The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-08-29
FIVE MEN FALL
IN ENCOUNTER
Commander of State Police I'm
able to Tell Whether the Men
We're Killed or Not.
ELEVEN PRISONERS TAKEN
BY THE PATROLLING PARTY
Four Escape During the Engage
ment and One Is Believed
n to Have Been Killed.

HUNTINGTON, w. Va, Aug. 2S-
Wire communication between Sharp
les and the outside world was cut off
early tonight. The last message re-
ceived at the Chesapeake and Ohio
offices here was that telling Of the
arrival there Of = special train having
on board Adjutant- General John r..
charnock and three United Mine
Workers officials.
STATE POLICE HEADQUARTERS
ETHEL, w. Va. Aug. 2S-Five men
fell into an encounter early this
morning between an armed band and
state troopers on Beach Creek, Logan
county, near the Boone-Logan county
line. Captain J. r. Brockus, command
Ing state police and deputy sheriffs,
reported this afternoon. There was
much shooting on either side. he said
Whether all the men who fell were
killed, Captain Brockus was unable
to state He added that after his
men had seen those who had fallen
picked up and carried away by their
companions the state troopers and
deputies retired because some of
their number were in civilian clothes
and It was difficult to distinguish
them in the darkness from the men
comprising the armed band. The
clash was at close range, according
to Captain BrocIzus' report, the men
firing at each other when but eight
to ten feet apart. Prior to the fight,
Captain BroclSus said, eleven pris-
oners had been taken by the patroll-
ing party which set out from Logan
yesterday, ostensibly toward Blair and
Sharples. Four of the prisoners es-
capped during the engagement. it was
said, and one of them is believed to-
have been killed.
Captain Brockus was at the head
of the advance guard of troopers and
deputies. It was this detachment,
comprising twelve men, that engaged
the armed band. The patrol, while
proceeding toward Sharples. Captain
Broclxus reported, ran across FIVE men
on foot. All were armed with rifles
and one had shotgun, he said.
I'VE called upon these men to dis
arm, which they did, the captain
continued. 1--WE placed them under
arrest and proceeded down the road
Further on we met two automobiles
and placed six additional armed men
under arrest.
with the eleven prisoners we
marched on toward Sharples and
came upon another squad OF five
armed men. Some one called to us
that we would be allowed to pass. We
called upon them to surrender their
arms, but received IN reply a volley
OF shots"
"Our men returned the fire and in
Qo-b& a., f1T a.
We waited until we saw that they
were picked up and carried away and
then decided to discontinue the ad
vance for the present. It was very
dark and some OF our deputies were
tinguishing them"
Captain Brockus could not definitely
state whether the Ave men were
fAur" were killed. lie said that he
! talked with man who came
n h Sharples after the battle had
taken place and this man said that
"some miners were killed" but was
unable to tell whether all five of the
men had been fatally wounded.
Captain Broclus said that later re-
ports from Sharples Indicated that the
state police had played in luck" in
stopping where they did.
1--WE learned from Sharples that
there were between 1900 and 1000
armed miners waiting for us to walk
into trap Captain Broclus said
and ''if we had advanced it seems as
sured a very serious situation would
have developed"
All along the way, the state policej
officer explained. pot shots" were be-
ing taken at the officers from men
hidden IN houses and in ambush.