Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1921-05-03
RUINED HOMES
ARE RELICS OF
RADICALS IRE
SCENE OF DEsoLATIoN At Will
LIS BRANCH EMPHASIZES NEED
OF STRONGER FORCE TO UP.
HOLD LAWS OF w. VIRGINIA.
STATE POLICE ON GUARD

L West Virginia's urgent need Of a
stronger force of State Police IL
graphically illustrated in its inability
to cope with the lawlessness which
prevails in Fayette county where the
mining town Of Willis Branch has
literally been shot OF the map" by
radicals who. for nearly two years,
nave endeavored to settle a strike
with clubs, dynamite and rifles.
With both State Police companies
IN Mingo county where threatening
conditions exist, the lawless element
Oh Fayette and Raleigh counties-Wil-
lis Branch is near the Raleigh county
line-has made full use Of the oppor-
tunity to carry on practically unhamp-
cred warfare against a coal company
which is trying to operate an open
shop" mine.
Willis Branch. deserted, dynamited
and shot riddled, its streets still spot
ted with the stain OF human blood is
mute evidence of the horror which
Movers over every mining community
In state unable to protect and up
hold the laws Of both man and God
1t Is an example Of the ruthless, death
dealing tactics employed by certain
class of labor agitators and radical
sympathfzers to force q non-union
community to recognize union.
AS the matter stands today, seven
West Virginia State Police and two
special deputies are the only restrain
ing force between several hundred
armed radicals and the complete de-
struction Of the town. For months
Willis Branch was the target of week
ly attacks. Its citizens, those workers
who risked the blows of drunken ruff
fans, the bullets Of daylight snipers
and halls of lead in the night, lived
with their families in shot-torn houses,
sleeping In rooms lined with sheet
iron and sand-bag barricades.
Beneath floors they made "dug-outs"
for the women and children to hide
when firing from surrounding hills
commenced. Because the state was
unable to send sufficient State Police
to Willis Branch to restore order, de-
struction OF property has been great
Houses have been burned and dyna-
mjted. Two mine inclines and the
power house were blown up Attempts
were made to wreck the loading tipple
and burn the company Offices. Ma
chinery in the hoist house and loaded
coal cars on the inclines were wreck
ed. The boarding house was repeated
ly fired into when the men were eat
ing supper. Children were made the
target Of daylight gunner. Women
with babes In their arms were fired
on in the streets.
Five days before leaving office Gov
ernor ]. ]. Cornwell and Governor
elect E. F. Morgan inspected the town
and saw the havoc wrought since the
strike was declared in September,
1919. Sheriff G.. A. Conley OF Fayette
county told them the situation was be-
yond his control and that the presence
of a strong force of State Police was
imperative to restore order and check
lawless practices.
The state officials found that IS out
of the 81 houses in Willis Branch had
been shot up. They saw dug-outs in
which the women and children hid
and the blood stains on the street
where Henry Lafferty, said to have
been radical unionist, was killed
as he crawled upon the company build
ing with kerosine and matches in an
attempt to fire it. They saw the stone
breastworks on the surrounding hills
behind which gunner lay and fred
into the town.
They peered through bullet holes
in buildings which were riddled in an
attack on the town at midnight Feb
10. Over 10000 shots were poured
into the place. Gunfire continued I'M
til 8 o'clock in the morning. Women
and children shivered in dug-outs all
night.
The handful of beseiged citizens
protected themselves as best they
could. It was the climax of long
period Of lawlessness. Women and
children fed into the hills. Citizens
ran for safety leaving personel belong
ings behind The remainder left the
next morning. Crowds were at the
station to see them leave. They were
cursed and stoned. There were no
State Police In Willis Branch at the
time. st
Seven State Police were sent into
the town the following day. This de-
tail was organized by weakening vital
posts in Mingo county. The troopers
were in charge of Private Quinn. Since
their arrival in Willis Branch several
attacks have been made on them.
The mines have been In intermittent
oneration since the strike. For sew
eral weeks they have been closed en-
tirely. The company has taken the
stand that a man has right to work
and live as he pleases. 1t notified the
men and the union officials that it
would not recognize check offs and
would not discriminate between union
and non.union men although the union
workers would be obliged to pay their
own dues to the union. The wage scale
Maid by the company equals, II not
exceeds, the scale paid by the seven
union mines which surround it.