The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-09-15

Sunday. August IA. President Kee-
ney, Of the district organization, ad-
dressed meetings Of miners in Ma
rion and Harrison counties and de-
clared there were five hundred
armed men in Boone county for
whom he declared that he would
not be responsible or attempt to
predict what is going to happen
there in the next week or So"
On the night of August 10, at Ed
wight. an attempt was made In that
community to assassinate another
state policeman. He was shot in
the back by an armed body Of men
which left Edwight the following
morning for Lens Creek, at which
point the armed miners began to
assemble for their march into Min
go county. traversing Logan coun-
ty in reaching their objective.
These armed bodies continued to
assemble on Lens Creek for several
days, patrollIng the roads. halting
and using railroad trains, ptllagtng
stores of arms, ammunition and
supplies and invading private
homes in search Of guns.
Armed AssembIage.
On the night OF August % the
armed assembIage had grown to
such proportions (the number hav-
ing increased to several thousand)
that the officers Of Kanawha county
advised me they were unable to
cope with the situation or dispense
the insurgents, and on the follow
ing day I requested federal troops
when was advised that the iusur-
rectionists had started toward the
Logan border. felt that federal
troops were necessary because OF
the national guard had not yet
been reorganized under a law that
had been effective for less than
thirty days and the state police
were engaged in the enforcement
of martial law In Mingo county and
distributed at their stations in vart-
Gus parts OF the state My option
was to ask for federal troops or ask
for citizen volunteers to repel tho
invasion. To save bloOdshed |
chose to ask the federal government
for troops.
Instead Of sending troops the sec
rotary of war dispatched federal Of
ficers to Charleston, who advised
Messrs. Mooney and other officers
OF the United Mine Workers that
leadership carried responsibility
and firmly requested that they
proceed forthwith to the vicinity OF
Madison and dispense the march
ing miners. With the exception Of
approximately 1900 men gather
ed in the vicinity OF Blair and
Sharples. the armed insurgents dis
persed to their homes and Gener-
all H. II Bandholtz returned to
Washington.
On the night OF August 27th.
Captain j. r. Bruckus and y
squad OF state police. which had
arrived in Logan county that day,
started down Beech Creek toward
Sharples to serve about forty war.
rants which had been given the
police by the sheriff of Logan
county Proceeding down Beech
Creek, the police force encounter
ed armed men patrolling the roads.
The first patrol surrendered, but
tee second Patrol answered the
command OF Captain Bruckus to
surrender with volley OF bullets.
The fire was returned and three
men were killed. The police then
retired to Logan county and at my
request did not renew efforts to
serve the warrants.
start Another March
When they received reports OF
this encounter, the miners who
had returned to their homes start
cd another march toward Logan
county Automobiles by the score
were Communicated by the armed
miners, and, with truck loads Of
ammunition, they again started
for the Logan border.
After had sent the adjutant
general OF West Virginia to Sharp
les and at his command, the men
had refused to dIsperse, on Aug.
ust 29th I renewed my request for
federal troops and, after second
investigation by federal officers
who visited the scen5 of conflict,
my recommendations were approx
ed by General Bandholtz and the
troops came. Fighting OF the guer-
lila type had been in progress for
several days before the troops ar
lrived in Logan. :, Several hours af.
(ter the arrival Of the federal
troops, but before they had taken
their places in the lines occupied
by the state forces, the insurgents
quit and part Of them surrender
ed their arms. If all these guns
had been surrendered tho danger