davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
West Virginia Is Feudal.

The mountaineer State 10 an an.
achronism In our group OF American
commonwealth. There the feudal
system flowers under the tender care
Of the coal kings. Politically. the
State 10 q moral bankrupt. Populnr
government must be established II
Weat Virginia ever can aspire, to Q
real. and not merely nominal, place
In our American democracy.
For more than q year West Virginia
has been q powder mine waiting to be
touched off. Now that tho explosion
has come, the country stands ap-
palled. But the situation could have
been averted had either the State or
Federal government taken hold In
time.
Economic fiedaiism has persisted 20
long In that State that thu miners
have lost all faith in the integrity of
their own State officials. They feel.
and rightfully. that the coal masters
dominate the State government, and
that no hope for the re-establishment
of constitutional guarantees is posi-.
BILE unless the Federal Government
steps In and compels the restoration
OF civil rights and liberties.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
OUSAND MINERS SHOUT AT SIGHT OF TROOPS
Weeks Alone on
Job; Government
Takes Vacation
InsernatIenaI Nsws Service.

international News Service.
THE National Capital win be
on the verge Of offir.al
desertion today.
President and Mrs. Harding
led the exodus out Of the heat
swept Capital when they sail
ed with q party Of friends on
the Mayflower yesterday after
noon. They viii cruise until
Tuesday morning.
Secretary of State Hughes,
and Mrs. Hughes, Secretary of
Commerce Hoover, Budget Di-
rector Dawes, Senator and Mrs.
Watson, Of Indiana; Mr.. and
Mrs. George Van Fleet, Mr..
and Mrs. Edward Scobey, Of
San Antonio. and Miss Abigail
Harding were members Of the
Presidents party.
Vice President Coolidge Is
in New England.
Secretary Of the Treasury
Mellon is at Hot Springs, Va.
Secretary of Labor Davis Is
en- route to Detroit.
4 Postmaster General Hays Is
en- route to St Louis.
Secretary of the Interior
Fall is In the West.
Attorney General Daugherty
Is In Ohio.
Secretary Of War Weeks Is
here In the sweltering heat
holding the fort.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
4O,OO0,OOO Face
DEATH h RUSSIA
Famine Horror in Stricken
Land Told by Woman Writer
In Moscow.
BY ANNA LOUISE STRONG.
Copyright. 1891. international News
Seryice.l

MOSCOW, Sept. al have just
completed the most horrible journey
OF my life: horrib' not because OF the
hardships, privations. difficulties of
travel. but because of the unspeak.
able misery / found in that vast area
traversed In my 64-hour voyage from
Warsaw to this capital For that
area swarmsl with millions of men.
women and children. refugees, driven
from their homes upon wild, though
aimless flight by the dread of the
famine and plague now rayaging Rus
sia.
Death Stares Everywhere.
Death stared at me out Of hollow
eyes, death by degrees. Hunger OF the
sort that turns humans into beasts,
makes them snatch with woifish
greed at pieces Of tree-rind or q
couple Of dried up berries; disease
that devours the body almost bsforc
ones very eyes; despair that makes
mothers with puny babies hanging
Imply in their arms throw them.
selves upon railway tracks and beg
the train crew to go on and thus
make an end TO their misery. These
things have seen. not In isolated
spots, but all along that barren
desert thick with living corpses.
With that misery land behind me,
as I saw the streets of ancient Mos
cow looming. grim and gray. n the
distance, I wondered what I should
find here. in the heart Of the tieed.
ing Muscovite giant that was but
yesterday the worlds granary.
20 Million Slowly Dying.
found Moscow place OF sac.
rifices and devotion, Of feverish, un.
tiring labor. Here, too. is misery of
unfathomable depth; here. too are
hundreds OF thousands upon whom
the forerunners of death have set
their ghastly mark; hundreds of
Thousands Of men, women and chill
dren whom only a miracle can save
But with the last remnants Of their
swiftly fading vital force they devote
themselves with almost fanatical fer
| vor to the titanic undertaking Of re-
lief. There Is not one among them
but feels that there are millions worse
| Off; out In the sun-scorched steppes of
Samara 100000 are slowly dying,
| probably one-tenth doomed to sure
death. Those II is to whom these pit
liable sufferers in Moscow are devot.
Ing their thoughts and labors.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
Union Is Organized

