The Washington herald., 1921-09-19
Tent Colony Men Lay
Troubles to Mine
Guards.
ASSEMBLY RIGHTS
DENIED, THEY SAY
Declare Operators Use
Force to Prevent Or
ganization.

United Mine Workers, who are
under Indictment On n charge Of
murder in MinEo and Logan
counties, surrendered tonight
In the once of Gov. Morgan.
after being in hiding several
weeks. Under the escort of
state police they were taken TO
Williamson where they will be
placed In the MingO County Jail.
Both keeney and Mooney were
prominent figures I'm the re-
cent fighting events, cOunseIinE
peace TO the miners when Fed
eraI troops were ordered 10
Logan County.
WILLIAMSON. W. Va. Sept. IS
Senators William s. Kenyon aud
Samuel NJ. Shortridge, who hav..
come to the heart Of the West NIr-
ginia mining district TO investi-afs
the industrial conditions which l.i
to the war between workers ana
operators, are getting a compls.a
exposition Of the miners case, nor
only from statements by the men p
leaders but from personal obseI-
walton Of conditions here
Before interviewing the families
Of the workers now living in ten
colonies. Kenyon and Shortridge re-
ceived a long statement signed D..
William Petry, acting president ~
the union, and Harold Houston. the
miners attorney, making the fol-
lowing charges:
That miners are denied their ron.
stitutional rights TO assemble
peacefully.
Blame Steel Corporation.
That the operators are directed
by the controlling influence OF
great Industrial corporations who
profit by keeping the field non
union" and that the head Of these
corporations Is the United States
Steel Corporation. the greatest sin
gle owner Of coal lands in the non
union counties" -
That there are effsrts 90 dis
rupt the United Mine Workers tHs
districts where the organization has
functioned for years.
That the means by which the o.
orators prevent the organization or
the southern field Is by use Of force
ana violence in the hands Of mrre
guards, detectives. thugs. and p-o-
by the Baldwin-FClts Detective
Agency"
Says 0ficiaIs Are Controlled.
That the mine guard system IS
the underlying cause Of conditions
which have necessitated Federal it,
tervention."
That the mine owners cortrrl
public officials. judges and prosecu--
ing attorneys by business conne--
tions. private employment. ard
bribery"
The memorial then goes on 20 80
cite the history Of the MInro war
and to portray 1nditions under
which the miners worked until tse
strike. which began in July, l9-r.
The Senatorial investigators 10
day visited the famous Lick Creek
tent colony. talking with scores ~
miners who have been living there
for more than a year. These noun
tainenrs were rrtioent at first IN
the presence of the visitors, hut
when they did find their tongues.
they let loose a verbal avalanche o.
what they consider their wrongs
Questions and replies were taken in
shorthand
Draw RattOnS from Union.
Perhaps three hundred men wn-
men and children are living in ne
dirty little pyramid tents in the nar-
row valley five miles south OF WI
hanson. They draw rationS and
fuel from the United Mine Workers.
Th~ children have no schools a1d
the miners say they are not permit
ted to send them to Williamson in
siitutionS.
We couldn't even play baseball"
the miners told the senator's. be
cause they called such gatherings
unlawfu! assembly and dispersed
us"
The miners gave three prin 'pal
reasons for the present labor trouble
the mine guard system the gpc'-
ators' refusal to pay for coal mined
by weight or measurement other
than the csrful. and the alleged COM
pulsory trading at company stores.
Kenyon and ShortridGe are main
tanning secrecy as to their itiEersl-.
but it is believed they will 60 u
Matcwan tomorrow morning and -
Huntington in the afternoon. Thy
plan to visit Logan, returning u
Charleston in time to go to Wash
ington Thursday.