The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-05-13
REIGN OF TERROR
i'm WEST VIRGINIA
Continued from Page one)

Most of the shooting heretofore has
been done at night when lighted
houses afforded easy targets. Virtual
ly all lights were extinguished tonight
and residents kept close under cover.
The outflanking expedition, led by
Captain Brockus despite its extremely
hazardous character. was declared by
the authorities to be virtually the only
hope Of routing or capturing the at
tackers.
The state police were virtually help
less during the day. as the attacking
forces in the mountains were COM
pletely screened by foliage and bould-
ers. while the police for direct IT
tack would have been obliged to cross
the open valley and climb the rugged
slopes in full view of the hidden
marksmen.
Sergeant Dave Peterson Of the state
police, who led a squad Of men to
Sprigg this afternoon, tonight told of
the plight in which several hundred
passengers on noon day train found
themselveS when they reached the
battle zone
Bullets were peppering down from
the mountains when the train got in"
he said, women and children screamed
and cried in terror. while virtually
passenger on the train fell prone to
the floor Of the coaches for protection.
I don't know whether any shots were
aimed at the train. None Of, the pas
sengers was injured"
Sergeant Peterson, who alighted at
Sprigg with his squad of men, were
subjected to a hail of bullets before
they could gain shelter in a nearby
cabin.
Captain Brockus returned to Will
hanson soon after 8 o'clock and said
the shooting had been general all the
way from Williamson to McCarr, KY,
a distance of about Is miles, following
the windings Of the river. He esti-
mated that no less than 200 men
made up the attacking parties. Bullets
fairly rained from the mountain sides,
as, he said, some of the attackers
were using automatic rifles. These
were met by four or five machine guns
which the state police had stationed
at various points in the valley. The
was still in progress as Cap
tain Brockus drove into Williamson.
So heavy was the firing from the
side that the state police
replied and just before nightfall, ac-
cording to reports reaching here, men
hidden in the vicinity of McCarr
shouted to their friends across the
river that one Of their number hal
been killed.
1t also was reported to headquarters
here that the force of state police
sent into the mountains to outflank
he attackers had returned to the val
ey, the men they sought having |
slipped through their thin lines and
David Phillips and j. c. Mccoy were
arrested by state police at Sprigg and !
brought to the county Jail here to-
hight. Captain Brockus said they
we're being held in connection with |
he killing of Staten early in the day. |
He said a charge would be entered |
against them. tomorrow.
Reports from the fighting area at |
10 o'clock were that the firing on |
Sprigg, Matewan and Merrimac lad |
lied down but was continuing from |
he vicinity of McCarr. Captain |
3rockus scattered his forty men ]
,mong the towns on the West Virginia
tide and he will do nothing further
Until morning. So far as known to- !,
hight none of the state police had |
,een wounded.
A coal miners strike has been in !!
progress in the district since last !
Tuly,