The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-01
BATTLE NOW ON
Defenders Prepared for New At
tack Expected Today.
Women Act as Spies for the
Invading Forces.
FIFTY KILLED At BLAIR
Main Body of Invaders Is
Thought Retreating.
Air Scouts Report ReOrganiza-
tiOn of Attacking Miners.

Charleston, w. Va, Sept. 1.-The
office of Governor Morgan announced
soon after noon today that it had
report from Logan of the resumption
of firing on Blair mountain. There
were no details
Brigadier General Bandholtz, repre-
senting the war department, arrived
in Charleston from Washington short
ly before noon and went Immediately
to the office of Governor Morgan.
At / o'clock General BandhoItz was
still in conference with Governor
Morgan. The conference began at
1880 o'clock, Immediately after the
generals arriveI from Washington
Fifty Killed at Blair.
Within the Miners Lines Madison,
w. Va. Sept. Fifty miners are re-
ported killed or badly wounded in re-
newed fighting at Blair this morning.
The report was brought back from the
front by two men. both wounded.
The detachment is said to have at
tackled a machine gun nest on Blair
mountain.
The entire force. with the exception
of the two making the report, is said
oner. Reinforcements are steadily GO
ing forward today to the miners
massed on the Logan border.
Absolute secrecy is maintained as to
the casualties in yesterdays fighting
at Blair and Crooked creek. Five
miners are known to have been killed
ut Crooked creek and several wounded
1t Is reported here that the death list
in yesterdays fighting may reach
thirty.
Main Army in Retreat?
VILLA mson, W. Va. Sept. 1.-The
main body of the armed miners which
yesterday attempted to enter Logan
county, is in retreat, Sheriff Don
Chaffin, of Logan county, has reported
to military headquarters here. Sher-
miners had been killed by the defend
ing force. He said three of the de-
tenders had been killed.
That the miners are retreating was
asccrtained by observers in scout
planes which flew over the Coal river
section from Blair to Jeffry. A con-
sidera BILE force remains in the noun
tains in the neighborhOod of Blair.
Major Thomas B. Davis has been
advised from Logan that during the
fighting yesterday, bombs were drop
ped on the columns of the advancing
miners from an airplane. 1t was not
stated whether the airplane was one
owned by the Unied States army or
whether it was a commercial plane
100 Reported Killed.
Reports have reached Sheriff A. c.
Pinson, of AIingo county. from the
Logan-BoOne county border, where a
furious battle ragged all day Wednes-
day between 5000 armed striking
miners on one side and deputy sheriffs,
state police and volunteer citizens on
the other, that as many as 100 were
killed in yesterdays fight.
Reports reaching Sheriff Pinson
were fragmentary and the number of
reported casualties differed with each
report that came in. The report of
100 dead has not been confirmed from
any other source.
5000 on Front Line.
Logan. w. Va, Sept. Machine
gun barrages were laid down on
miners positions at 4 o'clock this
morning by the Logan army of de-
tense. There were no responses ex-
cept at Peach creek. This led to the
hope that the miners army may have
abandoned the attack for the present.
Daybreak found close to 5000 men
in Logan's first line. Reinforcementsl
had been rushed forward during the
night in anticipation of concerted at
tack this morning.
Scouts had reported 1000 miners
massed in front of the twenty miles of
defense between Mill creek and Blair
mountain.
Woman Spy Helps Miners.
An element of romance and mystery
was thrown into the Logan Industrial
war when scouts brought in the story
that a woman spy had gone thru the
lines early yesterday morning, carry
ing information to the miners.
The scout declared he had been
surprised to find tracks of a woman's
feet on Blair mountain. He also found
a dainty woman's handkerchief. The
foot prints were traced far down the
mountain toward the camp Of the
miners.
Officials believe here that spies are
carving information of the Logan
preparations and defense system to
the miners Such spies, if captured, !
will be severely dealt with, the au-
thorities declared.
War Vets Command Citizens.
Reinforcements arrived at Logan
during the night and early morning
from Charleston and Huntington !
Both cities contributed quota of for /
mer American expeditionary force Of /
ficers to command the citizens army of |
defense.
A train with a detachment of depu-
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