Evening star., 1921-08-30
ARMED men SPURN
,0RDER TO D|SPERSE
Threaten to Blow Up Train
Carrying Adjutant General
of West Virginia.
Nv Tho Asso.;.ted prss

By the Associated Prcss-
CHARLESTON. w. Va. August 80
Reiterating that large forces are
again leaving the Cabin creek dis
trict for the Logan border, Gov +. r.
Morgan sent the following statement
to Washington at midnight. address,
ing it to both President Harding and
Secretary of War Weeks:
"Gen. Bandholtz left here Saturday.
At that time armed men in Paint.
Cabin and Lens Creeks and Big Coal
River fields were dispensing. On Lit
tie Coal river in the vicinity OF
Sharples, Clotheir. Blair and Madison,
armed men in excess of fifteen hun
dred have refused to disperse when
requested by representatives OF fed
era1 and state governments.
ION Saturday night near Sharples.
armed patrol attacked body OF state
police, which returned fire and killed
three men. These armed bodies have
also captured five Logan county peace
officers and are holding them as pris-
oners.
= Aided by Other States
1--WE have information that several
hundred men from the coal fields Of
other states are gathered with these
fnsurrectionists in the Little Coal
river section, and we are in posses
come from Illinois. Kentucky and
Ohio. This element has threatened
the lives of officers of the United
Mine Workers of this district. who
have asked them to disperse.
"Adtt. Gen. Charnock has just return
ed from the vicinity of Sharples. where
he commanded the insurrectionists to
Sdisperse, but they have refused and are
maintaining many armed patrols on the
roads, and have seized passenger trains
fhn lyn
transport reinforcementS to their camps.
They have cut telephone wires and re->
fused to allow their replacement. and
they continue to defy constituted au-
thority.
!, Communications Destroyed.
/. Large forces are again leaving the
Cabin creek district tonight for the Lo-
gan border. and have destroyed all COM
munications on that creek.
"The men now assembled in Logan
from Mcdowell. Nfingo and Logan coun-
ties to resist the invasion will be utterly
unable to repel the attack.
Because Of the imminent danger OF
great loss of life if there is a clash be-
tween the Logan officers and citizens
and the armed insurrectionists. and be-
lieving it is my duty to seek protection
for the lives and property of our citi-
zens, I most respectfully renew my re-
quest for federal troops to be sent forth
with to West Virginia for the purpose
ing those engaged in it. Delay. in my
opinion. will prove most disastrous"
Threaten to Blow Up Train.
The formal statement of Adjt. Gen.
Charnock as to his trip follows:
Under instructions from Gov. Nor
gan I proceeded to Clothier and
sharples: accompanied by three rep
Workers. designated by Messrs.
Keeney and Mooney to accompany
me and to ask the armed men assem-
bled in that vicinity to disperse.
These instructions were fully carried
out.
1.-The first stop in the trouble zone
was at Clothier at about S:15 o'clock
Sunday evening. We found approxi-
1pately one hundred men assembled.
and the letter prepared by Keeney
and Mooney asking the armed men
to disperse, return to their homes and
place the mines in operation was
read by Mr.. Porter We explained to
a number Of miners who boarded the
train what we expected them to do.
and after a number Of conferences
mission at first to continue up the
creek, threatening to blow up the
train. Finally they recanted and per-
mitted US to proceed from Clothier
at 11:1O o'clock.
Threats Have No Effect.
I'VE reached Sharples and were met
at the station by about one hundred
men. These assembled at the office
building of the Boone County Coal
Corporation. where Mr.. Keeney's let
ter was again read and talks were
made by both Mr.. Porter and myself
in which they were urged to go home
and advised that there was abso-
1utely no danger of their homes being
raided nor any one molesting them
in any way. Some went to their
homes. but the majority did not. and
then patrols on the road were con-
tinued.
This morning we went to the
scene of the shooting on Saturday
night. when the armed patrols clashed
the statements of practically a dozen
witnesses. After the statements were
given and the men were further ad-
vised what to do and what they could
advice. they threatened to detain US.
Casualties I'm Fighting.
= II told these men that they would
they must not interfere with legal of
f1cers who came to serve papers and
advised them If the peace officers
were frustrated in an effort to serve
these processes that it could be de-
pended on that force would be found
which could serve the papers
TT was ascertained that William
Greer was killed in the clash with
the state police. His body was re-
moved nnD i.d to vsassSsv Masswan VIII Miiam Morri
very seriously shot and is in a criti- |
cal condition. His fathers home is
in cattlesburg, Ky. The fourth man
shot. George May, received but a |
or children injured in this attack"