The New York herald., 1921-09-04
HERALD And TRIBUNE
MEN HIT BY BULLETS
Four Newspaper Folk in
Skirmish on the Top of
Blair Mountain.
LIKE A REAL BATTLE
Craig's Head Is Creased,
Sparkes Wounded Severely
and Others Slightly.
LIKE A REAL BATTLE
LIVE SCENE IN COAL WAR
SHOOT First and Challenge Af-
terward,' State Trooper
Tells News Writers.
81 United Press.

Bv United Press.
HUNTINGTON, w. Va, Sept. 3.-Miss
Mildred Morris, Boyden Sparlzes OF the
New York Tribune. Donald Craig of
THE NEW YoRK HERALD and the writer,
Harold D. Jacobs. left St. Adams late
yesterday with the first Federal troop
train into the Coal River Valley, and
after spending the night in Madison,
arrived in Sharples to-day.
The others wished to duplicate my
experience in listening to battle
close to the miners firing line and I
went with them. We hired young
electrician named Nicholas Ball to
f1ivver us up to Beech Greek Valley
toward the battle front. We drove pos
sibly two miles into the hills, then
abandoned the car and proceeded on
foot. We hiked about an equal dis
tance up the narrow, tortuous ravine
before we heard the first faint sounds
of rifle and machine gun fire seem
ingly far to the south.
We afterward learned it was on Blair
Mountain. where the most sanguinary
engagement of the warfare was raging.
We decided we would have to scale the
mountain at our left to give our auditory
nerves real tingle of battle noises, and
turned back looking for q path. We en-
countered two miners from the Boone
County Coal Corporation workings, who
a 4, n LA, ;,, he
fighting, but believed they could take US
up path so we would look across a
valley where some miners were holding
the line.
In the Midst of Rifle Fire.
We reached the summit of the noun
tain after hard climb and proceeded
along its brow for a bout a hundred
yards. The mine guards were walking
ahead and we were commenting on the
fact that the firing seemed to be but lit
tie nearer when--weli. hell broke loose.
There was a crash of rifle fire right
In our faces. remember indistinctly of
thinking. Gosh that's close"
Then another crash and / felt O. sharp
pain in my right knee. which buckled
and as | lay there trying to make my
self as small as possible and congratu-
late myself on having this shelter, the
air was shaken by volley after volley.
The bullets thudded into the log about
my head and realized we were enfilad-
ed and the log was no shelter at ALL
There were shouts OF I'm hit"
Were friends" I'VE surrender" And
] began TO do some shouting myself
Finally the firing tricl<led off and we
heard cries in front OF u.s.
Come out of there. you"
Put your hands up damned high and
keep 'em So"
As we arose to comply there was
another volley from our side.
This ceased. and we were amazed to
sec several State troopers rise in front
of US. / learned afterward we had all
supposed we were under fire by miners
i had hastily examined my knee and
discovered there was a comparatively
minor bruise. probably from a ricochet-
ting bullet or stone clipped by one
looked around at my companions
and was Mortified TO see Sparkes limp
ing forward. his face showing he was
badly wounded. ! turned to help him
and got TRADE Of cursing from the
troopers.
came racing over from the other squad
and assumed command of the situation.
Then / saw that one of the miners was
badly hit in the leg, that Craig had been
burned" on the temple by bullet and
that Miss Morris had a scratch on the
wrist. Sparkes had been creased along
the top of the head and bullet had
penetrated one calf.
Military PASSES Are Ignored.
We produced military passes issued
by Col. Ford. chief Of staff, to prove our
identity and the sergeant seized one
from Sparkes. read It. crumpled IL and
threw Il on the ground.
How in ell do we know you're news
paper guys?" he wanted to know.
Where in ell are the Federal troops !?
we amt seen them"
Then instructing another sergeant to
take charge OF us. he turned to a field
telephone and told one Brown" down
In the concentration camp at Ethel to
send up a car for six red necks' (Lo-
gan county for union rniners) we Just
got"
Barely had this message gone when
there was a heavy volley from down
the slope OF the HILL apparently not more
than two hundred yards away
Get down. the Sergeant ordered
and we got
We stumbled down the western side
Of the mountain, supporting Sparkes
and the miner. The car carried them to
Ethel first and then returned for the
rest or US. I had time to get acquainted
with the sergeant second In command
whose name learned to be Rodes, and
found him a fine fellow.
well why didn't you challenge us?'
| finally asked II have been held up
at least fifty times by miners, some
times pretty close to their lines. and
have never been shot at before"
WELL" he replied. we believe In
shooting first and challenging afterward
up here
JAPAN MAKES PLANS
FOR ARMS CONFERENCE