The miners, confronted with in
creasing living costs. found their
wages unbearably low. They peti.
toned the mine owners for the scale
granted by the Federal Coal Commis-
sion. When refused they held meet
ings, selected representatives and or
dered them to go TO Charleston and
there solicit the officers OF the United
Mine Workers for a charter In the
union organization.
After a careful investigation Of
the facts, President c. F. keeney, OF
District IL. commissioned several OF
the Mingo miners as organizers and
gave them authority TO grant union
cards to their feilow.workers. The
miners of Mingo swarmed into the
union. The field was completely
unionized IN a few weeks. No per-
suasion or Intimidation was used.
since the sentiment of the workers
was unanimous In favor Of unioniza-
ton.
In this connection. Il has been
alleged frequently by the operators
that the trouble In Afingo Ia attribu-
table to an attempt on the part Of the
union invasion. As a matter OF fact,
the union went into Mingo, not on
It's own initiative. but at the direct
appeal Of the Mingo miners. More
over. the field was organized, not by
outsiders. but by men Of Mingo.
The men who Joined the union were
fired from their Jobs and evicted
from the company houses. Their
only oZense consisted IN asserting
their unquestioned right Of American
citizens TO join such lawful organi.
xations as they saw fit. But for this
crime" they were thrown out OF
employment, and driven from their
homes TO exist as best they could.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
Hatfield Shot Down

While ascending the steps Of the
court house at Welch with his wife
on his arm and followed by Ed
Chambers. q fellow townsman Of
Mattewan, who was also accompanied
by his wife, Hatfield was shot down
in cold blood. The first press reports
had II that he was killed In a gun
fight and that q revolver with six
empty chambers was picked up be-
side his dead body. but the protest Of
Hatfield's friends compelled the pub.
were that Hatfield was unarmed, had
had no intimation of the assault, and
was simply and callously shot down in
cold blood. Four bullet wounds were
found in his back and one in his face.
When Chambers. boy OF twenty.
one, and recently married, was shot.
he collapsed and rolled down the stone
steps. One Of the detectives leaped
down the steps after him. and despite
the entreaties OF his young wife placed
q pistol behind his ear and fired two
shots into his head.
The assassinations of Hatfield and
Chambers provoked q fury Of resent
fhent throughout West Virgtnia--a
feeling that accounts In some deyree
for the present march of the miners.
Hatfield was widely admired and liked
in his native State. No man ever
had been maligned more unfairly In
the public press. He had been por-
trayed as a desperate and general
bad man" In fact. there was little
In his appearance, speech. or habits
to support this reputation. OF slight
build, with brown eyes, and a rarely
absent, innocuous smile, he presented
anything but the aspects of the best
seller" type OF gunman. He was only
twenty-seven. He didn't drink or use
profanity, frowed on gambling. and
was fanaticallye religious. From his
slender income he contributed $3.50 a
year toward making up the salary
of a Presbyterian minister In Mate
wan.
Hatfield's reputation was hung
upon him after the celebrated Nate
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
Martial Law Proclaimed

Then Governor Morgan promulgated
his now famous proclamation putting
Mingo County under martial law.
Harold w. Huston. counsel for Dis.
trict IL, promptly had the martial
law proclamation declared invalid by
the Supreme Court of Appeals Of the
State, In passing favorably on petition
Of habeas corpus. filed to effect the
release Of several men arrested under
the terms Of the proclamation. the
counsel held that martial law was
necessarily an incident OF military
occupation, and In the absence OF State
military forces, Governor Morgan was
exceeding his authority In putting
Mingo under martial law.
But the governor was insistent that
Mingo not be allowed to enjoy civil
law. So, he adopted the subterfuge OF
drafting a company OF Mingo citizens
into the militia" OF the State, then
reissuing his martial law proclama-
ton. This time, the Supreme Court
OF the State held that the proclamation
was effective. ~
M,neo was placed under martial
law. Scores OF arrests were made
for the most trivial offenses. Men
were Jailed for having In their pos
session the Federationist, the news
paper of the State Federation OF
Labor, or the United Mine Workers
Journal, which has a circulation OF
more than half million. l1i- as
sen,bIy Of more than two persons on
the streets or In any building re-
suited In the arrest and confinement
OF all.
soon the Jail ut Miugo was loaded
70 capacity and the incoming prison
ers had 70 be sent 10 Mcdowell and
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
Armed Guard System

