The New York herald., 1921-09-04
miners HIDE arms,
firing CONTINUED AS
TROOPS DRAW net
Roundup Indicates Noun
tain and Rural Districts
Hold Many Guns, Also
Ammunition.
FIGHTING In UPLANDS
Gen. BandhOltz Scatters His
Forces With Idea Of Hem
ming In West Virginia
Belligerents.
MINERS GREET TROOPS
Say They Will Be Protected
From the Socalled Defenders
Of the War Torn West yir-
ginia District.
MINERS GREET TROOPS
BIZ Staff Correspondent Of THE Nrw YosK
Hurxtn

BIZ Staff Correspondent OF THE NEw YosK
HERALD.
LOGAN, w. Va Sept. 3.-Two thou
sand Federal troops are in strategic
positions tonight in Logan and Boone
counties and are preparing with busi-
nesslike precision to put an end within
few hours to the coal miners insur-
rection which has torn the southwest
ern part of this State for more than
two weeks.
Vicious machine gun and rife firing
still continues between the attacking
miners and citizen volunteers and
State police on the high mountain
ridge between Logan and Boone coun-
ties. Occasional casualties are still
being reported. But the end Of this
disgraceful business is in sight at last
Wearied by days and nights OF
sleepless vigilance at headquarters in
this city and in the fastnesses of the
Argonnelike country along the firing
line, the borders of Logan. Mingo and
wyoming counties turned over the
job about dark to 500 Federal troops
who had arrived a few hours earlier
Last night and to-day 1000 Regular
Army men took possession of Madison.
Jeffery. Sharples and Blair. the chief
strategic bases of the rebeliious
miners.
To Retire Under Conditions.
THE NEw York HERALD correspond
ent accompanied the regulars who en-
tered the miners strongholds las.
night and the miners declared TODAY
they were glad the troops had arrived.
and would withdraw from the firing
line II assured that the Logan county
defenders would do the. same The
miners appeared al the railroad sta
tons by the hundreds when the troop
trains arrived at various points
These particular men were unarmed
but their leader. W. NJ Blizzard stub
bornly declared that no arms would be
turned over 10 the Federal troops un-
less the Logan county defenders were
also disarmed
The miners in the mountains we're
fully armed. which Is the main root Of
the whole present difficulty The citizen
defenders of Logan county and those OF
surrounding counties who have come to
Logan's assistance all have licenses to
carry arms AZ duly sworn miiitiaman or
deputy sheriffs. The miners have no
such permits. The orders under which
the regular troops are operating call for
the disarning of only those men who
have no licenses TO carry arms The
miners hid thousands of rifles and re-
volvers and an enormous quantity Of
ammunition In the all but inlpassable
mountain gorges
I'VE now have no arms in tao
towns said an official of the United
Mine Workers to THE NEw YoRK
HERALD correspondent ANY one can
see that II there are arms in tho
mountains. which no one will deny, the
regular troops must dig them from the
rocks and sand We have no intention
OF disclosing their whereabouts while
Logan county's alleged deputies remain
fully armed For everybody knows the
Federal troops will not stay here for
ever"
Hope of Dissrming Given UP. -
Tie Regular Army officers In the
miners zone have given UP the hope Of
actually disarming the rioters. but pri-
vately they admit 1t II virtually i'm
possible task.
How uncompromisingiy varied Is thi.
mountain lighting THE NEW YoRN
HERALD correspondent has ample reasoa
10 remember long. Passing from tils
miners lines 10 Logan to-day high upoi
the Beach Mountain pass he and sew
oral companions were stopped bv frof
than 100 shots at twenty-five yard
from six regulation army Springfield
rifles In the hands OF energetic Stat
police guarding Logan county at ths
point against the miners attacks. Til
escape OF the party with nothing NOR
than flesh wounds was remarkable. TIL
State police had orders TO shoot Wits
out challenge and they obeyed them
Boyden Sparks of the New Yorx
Tribune received a slight scalp woufl>.
and a severe flesh wound In one leg.
THE NEW YORK HERALD correspondent
had only a scratch on his left temple.
received while dattened on his stomach
behind a much too slender rotten log.
One OF the guides Of the party was shot
through the ankle All through the
mountain hollows and along the ridges
the Airing of machine guns and rines
was almost continuous all day especially
on Blair Mountain and Crooked Creek. n
Gen. n. " Bandholtz, In command Of
all the Federal troops IN the disturbed
area, whose headquarters Is at Charies
ton. is keeping in hourly touch with the
situation by telephone. except IN tho
extreme end of the line on the mine sido
OF the ridge In Boone county. In the
vicinity OF Sharples and Blair. where
the wires have been cut by the miners
Steps are being taken 10 repair the
without delay.
In addition 70 the 500 troops at Ia
and the 1000 al Madison. Jcn
Sharples and Blair Gen. Bandhoitz
another thousand to 0cc
the miners line OF approach from