The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-20
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with reckless abandon at every
known fighter for the miners in this
Kentucky slave region.
Every medium through which poi
soned opinion can be spread is be-
ing used under the pretense Of pro-
tecting the church and Americas
free" institutions, against the Reds
and Communists End the bosses find
the American Legion (nade up Of
businessmen and gunmen) and the
taking strike breakers of the UNIV.
A. to be their best agents. But the
miners here who are planting deep
the roots of the National Miners IN
ion are not being fooled by the stories
they hear. First, it is because they
are mindful that no takers are tax
ing money from them as Turnblazer
and Childers did under the name of
the UMWA. Second, because they
themselves are the leaders, are plan
ming the work, mapping out the pol
icies and in this task have the full
support and cooperation Of the Ma
tiona1 Miners Union.
And last but not least they met
the leaders of every field at the July
1915 United Front Conference in
Pittsburgh which satisfied each of
them as to what the National Miners
Union is. Therefore, all attempts Of
the agents of the Kentucky operators
to smash their movement will go for
naught.
| This was made clear at a meeting
yesterday of the General Committee
Of the N. M U. Kentucky District,
which agrees with the charge that
they are against the government of
the coal operators, whose Sheriff
Blair and his deputized thugs try to
run Harlan with guns and whose
Judges Jones and Howard try to sa-
tisfy the bosses demands for blood
by holding thirty odd fighting min
ers for murder and couple Of hun
bred others for criminal syndicalism,
banding and confederating and many
other charges.
In Secret Meeting
After the meeting, as we emerged
from the woods (this secret meeting
was made necessary because warrants
are out for most of the leaders and
price is on the heads of others
I noted the shattered windshield of
one of the cars but it necessftated
inquiry to learn the cause of it all.
Realizing this, I made the inquiry
and learned that some Of Sheriff
Blair's gunner had used it for
target.
The miners, however, are deter
mined that the blood shall not be
on the coal they dig and as a guar
antee that it won't they go right
along building the National Miners
Union.
PINEVILLE, KY, Aug. 19-Tak-
ing their victim right on the court
house steps in Harlan, in full sight
of the sheriff's office, where Sheriff
John Blair, lord of the county for
the coal operators, sat and made
no motion to interfere, three coal
company gunner took Boris Israel,
reporter for the Federated Press, for
a ride Monday aug I'D.
Israel was collecting news from
visitors to the hearing of the first
OF the 80 Harlan miners slated for
the electric chair, because striking
miners defended themselves with
rifles against deputies armed with
machine guns at Black Mountain,
near Evarts, several weeks ago.
While Israel stood there the three
gunner walked up, showed their
guns against him and announced
pleasantly, Were going to take you
out for little mountain air." forcing
him into a car. Unimpeded by any
police or court officials or county
deputies, they drove leisurely to the
county line, threw Israel out, beat
him up and ordered him to march
down the road. AZ he went they
opened fire on him. Israel luckily
escaped with nothing more than
wound through the leg.
After the gunner had gone Israel
limped onto the main highway,
caught taxi and rode into Pine
vile, Bell County, where he was
taken to the hospital and the bullet
extracted. Reports are that he will
be in the hospital for some time.
This is the second man shot for
sending out news of the murderous
terror prevailing in Harlan County,
where coal company gunner run
riot through the mine towns. In the
latter days of July, Bruce Crawford,
editor of "Crawford's Weekly" a |
Virginia paper, came in. and, after
his first story had appeared, was
ambushed BY operators thugs as he