However, the dominant reasons for
the outbreak are to be found In the
perpetuation Of the armed-guard sys-
tenn In the State. Both political
parties have repeatedly promised tho
voters Of the State that the Vicious
practice would be abolished, but Il
still persists throughout the non.
union fields of the State--partlcu,ar-
ly In Logan and Mcdowell counties.
Under this system. each mine own
or employs private gunmen. usually
furnished by the Baldwin. .Tolts
agency. and also pays the salaries
OF 4 certain number Of deputy sher.
IFS who serve as his private hench-
men.
During a State investigation of
conditions In Logan county two years
ago Il was developed that $4,000 is
paid annually by Logan Coal Oper-
ato-s Association as salaries for dep
uty sheriffs.
These guards patrol the mine
properties and railroad stations.
armed usually with pistol and rifle.
Every traveller who leaves the train
at any mining camp In Logan and
McDowsli II confronted by one or
more Of these thugs. Unless he can
furnish a most satisfactory reason
for his presence in the town, he is
immediately ordered out. And, II
II happens that the guards are Of
the opinion that the visitor has
any sort Of union affiliation, he IL
brutality assaulted These instances
are common and are well known to
the officials OF the State.
Many victims OF these assaults
were brought to the office OF Cover.
nor Cornwell 20 tell their stories and
exhibit their wounds. Hundreds of
affidsvits narrating oftenses of this
sort by the armed guards have been
fiied---but without result.
guareS watch out visilantly for any
vestige OF unionism. Any man who
IN detected discussing unionism with
his fellow employees usually suffers
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
FUGITIVE BACK
IN JAIL AS A BRIDE

KNOXVILLE. Tenn, Sept. 3.--Maud
Moore, alleged slayer Of Leroy Harth,
is again in jail here. having been sur
rendered by her bondsrnen after her
capture In Tacoma three weeks ago.
Including the rewards which they
paid Tacoma officers. the pursuit and
capture has cost her bondsmen 5000.
They stood TO lose $4,000,
On leaving Tacoma the woman, who
after her. flight had married there
William II. Stubbs. received. she says,
bouquets and letters OF encourage
ment from club women OF that city.
At practically every station between
Tacoma and Knoxville, rhe said.
scores OF people extended best wishes
to her, and en- route she met the wife
OF q Chicago millionaire who promised
financial assistance n II should be
needed.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
Evictions Brutal

The evictions were carried out with
the utmost brutality. Armed Bald.
win.Felts guards closed In on the
unfortunate miners home. threw all
furniture into the road way. and then
locked the door. The family then
had to seek shelter as best Il might.
In one case at Matewan, the Baldwin
Felts guards refused permission to a
miner to let his sick wife stay In the
house until other shelter could be pro-
cured. They took the bed on which
this woman lay, and placed II out
side In the rain.
The evicted miners flocked into the
hills with their families. setting up
their bedsteads under the open sl<y.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04

In all were indicted for murder. But
In the famous trigger" trial held at
Williamson early this year they all
were acquitted. The five surviving
guards also were indicted for the muir
der Of Testernian. They obtained a
change OF venue to Greenhrier county
snd were acquitted after farctcal
trial. Their trial was q .travesty in
that II was held In county where
witnesses to the murder of Tester.
man did not dare to go. Only one
witness appeared for the prosecution.
The assassina tons of Hatfield,
Chambers and Breedlove are the high
lights of the situation. But many
others have been killed, scores have
been assaulted. thousands deprived Of
their civil liberties. and an entire couty
deprived of q republican form OF gov
ernment, merely because The workers
would not abandon their privileges as
American citizens at the demand Of
the operators. 49,,
The conflict must be brought to an
end speedily. The people of Mingo
must be given an opportunity to earn
their livelihood. It is not fair to drive
them out Of their native mountains
To drift through the country in search
OF work. Coal operators of Mingo
h'oiheaAh enat bhcy hr HiiiiilB du tho
coal this time that the market will
absorb-but a trip through the field.
with idle properties visible on every
side. will give credence to the unions
claim that production has been hard
hit by the lockout. Finally. there
must be instituted again the reign of
law and order. And this will not be
accomplished by crushing one faction
Into the dust. The rights of both
sides must be considered and q COM
promise worked out. ,r
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
Not "Closed Shop"

