Evening star., 1921-07-15
SHOOTING
BY MINE OWNERS
Witness Tells Senators OF
Efforts to Break Strike in
West Virginia.

r. H. Kirkpatrick, former mine fore-
man for the Rurnwell Coal and Coke
Company, operating in the Mingo. w.
Va. coal district. testified today before
the Senate committee investigating con-
ditions there that mine owners had
Framed up false shooting episodes TO
procure proclamation of martial law by
the governor and $50 they would break
the strike"
Kirkpatrick told circumstantial
story of how he and his superior officers
had arranged to go out in the hills
around the mine entrance and shoot
workers brought in the field and to
Justify calls for troops.
On cross-examination by s. X. Avis.
counsel for the operators, kirkpatrick
said that his son was an onlclal OF tne
United Mine Workers and that he him.
self had been "done dirt" by the employ
Ing company.
Tells of Mine Wages.
Miners in the Mingo coal fields Of
West Virginia were earning from $50
to $50 a week in 1920, at the outbreak
of labor troubles, union witnesses told
the committee at the opening OF the
hearing.
w. e. Hutchison. miner in the
district. said the men were dlssatis-
government grants made to miners
during the war" and because the
company stores system required them
to pay higher prices than Independent
establishments.
Ninety per cent of the miners
wanted the union to come in.. Hutch
ison said, 80 we could get the gov
ernment grants. If a man didn't buy
at the company stores he was put in
the bad places in the mines where he
couldn't make any money
Hutchison said he took an active
part in organizing the union. and that
his wage in 1916 was $z oaJ anu -
All miners who came into the union
locals were Immediately discharged
by employers, Hutchinson said, ana Or
dered to vacate company houses In
which they resided.
Unionism Real Issue.
ut was an open and known fact that
union men will not be employed IN
this section, them" Chairman Ken
yon asked, land this is the real issue
ar is" Hutchinson said. THE mine
owners tell US the moss can grow IN
the tunnels and the mines lay idle
forever before they can be unionized. "
Mine guards with h1gh-poWereu
rifles" had been hired by the operators,
Hutchison went on; miners brought In
from the outside and the residents in
the company houses evicted. The Bald
win-Felts Detective Agency furnished
the guards, he said, and he told or the
bloody encounter at MateWan. when a
number of the detectives were killed
while serving the eviction ORDERS
Im+chison agreed, during cross
examination by S. B. Avis. counsel Tor
the operators, that he had been "hired''
BY the United Mine Workers TO or
eanize one local in the field
"And when you got very active tne
coal company served you a pontlc
notice to vacate its house.: Mr.
Avis asked.
rNo. it was BEFORE" said Hutchi-
The witness said he got So day
for looking after the interests Of the
limited Mine Workers." In the Mingo
district and had earned in the mines
"s14 a day at the highest, although
his average was lower.
Admits Carrying Pistols.
Under cross-examination at yester-
day afternoons session, Fred Mooney:
secretary-treasurer Of District ~ OF
the United Mine Workers, denied that
any part of the $2,400.000 which has
been spent by the union in Mingo
county ".for relief" went for the pur-
chase of arms or ammunition. mooney
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