Evening star., 1921-09-13

In response to a request from The
Star, Gov Ephraim r. Morgan OF
West Virginia. has prepared a state
ment on the history and causes OF
the mining war in Wcs. Virginia. The
statement follows. in part:
There has been so much written ana
SO much said of controversial ma
ture concerning the attempt of union
miners to invade two of the counties
of West Virginia to compel unionlza.
ton of non-union coal mines. and
there has appeared such a great
in the eastern press. based or misin-
formation. that l. gladly avail my :
self of your invitation to make a
statement concerning this movement
and the necessity that existed for the
calling of federal troops.
.sWhen I became Governor OF west
Virginia iastsMarch. six months ago.
coal strike was existing in Mingo
county. 1t had originated in July, 1870,
while my predecessor was In once.
and twice prior to my inauguration
he had been compelled to seek the as
sistance CT federal troops to restore
order after assassinations, arson and
various crimes had been committed.
When I succeeded Gov. CornWeli. the
coal output of Mingo county was nor
NAL although the mine workers or
ganization supported number OF tent
colonies whose occupants have con-
tinued to draw relief from the miners
treasury. This condition still exists,
although the operators in that county
claim they have an ample number Of
men to man their plants and point to
the normal coal production as proof of
their assertion.
Firing From Kentucky.
Last May, two months after I had
been inaugurated. the adult male resi-
dents Of the tent colonies, aided by
other persons living in their vicinity
and in sympathy with them, crossed
several mining communities on the
West Virginia side of the river. The
firing, of course, came from the Ken
lucky side.
AT that time. after the joint request
of the Governor of Kentucky and my
failed. I sent the state police force
into that county to enforce a procla-
nation of martial law. which pre-
vented unlawful assemblage and
later, when the troopers were REIN
forced with two companies of the en-
rolled militia of Mingo county. en-
abled the authorities to control the
situation. At the time the act Great
ing the National Guard was not in ef-
feet and it was necessary to create
the enrolled militia under an old
"Since the issuance Of the procla-
nation of martial law crime has de-
creased in Mingo county more than
30 per cent; normal conditions are
rapidly being restored.
law in Mingo county that was cited
as q reason for the mobilization OF
the armed miners of Kanawha and
Boone counties. who were later Joined
by armed bands from some of the
mines in Raleigh and Fayette coun-
10 h.
jective Of the march was to resist
martial law in Mingo county.
'The insurrectionists exhibited their
antipathy toward law enforcement Of
ficers on August IL. near Sharples.
Boone county, when an armed body
robbed two state policemen of their
arms. equipment and horses and un-
der threats ordered them to leave
Boone county. Four horses were
stolen by the armed raiders.
Attempt to XIII Policeman.
"On the night Of August 19, at Ed
wight. an attempt was made in that
community to assassinate another state
policeman. He was shot in the back by
an armed body Of men which left Ed
wight the following morning for Lens
creek, at which point the armed miners
Mingo county, traversing Logan county
In reaching their objective.
'These armed bodies continued to as
semble on Lens creek for several days,
patrolling the roads. halting and using
railroad trains, pillaging stores Of arms,
ammunition and supplies. and invading
private homes in search Of guns.
''On the night of August 20 the armed
assemblage had grown to such proper.
tions (the number having increased to
several thousand) that the officers Of
Kanawha county advised me they were
unable to cope with the situation or dis
perse the insurgents, and on the follow
ing day I requested federal troops when
I was advised that the insurrectionists
had started toward the Logan border, I
felt that federal troops were necessary
because the National Guard had not yet
been reorganized under a law that had
been effective for less than thirty days
and the state police were engaged in the
enforcement of martial law in Mingo
county and distributed at their stations
SpEC1AT. N0TTcYS