The miners have tried on scores OF
occasions to bring the operators into
conference for the purpose OF ironing
out their differences. Conciliators OF
the Federal Department Of Labor
have sought IN vain to bring the oper-
ators into o meeting--even President
Harding was obstructed In this at
tempt during the past week.
The miners do not demand q closed
shop. They merely insist that the
State laws be enforced by the COVER
nor and that no man shall be discrim-
mated against merely because he car
ries q union card. Their proposition
is fair and just, and seemingly has
the support of all enlightened opinion.
A month or so ago I sat on
shaded porch OF the Chambers home.
stead In Matewan. discussing the
strike with several residents of the
village-among them young Ed
Chambers, recently assassinated In
Welch. tft.
These operators appear mighty
unreasonable" remarked.
YES" drawled one of the elders
OF the town, ''they came into these
hills from the cities and picked up
coal lands for 25 or so cents an acre.
Now, by God. they want to have US
mine the coal for nothing"
think he is nearly right.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04

wan battle Of May 10. 1920. On that
day the Baldwin.Felts guards had
been evicting the union miners from
their homes In Red Jacket Hollow.
On this particular day they had fin
ished the evictions in that vicinity
and were taking the train out OF
town.
The leader, Albert Felts. was no
costsd by Hatfield. who told the
detective he had been informed by
the Judge Of the circuit court In Will
hanson that the evictions were Illegal
lin that the evicted families had
not been given sufficient notice and
that the Baldwin-Felts men. not being
officers of the county. or even resi-.
dents, were without authority In
serving eviction notices.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
Mayor Protests

Tho guards, with their prisoner,
moved down the main street, flaniyed
on one side by two-story business
blocks and on the other by the
tracks Of the Norfolk and Western
Railroad. They stopped In front Of
Chambers hardware store. opposite
which the chair car OF the train was
expected TO stop. A small crowd of
the curious gathered. Mayor Tester.
man Of Matewan was told that his
chief of police had bean arrested by
the guards. He rushed down the
street to the hardware store to ask
Felts the meaning of this step. Felts
produced the warrant. Testerman
scrutinixed II for q few seconds and
handed Il back with the remark that
II was a fake.
"You can't take Hatfield out Of
this town on any such authority as
that" he declared. "If you want to
act legally about this, let's so to
the store here and call UP the Jus
tice Of the peace at Thacker. II he
says that any such warrant Tor
Hatfield's arrest has been issued.
then I'll let you take him along"
Felts declined to call up the Jus
tice Of the peace. There was tense
silence. Then someone in the crowd
remarked derisively:
"Yo' d bettah put yo' warrant on
yo' ginger bread and eat It." II
Felts flared with anger, then
yanked out his gun. Testerman was
shot through the groin, dying q few
hours afterwards. Hatfield, who was
standing next to the mayor. had his
hat shot from his head. The guards
began to shoot generally. Hatfield,
who was In the middle OF the group,
ripped out both guns. One was shot
from his hand before he could pun
the trigger.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
Mildred Morris,
Writer, Injured
In Mine Battle
BY International News Service.

by Internationai News Servico.
LOGAN, w. Va, Sept. b.
MISS MILDRED MORRIS,
International News Serv-
ice corresp n d . n I, was
scratched by flying wood from
q log behind which she
dropped in the face OF heavy
FIRE on the Boone-Logan line
today. ss
Miss Norris was crossing
the lines in company with
other correspondents.
NEW YORK, Sept. B.
Boydep Sparks, staff corre-
spondent of the New York
Tribune, was shot twice but
not seriously injured while
covering the warfare In the
West Virginia hills near st.
Albans.
Sparks, according to the
city editor of the Tribune,
was able to telephone TO his
Office by long distance this
morning.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
Civil War Will Not End
With Dispersal Of Armed
Bands, Lawyer Says.
Conflict Due to Break
down of State. Govt.
BY NEIL BURKINSHAw.
OF Washington. associate counsel for
District II, United Minc
Workers Of Anlerica.

District IL, United Mine
Workers Of America.
written specially for Tho washing.
ton TimesJ
Civil war in West Virginia will
not end with the dispersal Of the
armed forces on the Logan county
border.
The present sanguinary out
break, deplored By all, Is but .
manifestation Of the complete
breakdown Of West virsinia's State
government.
But II cannot be expected that
the mere return Of the belligsr-
ents to their homes Is going to
effect an era of peace and tran
quiility In the mountain State. The
fostering sores of discomfort must
be removed II the recrudescence Of
such disorders az those Of the past
week ID to be avoided.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
Coal Operators Rule As Kings Of Old
Declares Union Miners Counsel Here

.CabelI counties for detention. Under
the martial law proclamation there
was no machinery Whereby anyone
arrested under its terms could obtain
hearing. arraignment or trial. Men
were arrested, thrown into jail. and
left there just SO long as IL suited
the pleasure OF the authorities to
detain them. @
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
us. OFFICIALS HERE
. GIVE VIEWS ON M|NGO
Political Leaders Give Opinions
on Miners War for
Times.

