Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1924-10-09
MERIDEN COAL
OPERATORS SHOT
With Buckshot from Ambush Early
Wednesday Morning Three Sus-
poets Arrested.


Lee j. Sandridge, of Philippi;
Brown Talbot, of Elkins; Paul Wam-
sley, of Randolph County, and H. P.
Currence, of Meriden were shot from
ambush Wednesday morning at 7:30
o'clock in mine disorders at Meriden,
one mile south of Philippi.
Sandridge, general manager and
vice-president of the Rock Island
Coal Company with mines at Meri-
den, received charge of buckshot in
the back and scattering buckshot
wounds in his legs. He was taken
to his home at Philippi and immedia
ately rushed by automobile to an
Elkins hospital. His condition, while
serious is not thought to be fatal.
Talbot, mine foreman, the son of
DR. L. W. Talbot, of Eikins, receiv-
ed eighteen buckshot wounds in his
left side, mostly in the hips and legs.
Wamsley is the most seriously
wounded. Buckshot riddled his left
side, lodging about the heart. He
was also brought to an Elkins hospi-
tai His wounds may prove fatal.
Currence was shot in the legs. His
wounds are painful but not serious.
The Ambush
The shooting took place just as the
whistles were blowing for the miners
to go to work. San bridge, Talbot,
Wamsley, Currence, and Dominick
Oliver, were walking together to OPP
ening No. A, the farthest opening up
the valley.
Without warning some eight to
ten shots rang out from the ambush
in the underbrush on hillside about
hundred yards away. 1t is thought
that shot guns charged with buckshot
were used.
Oliver escaped without injury. The
others fell in their tracks.
Superintendent Thompson immed-
lately sent the wounded in automo-
biles to Philippi for attention, and in
formed the County authorities and
state police.
Sheriff Foreman, accompanied by
a large posse of deputy sheriff's and
by the two state policemen stationed
in Philippi, Immediately secured the
hillside and surrounding country.
At the sheriff's request, blood
hounds were sent from Buckhannon.
Bloodhounds arrived on the scene
of the Meriden shooting about noon.
Officers had located the spot from
whic hthe shots had been fired. They
discovered several exploded IL guage
shotgun shells and one unexploded
she'll
The dogs were able to pick up the
trail from the shells and Immediately
started off over the hill. The trail
followed by the dogs led to the home
of Sally Norris, colored, some distan-
ce away from the ambush. The
house was entered and shotgun was
found, said to belong to Granville
Norris, son of Sally Norris. The gun
bore evidence of having been fired re-
Gently.
Officers placed a shell in the cham
bers of the gun and fired it, the i'm
presssion resulting on the cap of the
cartridge from the firing pin being
the same, it was judged, as the marks
found on the caps of the shells
found wher the attempted murder
took place.
The dogs followed the trail through
the house to a point short distance
away where the trail, evidently made
by one or more men, separated.
Granville Norris, Clifford Norris
and Joe Newman, former working
men at the Meriden mine of the Rock
Island Coal company, are the men
under arrest. They were brought
to Philippi and the sheriff and the
deputies again resumed their man
hunt