The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-09-10
SOUTHERN w. VIRGINIA
NOTED FOR ITS CRIMES
Picturesque Mountain Section Has
Rarely Been Without Some
Sort of Warfare.

Logan, w. Va, Sept. l0-The south
ern section of West Virginia, scene OF
the present conflict between miners,
residents and public authorities, has
been noted for its bloody conflicts,
feuds and lawlessness for century.
The picturesque mountain section
comprising the counties of Wyoming,
Logan, Mingo, Mcdowell and Boone
has rarely been without some sort OF
warfare or smouldering quarrel, likely
at any moment to burst into the fame
of rifle fire.
Hemmed in by rugged mountains,
the early settlers were cut off from
the outside world and succeeding gen
erations have so remained to more
or less extent. Roads are few, travel
is slow and tedious and the advance OF
civilization has skirted this noun
famous region until to-day 1T has
gained the reputation of being one OF
the most primitive sections east of the
Mississippi river.
From the early period when the
hardy mountaineers fought the lndl-
ans until to-day, the inhabitants have
had tendency to take the law into
their own hands and to mete out JUS
tice according to their own ideas. This,
no doubt, has been due in part to the
fact that law and order have had a
hard struggle to gain foothoh in
section sparsely settled, almost i'm
passable during the winter months AMI
often almost entirely cut off.
Except for the small towns, the in
habitants for the most part are noun
taineers Many live in log cabins, and
combine farming on a small scale with
fishing and trapping Schools and
churches are few and far apart. Many
children do not attend school, Others
have the advantage of six months
term.
Probably one of the first affairs of
the section to gain the attention OF
the outside world was the Hatfield
Mccoy feud which continued intermit-
tently for the greater part of half a
century.
Few of the many feud killings re-
suited in prosecutions and fewer still
in convictions. In many cases 1t was
found almost impossible to obtain
iuries as practically every inhabitant
knew the feudists or was related.
The section, like some other noun
tainous regions, also became known
years ago as stronghold for moon
sinners Revenue agents and state pro
hibiton officers had almost innumer
1. ( rl....
they penetrated the region in search OF
mountain dew Often they were sue
cessful in Selling stills and illicit liq
uor, seldom, however, did they bring
back prisoners for the mountaineers, !
according to the revenue agents, had
an intelligence system Of their own
and their coming was usually heralded |
long before their arrival.
The Mingo coal fields, however, have |
proven the latest and most bloody |
ground of conflict This trouble started |
with efforts OF the miners union TO !
unionize the Mingo fields. almost the |
only coal section in the state not or |
ganized.
The operators resisted and at first |
the miners themselves showed slight |
enthusiasm There were frequent |
clashes between union and non-uniOn \
miners Many of the mines were closed |
down, union miners began to picket |
the mines and the operators retaliated |
by evicting union miners from com
pany houses.
Ii was such an affair that resulted /
in the noted Matewan trigger" fight,
in which a number of citizens of Mate
wan, including the mayor and several
private detectives employed by the |
mine operators, were killed.
Nearly score OF Mingo men, in
Guiding Hatfield, were indicted in con
nection with the death of one of the i
detectives. Weeks were spent recently in
obtaining jury and other weeks in
trying the case. The accused were ac-
Quilted In tie meantime there had /
been other acts of violence, miners
from outside the region had been
brought in and often the situation was
beyond control of the state police and
the county authorities.
At various times state and federal
troops have been sent 10 the section
and maintained order under martial
lau