Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1921-09-08
.dILITARY REPORTS
COAL ROW WANING
Disturbances Are Dying Down
in West Virginia.
MANY MINERS SURRENDER
Soldiers Expected to Be Ordered Into
Mountain Fastnesses-start to Seize
Arsenal.

Madison, w. Va. - Violent dis
turbances which for week have
ragged along Spruce Fork Ridge near
the Boone-Logan county border, in
which bands of heayily-armed men
have been opposed by sta-e, county and
hastily organized volunteer forces,
were fast approaching an end.
Additional troops, to reinforce those
already in the field, arrived In the
Little Coal River Valley. As the troops
arrived by rail in Sharples, just be-
hind the area which has been the
scene of almost continuous clashes be-
tween armed men for many days,
scores Of men from the hills were
marching into the village where they
handed over firearms of all descrip-
tions to the military authorities.
After surrendering their weapons,
the men were allowed to leave for
their homes. While reports to head
quarters did not indicate how many
armed men remain in the section aban-
doned by those who surrendered here,
it is known in well-informed circles
here that considerable number are
still in the mountains.
Military authorities report that
while the situation along the Little
Coal River Valley was quiet, informa-
ton was received through other sourc-
es that firing was still In progress.
Up to late hour federal troops had
not penetrated the Businesses of the
hills. but it was expected they would
be ordered into the regions of Spruce
Fork Ridge, Blair Mountain and Beech
Fork early in the morning
When the soldiers go into the hills,
1t is generally believed here, they will
disarm the men found there and send
them out Of the region at once. With
this accomplished, military authorities
felt, the troublous times Of the pasl
weeks will have become history and
conditions will quickly revert to nor
NAL
Three hundred soldiers Of the 26th
infantry, VIII came from Camp Dix,
N. j., arrived here. They were dis
patched Immediately to Il neighbor-
hood of Flair, beyond Shar2les, re-
gion in which heavy firing has been
reported. 1t was expected troops Of
the 10th infantry encamped here would
join forces with those of the other
regiment In the early morning and the
combined force would then set out for
the mountains to police the district.
Soldiers were In control of the en-
tire valley from Madison to Blair.
Regulars are located between t.reSe two
towns and the villages of C,othier. JEFF
fiery and Sharples.
Several hundred men, supposed to be
under arms, were reported congregat-
ed at Sharples in readiness to leave
the region, and army officers are max
ing an effort to provide them with
means to get out Of the village and
on their way home. An equal number
are said TO be either in Jeffrey r
Clothier, b1,t it Is not known whether
they will move at once, as tr.nsporta-
ton facilities are lacking.
Detachn ents of soldiers were busy
collecting arms and ammunition from
the men gathered in the three vii
lages. 1t was predicted that many
hundreds of weapons and thousands of
rounds of ammunition would have
been confiscated.
Magistrate Mitchell, Logan coun-
ry deputy sheriff who, with four other
Logan deputies, was captured by armed
men early last week and had since
been held in the hills, was surrendered
to the military authorities at Blair
The deputies were brought here.
Lieutenant Brine, an army intelli-
gence officer, left Madison on a rail-
way motor car for Jeffrey. He was
accompanied by detail of soldiers
as1d said he was en- route for Van, a
village in the mountains. Near there,
he asserted, he and his men expected
to seize an arsenal said to have been
the base from which bands of armed
men have been operating throughout
the past week. Beyond the statement
it was his intention to concentrat and
establish guard over all munitions
seized, Lieutenant Brine refused to
discuss his further plans.
The little mining villages up the
valley from here presented an unusual
sight all day as uniformed soldiers pa
trolled the ordinarily peaceful streets,
which were thronged with sabbath day
idlers. The rule in each was that
everyone on the street must keep NOV
ing, knots of men wsre dispersed al
most as soon as formed, and pedestri
ans and motorists everywhere were be-
ing halted and searched fol weapons
Miners for the most part eongregat