The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-07-19
-FOUR KNOWN DEAD
in MINE FIGHT
Strikers and Peace Officers
Have Clash.
SHERIFF SLAIN
IN CONFLICT

Son, Also in Conflict, VIII Succeed Fa-
I. ther in Office. Attack in West Yir-
ginia Field Thought to Have Been
Made by Miners From Pennsylvania.
Wellsburg, w. Va, July 17--Four
known dead, whose bodies lay in the
morgue here tonight, were silent wit
nesses Of the gun fight which ragged
For more than an hour at daybreak
around the Clifton mine of the Rich
land Coal company at Cliftonvile, ten
miles away. Sheriff H, II. Duval, who
led his little band Of deputies against
large crowd Of men, said to have
crossed from the union coal fields Of
Pennsylvania, was among those dead
The others ars:
Francis Milich, Monnessen, Pa.
Crook.
An unidentified man.
With Sheriff Duval, when his men
pressed battle against the attacking
forces and drove them back from the
mine, after the tipple had been fired
and at least two Of the participants
had fallen, was his son, Thomas. The
latter saw his father shot down, the
body later being found to contain
marks Of seven bullets, but continued
on with the defenders Not long af-
terward, when the fight was over he
was made sheriff Of Brooke county
In his fathers place by court order.
Watchers at the mine were wait
ing for the ruins Of the tipple, burn
ed in the attack, to cool before search
ing for bodies Of two men believed to
be buried under the debris.
Rumor persisted that the bodies in
the morgue by no means represented
the total casualties OF the fight, but
none of the deputy sherffs would con-
firm reports that numbers of men had
been shot dCiwn and their bodies drag
ged through the woods by their COM
panions.
Errors in repeated announcements
at the sheriffs office { ng the
day that at least seven men lad been
killed and their bodies brought here
were accounted for tonight by an Of
ficial who said that men now known to
be wounded were at first reported dead.
4 Three wounded men OF the attack
, ing force we're in hospitals in Wheel
ing and Is others, captured by the
deputies in the battle were in THE
Ohio county Jail, not far Away Twen-
ty+fve prisoners, three or whom had
been shot, were confined in the Wells
burg Jail, seven Of this number had
been taken in the woods around the
Clifton. mine late this afternoon by
state policemen, who, it was reported
tonight, were continuing the search.
On the other side OF the state
line, four miles away, troopers OF the
Pennsylvania state constf oulary were
on guard operating in. conjunction
with the West Virginia ices. They
had been sent down from Washington
county and it was expect, by the au-
sthorities that they would be rein
forced by 25 others.
The Pennsylvania authorities at
Ayelia, the nearest town in that state
to the scene of the fight and the place
where the mob gathered before 1t be-
gan it's march last night, were arrest
ing suspected persons and questioning
them. One man, who had sought medi-
.cal attention at hospita. In Washing
ton, shortly after noon, was tured ov-
$er to the district attorney and later
taken to Avelia.
s. Among the first duties OF young Du-
val, who was elected sheriff by the
county court, was to arrange with wv
a is. Wilkins, prosecuting attorney, fol
\ a special grand jury to Investigate the
light He also conferred with the
coroner for the inquest and then filet
charges OF murder against 81 men who
( The, alleged, took part in the battle
Nearly all OF them, the authorities said
were from. the Cross Greek seton, JUS
over the border in Pennsylvania.
IPfosecuting Attorney Wilkins, re
turning from Charleston tonight, sail
: the situation here was "deplorable.'
I Bor the present. 1T was explained, M
call would be sent for the nationa
guard, as the authorities felt the I'll sit SIT
iiation was safe in the hands OF Cap