The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-26
PASSENGERS STATE BATTLE RAGING AS TRAIN PULLS OUT
Declare Inhabitants of Blair, w. Va, Fleeing for Lives, But Reports of Fight
 Are Not Verified
By Assoclatea prr..

Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, O.. August 25.-The Nineteenth infan- try is ready to move to Mingo coun- ty, West Virginia, within an hours notice, it was announced here late tonight.
 Charleston, W. Va, August 25.-- Reports of a gun battle today be- tween Logan deputy sheriffs, said to number 300, and large body of armed men at Blair, w. Va, were received here tonight. Ef- forts to confirm these reports through Sheriff Don Chain of Logan county, who was reached by long distance telephone, were unsuc- cessful. When asked by an Asso- ciated Press correspondent whether there had been fighting at Blair to- day, his reply was: "I cannot say anything about it; we are not giv- ing out any information" He then hung up the receiver.
 Reports from Racine tonight werA that several thousand marchers who left Marmet shortly after last mid night ayowedly bound for Mingo county to protest martial law, in force there, were still encamped alongside Indian creek just outside the town. These reports have given rise to the belief here that the Mar met marchers had no part in the re- ported Blair engagement. Blair Is 20 miles southwest of Racine and to reach there the marchers would have to pass through Madison. Several residents of Madison reported tonight by long distance telephone that none had passed through that town today.
 Reported by Passengers
 Prosecuting Attorney H. ". B. Mullins, of Boone county, who resides at Madison, reported to Charleston by telephone early tonight that he had been advised by passengers on Chesapeake and Ohio passenger train from Blair that 300 deputies of Lo- gan county were battling with large body of armed men when the train left that place. Mullins added. that the passengers told him that the inhabitants of Blair were preparing to flee when the train left.
 Blair Is a mifting town close to the Boone county line. It Is said to be one of tho few mining towns in tno- Logan field organized by the United Mine Workers Of America. Accord ing to C. F. Keef,cy, district president of the miners tonight, the president of the Blair local union had reported to him early this week that, the men there were prepared for Trouble" and had dug trenches in, the sur rounding hills to protect the emselves from possible attack"
 United Mine Workers officials, commenting On the reported battle. said that if there had been an en- gagement 1t was local and not. con nected with the Marmet situation nor engaged in by men from the Marmet camp.
 Several hours after Prosecutor Mul. lins had reported to Charleston. Louis Nicholson, of Logan, county seat of Logan county, about eight miles from Blair, was questioned con corning the reported fight. He re- piled by telephone that he was member of a party of deputies that accommodated the vicinity of Blair late in the day. He said there had been no battle there and the only report of any shooting was that an airplane had been fired at
 Reports tonight from Huntington were that the chief of police at that place had ordered guards placed in all hardware stores where arms and ammunition are sold He took this action. he said, because a number of dealers had informed him today that calls for arms and ammu- milton had been excessive. Reports also were current in Huntington that Chesapeake and Ohio railroad trestles on the Guyan Valley division were being guarded. The Guyan Valley Is the dividing line between Logan and Mingo counties
 Soldiers Making Ready
 Columbus, Ohio, August 25.-Nor-s folk and Western railroad yard offi- cials here announced tonight that they had received orders to have three coaches ready for transporta- ton of troops southward "at any time after midnight" All officers at Columus barracks. where several hundr-e troops are stationed. were attending a staff meeting and could not be reached. Soldiers stationed at the post were called in from amusement parks and from the streets by orderlies who said prepara- tions were being made for a move ment.
 The Norfolk and Western yard of ficials denied knowledge as to the destination of the train, but said their information was that the troops to be transported would come east ward on the Pennsylvania railroad from Fort Benjamin Harrison. Penn- sylvania officials, however said they