The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-07

the new unions as soon as they were prop
erly organized, with salaries of $3.50 month
Township and municipal officials were en-
listed in the movement; at least, far a.
their sympathies extended. Matewan. a
small town on the Tug River near William
son and the stronghold from which the Hat
fields sailed forth against the McCoys. was
chosen by the union organizers as the head
quarters for their campaign
Matewan is the home of G.. I. Blankenship
Sheriff of Mingo county, and the chief law
enforcement officer in the feud and assassin
ridden country. Sheriff Blankenship is fin
ishing four years in office In happiness and
perfect health. Some of his deputies have
not been so lucky. Matewan is also the
home of sid" Hatfield, who is chief of police
of the place and described to newcomers as
"Iingo's bad man." Hatfield is now under
indictment for murder and has received the
intimation that If he escapes the death
penalty at the hands of the court he may
not be so fortunate from other quarters
Mines Under Rifle Fire
The strike of the miners started early in
Nav and while only 1900 of the 5000 miners
walked out, virtually all of the mines were
closed down. Swarms of feudists and gun
men, armed with long range rifles. appeared
suddenly in the mountains and poured a
deadly fire of bullets on mines where at
tempts were made to continue in operation.
While law enforcement has never existed
in Mingo county when the strike started
crime and attempted murder blazed from
one end of IL TO the other.
Violence and death on multiple scale
made its appearance in Matewan on May 10.
Seven members of the Baldwin-Felts Detec-
tive Agency maintained by the railroads
and coal companies for years, in the alb
scence of effective law enforcement were at
tackled without warning in the streets or
Matewan and shot TO death Only three of the
men were armed at the time. Mayor Cabell
FISHERMAN, with an organizer FOR the min
ers' union and a fourteen year-old boy, lost
their lives in the shooting also.
Albert Felts, with his brother, Lee Felts.
and five other men had engaged during the
day in ousting the families of striking min
ers from houses owned by the coal Compan-
les in the vicinity. These houses built
around the mines often In an isolated place,
are considered part of the mine plant, and
necessary in the operation of the mines as
shelter for the workers. Albert Felts re-
ceived' warning during the day that he and
his men would be ambushed. He failed TO
heed the warning, however. and with his
men started for the railroad station. While
In the main street Of the town, fronting the
station he encountered sid Hatfield.
Hatfield drew Fets TO one side. where
they met Mayor Fisherman. Fets told
leStGfTndn ne Hbu ~ VARIANT AbA iAotii'iN .
arrest. a minute later while Felts was
talking TO FISHERMAN. he was shot behind
the ear. dying instantly. In the same instant
FISHERMAN fell to the ground, dying from a
bullet wound.
Shot Brings Hail of Bullets.
with the crack of the shot that killed
Felts a hail Of bullets from the housetops
and upper story windows rained on the
other men standing in the street. Lee Felts
fell dead from dozen bullets. Another of
his men fell beside him.
c. p Higgins, with n wound in the
shoulder, ran into a nearby building He
was knocked down there, and as his body
was thrown into tho street 1t was iiddled
with bullets
]. w. Ferguson ran through the little
town with a bullet wound In the chest.
Swimming the river to the Kentucky side
he entered a residence and begged for shell
ter. A frightened woman with three small
children pleaded with him to go away, say
ing that she and her children would be
killed II he was found there. Ferguson