West virsiniais warfare has created
10 sensation Of Whispering in the
National Capital.
The West Virginia situation, Il IL
admitted, IL loaded with political
dynamite. s..@
The Times herewith presents the
following symposium Of vicws Of the
situation: III.
Secretary Of War wesks-".Bassd
on the reports which the War De-
partmsnt has In West virginia hope
and believe the situation there viii Be
adjusted without further serious
trouble"
Henning Secs No Excuse.
Assistant Secretary Of Labor e. j.
Henning-"whiie the situation in
West Virginia is bad, peace and
good order must be preserved at
all cost. There can be no excuse
for iawiessness. while II Is unfor-
tunate that this trouble should
arise at this time Of great unem.
ployrnent. the President has done
the logical thing In sending United
States troops to queli the lawless-
moss. Life and property must be
preserved at any cost" ,.....
Representative Mondell, Republican
House Leader-"Ths present acute
situation In West Virginia seems to
be the result Of long continued
discord and dissatisfaction In this
coal mining district, and apparently
Is local IN it's scope and in IT'S
effect and relations. hope sincerely
for an early peaceful adjustment
without bioodshed, and return to
the quiet Of law and order"
Samuel Gompcrs, president Of the
American Federation OF Labor
Against the authority of the Gov.
ernment Of the United States the
people Of West Virginia cannot and
must not stand in hostile array, but
when the men who obeyed the or.
der Of the President and dispersed,
that IL no remedy Of the acute situa.
ton as II exists in that State and
nothing will be settled" T.. g.,
Representative Oldfield Of Arian.
sas-"The situation In the Mingo
coal district is q blot on tho State
government Of West Virginia. also
on the present Federal adrninistra,
ton. The public IL not getting all
the facts. The controlling interests
the coal operators--are largely non.
residents OF the State" E
Representative Wingo5 Of Arixan-
sas-''The mine troubles In West
Virginia are local and ! think con-
ditions are not so bad a. reported.
There is no national or international
significance In the Mingo labor trou.
bles In my opinion"
The Washington times., 1921-09-04

Flowers for the sick Brighten up the
room OF the invalid with. GUIDES Flowers,
1914 F.--Adv.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04

SPRINGFIELD. Ill, Sept. 3~-John
L. Lewis. president OF the United
Mine Workers, tonight blamed the
West Virginia "mine war on Bald
win.Felts detectives. He charged they
were the Original cause OF all VIC.
lerce" In the coal fields OF West vir.
ginia, which has now illuminated In
a miners uprising"
The Washington times., 1921-09-04
Put Up Your Hands

Put up your hands" shouted q
sergeant with an oath.
At the sight OF me this officer
dropped another oath. this timo Of
amazement. S..
What In hi. a womanr' he
exclaimed.
While he was ,quizzing US explosive
reports came from the other side. The
miners were firing. As our captors
raised their rifles for action we stood
bewildered and again we were under
tho baptism Of fire.
Our captors shouted to US TO fall to
the ground and q corporal directed US
where to crouch. In the meantime the
young sergeant In charge called on a
field telephone at Ethel State military
headquarters TO send automobiles 70
take away a bunch Of red necks.
He himself led us down the valley
TO wait for the automobiles, and q
young corporal brought up the rear.
The Washington times., 1921-09-04

shouting. -. a
1t was impossible to walk to the
top because of the rocks and trees,
50 most Of US crawied up. was the
last to come. e, '..
saw first Sparks, his face covered
with blood. Jacobs, OF the United
Press. who was In front of me, had
exclaimed at the sight Of the blood.
my God, Sparks" and dropped his
hands In q move to offer aid to the
wounded man 1854 ~ @-TI
The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-04-27
.DARYMEN ORGANIZE
LOCAL ASSOCIATION
PRELIMINARY MEETING HELD
BEFORE FOUNDATION FOR
NEW oRANIZATIoN

The local dairymen, who supply
milk to the consumers Of Opelousas,
after discussion informally at other
meetings the matter Of organizing for
mutual protection and the furthering
of their interests as well as the up
holding of better standards, fianally
got together last week and perfected
their organization by the election of
the following officers: RENT WallioT,
President; David Blacksher, vice
president; A. A. Mendoza, secretary
treasurer. Besides the above officers,
the following are members of the as
ISOLATION were present at the
meeting: E. P. Smiley, Jules Sylvest-
re, ]. NJ. Sanders, C. H. Comeau, E.
Fisher, Jr., all of whom are enthusas-
tic about the future of the organize
ton.
ALI persons who are interested in
the dairy business and wish to see it
grow and prosper are urged to lend
their assistance and join the associa-
ton as soon as possible.