The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-12-03
WALLER
DOGS AND
RED NECKS
Union and Non Union Miners
Of Mingo County Engage
in Gun Bat
ties.
CASUALTIES ARE EVEN
Federal Troops in Strike Zone En-
deavor to Disarm combatants
and More Than 500 Pistols
CASUALTIES ARE EVEN

loy 11diO -. JdCODS, OulI0u fTeSs
Staff Correspondent
copyright, 1920, by United Press. ]
WILLIAMSON, w. Va, Dec. 3.-O1
the score of men killed and half a
hundred wounded in battles between
"yaller dogs" and "red necks" in the
mine war in Mingo county, the casual
ties are about evenly divided, and un
biased accounts indicate the response
bility is also about equal.
The 'yaller dogs are the non-union
men and the 'red necks are the
members Of the United Mine Work
ers. These names are frequently
hurled back and forth between the
factions.
Since the federah troops marched
into Mingo county last Sunday and
established their lines, with business,
like looking sentries at strategic
points, there has been virtual ces
sation Of gun fighting. 'Beatings-up.
which occur in the darkness and
which result in graver hurts than bull.
let wounds, continue.
The troops are endeavoring to dis
arm the combatants, and Colonel
Hall, commander, has asked citizens
to surrender their weapons. AS re,
suit Of this order, in Matewan alone
more than five hundred pistols and
rifles were voluntarily given up to
tho soldiers there.
The real gunner, however, are be-
lieyed to be retaining their arms, and
non-union men and mine officials ex.
press fear of going about alone after
dark unless well heeled."
Tho frn0nc rn0du fnr incfont
action. Their efficiency is accounted
responsible for the fact that two at.
tempted attacks came to nothing.
Twice during the week, rifles cracked
and bullets sang across the Tug river
The troops returned the fire against
the unseen marksmen at once, and
there it ended, with no casualties, SO
far as known.
A special grand jury is to sit De.
cember to take up the cases of three
non-unionists charged with killing a
union man and wounding another.
This investigation will draw the lead.
ers of both sides to the court house,
and troops will be on hand to pre-,
vent open hostilities. if possible. Tay.
lor Munsey, Dutch Frost and Harry
Snead are accused of having shot
Ervine Ell.ins and wounding his
brother, Joe, at Chattaroy, few days
ago. while on railway train. They
say they shot in se1f-defense. as the
Elkins brothers-one of whom was a
preacher-was attacking them.
There has been much dynamiting
Of company property, but the only
arrests made in this connection were
those of Lem Stafford and Ira May
nard, who are held under $4,000
bonds, charged with blowing up the
head house of the Malta Cooperative
Coal company.
After visiting the tent colony of
striking miners at Lick Creek yes
terday and witnessing the squalor
and hardships endured by these mar
tyrs to the cause Of unionism, the
correspondent went to the village OF
Cinderella today TO see how the
other half lives. There was encoun-
tered a young man who, having once
been a member of the United Mine
Workers, should be qualified to pass
Judgment on both sides. This is what
he had to say:
Anybody who belongs to the
United Mine Workers is damn
fool"
This young man, Arthur Miller
joined the United Mine Workers last
summer after eight years experience
as an open shop workman because
he "fell for the organizers sweet
singing. He promptly quit his job
at the Sycamore Coal company's
mine and gave up his boarding house
in Cinderella, falling back upon five
dollars week strike benefit. A week
OF idleness was enough to cause lin
to sever his new affiliations.
He changed over night from red
neck to "yaller dog taking back