The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-09-13
MINE FIELDS QUIET ONLY
 DURING PERIOD OF ARMED TRUCE
West Virginia Inter-County Labor Union War Rests While U. S. Troops Stand Guard Bitterness Not Lessened by Federal Intervention Present ''Trig
 ger Trial Pregnant With Future Strife.

tered the full flame of bitterness and hatred of the union men. They are '"The Barrier which they know they must leved before they can even talk union" Hence the recently oft-re- peated plea that the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency be deprived of its charter and that Don Chafin's army of deputy sheriffs-anyone who wishes to help can be sworn in as a deputy sheriff-backed up by the bit terly-arrti- state constabulary, be remobilizeed.
 Written in large crimson letters in the background of the warfare stands the ominous word. 'Evictionl' It was that which led directly to the which in turn caused the indictment of two dozen men on murder charges setting the stage for the Trigger Trials,' the second of which Is now under way in the little Mingo Court House at Williamson, w. Va
 Briefly, this Is what happened:
 Miners lost their jobs because they had joined the union and were agitat- orators furnish lodging to the miners in comfortable little block houses called company houses" A condi- tion exists there that dates back to the pioneer days and may be summed up under the ancient term of master and servint'' agreeme ent.
 The operators argue that when a miner is through" working for them, then, from that moment on he has no longer the right to live in a "com- pany house." They compare his status to that of a maid or chauffeur butler: once these servants quit or are discharged they have to "get out" r In the majority of cases that has been understood by both sides, and miners, after being through have peacefully moved out In other eases the courts were appealed to, and the result in the end was the same. The trouble began when Baldwin -Felts de- tectiyes undertook to evict tardy ex- miners by force.
 To quote from the coal operators 'brief'':
 Mine houses are as much incide to the business of mining coal as are nipples, or as are desks in an office The courts have so held. Occupancy of the house by the miner is a mere incident to his. employment, and his right to such occupancy ends when l his employment ceases. Under this l law the mine owner has the right to | evict any miner wrongfully retaining g | the occupancy of the house after his | such eviction can be made without a | breach of the peace.'.' | Orgy of Hate
 On the fa1eful day of the Matewar1 Battle Albert and Lee Felts, with a party of fellow-detectives. evicted a number of union miners nearby. Ex- | citement an high. The whole popula- | tion of the little mining town was in | censed All the long pent-up hatred l against the detectives rushed to the | fore. Ugly stories made the rounds of alleged brutality displayed by the | evicting detectives. especttlly against | women and children. There was a dis l pute over their legal right to evict After the evictions the detectives had | to go to Matewan to catch a train There they were met by Sid Hatfield the young chief of police of the town | There were words, at first polite, "joshing," as is the custom there be-
 fore a storm; then bitter. insulting l A crowd collected. and suddenly the
 blood orgy was on. It lasted a minute
 and a half. after which seven detec- c. c. Testerman, Matewans mayor
 lay dead.
 It was the signal for "Armaged- don" The trial last January, Febru-
 ary and March, ending in the acquit-
 tai of Sid Hatfield and 15 others. wal
 but an episode, as was the killing o.
 Hatfield and young Ed Chambers b1
 Star Spy'' c. E. Lively at We1ch, W | Va. But both events served power
 nnully to inf1ame the minds and stee the determination. of both sides tt prepare and arm for the final round
 Now United States soldiers ar' again patroIling the battlaields, ant until the last of them is gone therr will be peace. And the second '"Trig
 ger Triar' is on-this time the de fendants are tried not by men iron ; their own county, Mingo. but from
 strange county, Pocah ontas. The tria | and it's outcome will have a signifi cant bearing on the future course O : the mining war. It is being watchet r bv 6OO,0O0 union miners throughou the country. and. indeed. by organizes labor as well as it is watched by cap f ital as a whole.
 Everything indicates that both side
 have ''only begun to fight