The Washington times., 1921-05-13
M|NC0 BATTLE
RAGING ALONG
'15.NNE.FR0NT D
Heavily Armed Sheriffs Rushed
TO Sprigg in High-Powered
Automobiles.

Automobiles.
President Harding will probably
make the Anal decision whether
Federal troops shall be seat fntO
the West Virginia coaI AelAs to
queal the disturkanees there. Ii was
stated at the War Department ts-
day.
MAI. Ge.- George y. Red. 1t
Fort Benjamin Harrison. InA., Has
sent . star officer to West vir-
ginia 70 Investigate conditions there
snd ssbnft n report as to the need
and aAvisability for the dispateA
Of Federal troops.
WILLIAMSON, W. Va, May 13.
Serious fighting was reported in
progress today from the mountain
sides on the West Virginia and
Kentucky slopes of the Cumber-
land mountain, with Tug river as
the headline" between contending
forces.
One man is known to be dead
and the list of dead and wounded
will mount, it is believed, pccord~
ing to reports reaching here. 2 -
BODY FOUND NEAR RlvBR.
The bsdy Of ths dead man vas
found on the bank of the river at
Auburn. KY. but rescuers could not
reach 1t. There was q constant rain
OF bullets from opposing forces. State
troops were on the scene, but they
were powerless to cope with the
situation.
A telephone message relaysA
through Matewan was received BY
Sheriff w. r. Pinson at 10 a. m.
from Superintendent Lindsey. of the
Auburn Coal Company. stating that
messenger was en- route from ALL
burn to Matewan to arrange for an
srmistice. According to the message.
the residents of Auburn will cease
firing IL the attack on the village -
stopped. Sheriff Pinson has in
structed Chief Deputy Hall, on duty
at Matewan, to assist in arranging
the arnnistice.
Up along the slopes Of the Cumber-
land mountains for a distance of
nearly fifteen miles. rival forces
union and non-union-are encamped
and big battle Is momentarily ex-
pected.
The battle front is in the heart Of
the Mingo coal fields and II is for the
supremacy OF this field that the i'm
pending battle is to be fought.
The latest outbreak is attributed
to the eviction Of 100 families Of
striking miners from company houses
of the coal operators. This was done
after legal notices had been served
on the miners to either work or
vacate.
MOUNTAINEERs WELL ARMED.
The mountaineers are equipped with
high-powered rifles and shotguns and
the State troops and deputy sheriffs
| are unable to locate them.
The State troops have brought up
machine guns and have pariycaded
their emplacements. An ennladinY
fire Is being directed in the direction
from which the promiscuous shots are
coming, but the mountaineers seek
| cover behind the rocks and boulders.
There is intermittent shooting up
along the mountain side but IL is
Gus the casualties are.
Telephone wires are down and de-
tails of the new outbreak are yet
unknown.
Deputy Sheriff John Hall left here
at 8 o'clock this morning with a large
supply of rifles and ammunition and
twenty deputy sheriffs for Sprigg.
where 1t is reported trouble has
broken out again. Additional oflcers
are being rushed there in automobiles.
Sprigg is five miles from here and
Is tent colony. II has been the
| scene of much disorder in the past
few days.
BATTLE STILL RACES.
| Local officials are taking stock to-
day of what appeared to be the most
extensive Industrial battle In the his
tory Of Mingo county and which is
still raging along a part OF the sew
en-mile front that was active through
out a part of yesterday.
~This section Of West VirHinia ts
embroiled In civil war through the
efforts OF union miners to uniontse
the coal industry and theN opposition
cf operators to that course" Sheriff
w. n. Pinsop declared this morning.
Messages admitting the inability OF
local officials to cope with the situa-
Ition have been sent to Governor Nor
gan, of West Virginia, at Charleston
and to Governor Morrow of Kentucky
at Frankfort.
| EAtimstes made by officials this
morning Indicated that approximately
1oO,O shots were nred in the battle
yesterday. Fifty or more men. pre-
sumshly strikers. participates In the
nGhtirg ut Merrtmsc. which was de-
Tended ny seventeen ofAeevs OF the
state police.
TuousANDs Or sUOrs