New-York tribune., 1921-09-19
Senators Visit
Tent Colony of
Mingo Strikers
Kenyon and Shortridge Hear
Grievances of Men Out
Of Work ia Months; Seek
Solution for Problem
Forty Babies Displayed
Some of Miners Admit Being
Paid $8 a Day, but Say
Expenses Reduced This

WILLIAMSON. w. Va, Sept. 18.--
Senator Kenyon's investigating commit
tee, boiled down finally to himself and
Senator Shortridge, of California, went
among the people in the Lick Creek
tent colony to-day to get the miners
side OF the underlying cause of indus
trial troubles in the Mingo region.
There was no comment from the COM
mittee after fifty or more men and
women had been questioned. To-mor-
row the operators will be heard, and
then Senator Kenyon and his associate
will determine how far to proceed
under the Senate resolution directing
the inquiry.
Colonists Idle Fourteen Months
The tent colony is populated by
miners who have been on strike four
teen months. The first of the group
whose testimony was obtained was
George Echols. negro preacher. sew
enty-ive years old, who showed the
ragged gaps in his. tent. put there, he
testified, by estate constabulary or pri-
vate guards" Inside, the old man
picked up his month-old baby, born in
home with only the earth as flooring,
and proudly displayed it to Senator
Shortridge as an evidence of healthy
living outdoors in the Mingo Mountains
Wide slashes and bullet holes in other
tents also were pointed out as alleged
evidence of some of the colony's hard
ships. News that the Senatorial party
was on the way brought out big at
eager to talk. From individual groups
the Senators tried to find out how the
trouble might be settled. Most of the
miners declared they had not been
amply paid for their work; that while
they might make $S day, expenses for
tools, dynamite and other things cut
the net to So. Other alleged griev-
ances we're against the so-called "mine
guard system and the claim of the
men that once they Joined the union
they were instantly discharged.
The witnesses also complained that
many men from the colony had been put
in Jail and not told of the charges
against them. Howard Hanvers, one of
the spokesmen, said they objected to
enforcement of law by private guards,
"Have any mine guards been shot by
| miners?" Senator Kenyon asked, and
had heard such reports they had no
direct knowledge.
| The story of Alex Breedlove, VINO was
shot to death last June near the camp
when boy, alone with him in thicket
| begged that he be not deserted, was
told in detail by half dozen witnesses
! The men said after Breedlove was cap
tured he was given one minute to pray
and fell dead with prayer on his lips
| Senator Kenyon found that the boy
Willie Hodges, lives at Huntington, and
efforts will be made to get his testi-
! mony.
| To Visit Huntington and Charleston
| On the way here the committee al
| Welch overheard people at the station
discussing the killing there of Sic
| Hatfield, who recently testified al
| Washington. There was only cal
| window view of Matewan, where the
first big clash occurred in May 1920
Tomorrow the. Senators will look ovel
other fields before proceeding tc
Huntington and Charleston in the hops
of reaching Washington next Wednes
day morning.
Just after his arrival Senator Ken
yon was presented with a memoria
from local counsel of the United Mine
Workers. setting forth their side o4
the case along with series of charge;
against the operators. The memoria
covered broadly the same grount
touched on by the union heretofore.
Both Senators were particularly
anxious to learn what was happening
to the flock of children in the ten
colony and whether they went t,
school, but the information was in
definite. About two score babies, mos
brought out. One especially attractive
youngster drew words of praise from
the committee.
"Sure, it's fine baby" the mother
said "and it ought to be, for it's {
union baby"