Arizona republican., 1921-05-13
Situation Beyond Control

WILLIAMSON, w. Va, May 12-l Guerilla warfare was being waged tonight in the mountains of the strike regions of the Mingo county coal dis trict.
 Beginning soon after daylight this morning shots were poured from the mountainside into Merrimac. Rawl, Sprig and Matewan, w. V., and Me Carr, Ky.
 All available state police and dep uty sheriffs centered in Williamson were rushed 10 the scene, but ac- cording to reports they have been unable to check the shooting Prohibition Officer Slain
 Harry c. Staton, state prohibition officer and merchant at Spring. was killed, and Noah Phillips and young man named Calvert at Merrimac were seriously wounded during the shoot ing. Rumors of other killings and woundings have been received at headquarters of the state police here.
 Tonight, about 20 state policemen were reported to be working their way over the mountains between Merrimac and Rawl. seeking to out flank their hidden foe.
 Today's outbreak, the worst since the Matewan battle of last May 19, in which 1e persons were killed, had all the appearance of pre-arransed attack, according to accounts of the l fighting.
 The towns under fire are within seven miles of each other and lie in | a narrow valley on the banks of the Tug river. which separates West Nir- | ginia from Kentucky. The firing | came from the mountains on both sides of the river, according to the 1 state police.
 1 Towns Terrorized They concentrated, therefore, in 1 the mountains on the West Virginia | side, while county officials here got 1 in touch with officials of Pike coun- ! ty. Kentucky, in an attempt to oo-
 tain cooperation in routing the at
 tacker.
 Terror reigned in towns in the zone | of firing at nightfall and 1t was
 learned that the authorities had failed to apprehend any of the at-
 tackers. Virtually all lights were eN-
 tinguished tonight and residents kep' l close under cover The state ponce were virtually helpless during the day as the attacking forces in the mountains were screened by foliage | and boulders. while the police, in or
 der to attempt direct attack, Woulo
 have been obliged to cross the opeI
 valley and climb the rugged slopes IT view of the hidden marksmen. Sergeant David Peterson of the state police, who led squad of mer
 to Sprig today. told of the pllgh in which several hundred passengers
 on a train found themselves Whef they reached the battle zone.
 "BuIlets were peppering down iron
 the mountains" he said. 'Women and children screamed and cried II
 terror while virtually every passen ger fell to the floors of the coaches
 for protection. l don't know wheth'
 or any shots were aimed at the
 train"
 200 in Attacking Party Cant. J. R. 'Brockus. commander O ! the state police for this district, Wh' returned to Williamson tonight, Sai' that the shooting had been genera from Williamson to McCarr, Ky,
 distance of about 15 miles He esu mated that no less than 200 men ha' made up the attacking parties. Bui lets fairly rained from the mountain : side as. he said, some of the at tackers were using automatic rifles These were met by four or five ma
 chine guns which the state pollc
 had stationed in the valley So heavy was the firing rom Tn
 Kentucky side that the state poHc : replied and just before nightfall, ac : cording to reports, usAn hidden ne6 : NcCarr shouted to their friend . across the river that one of thel 1, number had been killed. 4 Q It was also reported to headquar 9 ters here that the state police fore [ sent into the mountains to outilan n the attackers had returned to the val
 lev the men they sought haNlh
 slipped away.
 ? Two men were arrested ny Sl.i poIice at Sprig and brought here 10 |, night Captain Brocllus sad they
 were heinz held in connection Wii
 tha killing of Staten today
 Reports from the fighting area a