The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-08-30
Efforts Being Made to Ascertain
Number of Casualties in
Fight Sunday.
lRy The Associated Prsssl

CHARLESTON, w. Va, Aug. 90
While almost 100 officers and men of the
West Virginia state police and some ESQ
deputy sheriffs kept watch on the noun
tain ridges near the Logan-Boone coun-
ty border tonight( efforts We're still be-
ing made by county and state officers to
ascertain the number of casualties suf-
fered by a party of armed men in the
brush of Beach Creek early Sunday.
No official statement was made by
Governor Morgan's office, but from the
Kanawha Coal Operators Association
came the news that three of the dead
had been identified as William l.. Gorder,
Of Matewan( and Creil Clark, and w. M.
Morrison of Sharples, little town near
the scene of the encounter.
A. R. Yarbrough, traffic manager of
the coal operators, said the men were
employed by the Boone County Coal Cor
poration and that Greer was one of the
men evicted from house OF the Stone
Mountain Coal Corporation on the day
of the Matewan battle last year. His
body, Yarbrough said had been sent to
Matewan. while the bodies of the other
two were sent to Sharples.
There was still some doubt as to the
number of casualties in the fight, but
from Morgan came the statement that
four men had been killed and dozen
wounded. These figures, however, were
not given as final
State police headquarters at Ethel, ex-
pressed ignorance as to the exact number
of killed and wounded, but said reports
there gave the number at five or seven
dead and IA wounded. 1t was added.
however, that the exact number would
not be known until the armed men had
returned to their homes on the east slope
of the mountain and complete quiet had
been restored.
The scene OF the action Sunday morn
ing was along the eastern slope of Spruce
Fork ridge, rugged range just west of
the Logan county line. Beach Creek,
down which the police were moving when
they met an armed band, has it's source
in the mountains.
Along the range lie the villages of
Sharples, CIothier and Blair, where the
miners are organized. They do not form
part OF the unorganized field lying west
of the ridge.
Wire communication from the disturbed
area were cut off during most Of today,
transmission companies reporting that
lines were out of order. Soon after COM
munication was restored Governor Nor
gan announced at his office that armed
bands We're still in that section and were
under the leadership of men from Ohio, |
names he gave.
Headquarters of the state police and /
deputy sheriffs were maintained at Ethel, |
on the east slope of Spruce Fork ridge |
during the day, although Captain j. r. |
Brockus and Sheriff Chafin, the leaders, |
were at Logan in consultation most of |
the time. The result of these delibera-
tions was not made public.
Mine Operators Refuse TO Confer.
WILLIAMSON. w. Va, Aug. 29.-After |
reading today the message Of John L. /
Lewis, president of the United Mine /
Workers of America to President Hard |
ing, asking that he call a conference be- |
tween the mine workers and the mine 1
owners of the Mingo field. Harry lin /
sted, chairman of the labor committee of |
operations association of the Williamson /
field, addressed a letter to President !
Harding in which he reiterated the re- /
fusal of the operators association to con-
fer with the union miners or to treat /
with them in any manner whatsoever.
Reiterating that large forces are again 1
leaving the Cabin Creek district tonight
for the Lofan county border, Governor
Z. e. Morgan sent the following state i
ment to Washington at midnight address,
ing il to both President Harding and
Secretary OF War Weeks:
General Bandholtz left here Saturday. /
At that time armed men in Paint, Cabin /
and Lens Creeks and Big Coal river |
fields were dispensing. On Little Coal /
river in the vicinity of Sharples, Ciothier /
Blair and Madison armed men in excess
OF fifteen hundred have refused to dis
perse when requested by representatives
Of the federal and state governments
"On Saturday night near Sharples,
armed patrol attacked body of state po-
lice which returned fire and killed three
men. These armed bodies have also cap
tured five Logan county peace officers
and are holding them prisoner.
1--WE have information that several I
hundred men from coal fields IF other
states are gathered with these insuTrec-
tionists IN the Little Coal river section
Continues orr Page Two)