Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-05-13

~ SANSAIAtC WC1C W CIlC C1leCL
? 1T is understood" said Governor
Morgan's statement, that the county
officials Of Pike county. Kentucky.
made similar request Of Governor
+. F. Morrow, and that the latter
would also ask for federal troops"
TERROR REIGNs IN
TOWNS ALONG BORDER
Williamson, ". Va, Nfsy 12.-Gue-
rilla warfare. with all odds apparent
ly favoring the forces opposing the
state. was being waged Thursday night
in the grim mountains of the strike
torn Mingo county coal fields.
Early Thursday at the little mining
town of Merrimac. four miles from
here. fusillade Of shots was poured
from the mountainside suecessively III
to Merrimac. Rawl, Sprigg and Matte
wan, West Virginia. and McCarr. Ky.
All available state police and deputy
sheriffs centered here were rushed to
the scene, but according to late re-
ports they had been unable to check
the shooting.
Dry Officer Slain.
Harry G. Staten. q state prohibition
officer and a merchars at Sprigg, was
killed by bullet from the mountains.
and Noah Phillips and a man named
Calvert, employees of the White Star
Coal Co. commissary at Merrimac.
were seriously wounded. Rumors of
other killings and woundings have neen
received at headquarters Of the state
police here but have not been con-
firmed
Thursday night about 20 state police
were reported to be working their way
over the mountains between Merrin,ac
and Rawl. seeking to get above and
outflank their hidden foes.
Thursdays outbreak, the worst since
the Matewan battle of last May 10.
in which 10 persons were killed. had
all the appearances of q pre- arranged
attack
Police Attempt Capture.
The towns visited with the hail OF
cad are within seven miles of each
'ther and lie in narrow valley on
he banks of the Tug river which here
separates West Virginia from Ken
ucky. The firing Thursday and
Thursday night came from the noun
aims on both sides Of the river, police
aid.
The officers concentrated in the
on the West Virginia side.
vhile county officials here got in touch
With officials of Pike county. Ken
ucky. in an attempt to obtain coop
ration in routing the attackers from
he Kentucky side.
Terror reigned in the towns in the
one of fire as night fell and it was
earned the authorities had failed to
pprehend any of the attacking force.
he bulk of shooting heretofore has
cen done at night. Virtually all the
ghts were extinguished Thursday
light and residents kept close under
over.
0utflanking Expedition.
The eutflanking expedition was de-
Jared by the authorities to be yir-
lally the only hope Of routing or
lpturing the attacking forces in the
fountains were completely screened
: foliage and boulders. while the po-
&c in order to attempt direct at
lck would have been obliged to cross
le open valley and climb the rugged
opes in full view of the hidden marks
en-.
Sergeant David Petersen, of the
ate police. who led squad of men
Sprigg Thursday, told Thursday
ght of the plight in which several
indred passengers on q MONDAY
ain found themselves when they
ached the battle zone.
"Rullets were peppering down from
e mountains when the train Tot in.''
said. The women and children
reamed and cried in terror. while
rtually every passenger on the train
u to the floors of the coaches for
otection. No passengers were in
red"
Shooting General.
Cautain Brockus, commander of tho
ate police, in this district, returned
re Thursday night. He said, the
ooting had been general all the way
'm Williamson to McCarr, Ky,
stance of about Is miles, following
J windings Of the river. He estimated
ut .CO men made up the attacking
rites. Bullets fairly rained from
2 mOuntainsides as. he said, some
the attackers were using automat-
rifles. These were met by four or
e machine guns, the state police
ID. The shooting was still in pro-
ass as Captain Rrockus drove into
illiamson
So heavy was the firing from the
side that the state police re-
ed, and according to reports, men
den near McCarr shouted to their
ends across the river that one of ).
.ir number had been killed.
0HttlaRk Move Falls.
It also was reported to headquarters
e that the force Of state police