavy armed guards. Buildings are
being dynamited, men are attacked
and shot down daily, and crime reigns
supreme.
The trouble is. centering about Will
hanson and Matewan, with 40 fede-
bal soldiers camped along the river
strying to maintain order. Ordinarily
about 1000 miners from the 5000 en-
plOyed in the region went on strike,
but this number has dwindled to 700.
However, the increase in crime has
adyanced by reason of many feuds be-
4 IN revived and new ones begun.
Mountaineers Well Armed
The mountaineers and feudists are
heavily armed with automatic revolv-
ers, high powered rifles and huge
Quantities of ammunition. With the
coming of the soldiers, the gunner de-
serted the valley and climbed the
fountains, from where they direct a
hurderous stream of bullets into the
exposed valley below.
Where the mines are being kept
Apen the workmen are subjected to an
lmost daily rain of bullets. Homes
IRE blown up and assassins wait in
work. Federal soldiers have placed
smbush for the men on their way to
machine guns on tops of the noun
hins and conduct daily forays against
lhe gunner, but with little result. The
territory to be patrolled is so wide,
2nd the soldiers are so few, that they
Are working against great odds in
ghting against the heavily armed
2nd numerous feudists, who know
] very inch of the mountain trails.
Why tn Fight Conferred There.
The fight to unionize the coal mines
isc
Ruse the mine union officials found
they could not enforce their demands
pr six-hour day and five-day week
9TH the West Virginia miners work.
ng the scheduled number of hours.
ne Williamson field has a capacity
~ nearly 50,000,000 tons a year, one
twelfth of the maximum capacity of
pc bltuminous mines of the United
plates. From its start the field has
Ven on non-union basis, and the I'M
Pms found they could not gain su-
Fremacy over the coal supply of the
Guntry with these mines non-union.
&he strike call followed, and then
me the reign of terror and blood
= pea, aided by refugee mountaineer
FudlSts and moonshiners.
The mine operators are standing
grm IN their decision not to recognize
United Mine Workers asserting
pat the union officials are irrespon-
aOie and do not keep their promises
nd contracts. They assert that for
years there had been no labor trou-
rs IN the valley. The men were
aklng an average of $14 a day, and
Fere happy and satisfied.