The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-12-28
Lewis Union Mobs
A. F. Coal Miners
One Dead, Ten Injured After
q Visit From United
Mine Workers

Greenville, ky.-An armed mob,
made up of officers and members of
the United Mine Workers Of Amer
ica, descended on d shaft twelve miles
west of here where the miners are
members of the international Union
Progressive Mine Workers Of Amer
lea, A. F. of L. affiliate, unlimbered
a barrage Of gun fire, dubbed few
men who were unable to escape, and
then vanished, undoubtedly congratu-
lating themselves in having once more
established the high standards of the
United Mine Workers Of America
under the regime of John L. Lewis.
The Progressive Miner, the official
organ of the Progressive Mine Work
ers, gives the following account of
the affray:
"After the smoke of the mobsters'
guns had cleared away, one man, Rob-
ert Brown, construction superintend-
ent at the mine lay dead, and ten
others were injured. Brent Hart,
mine owner and operator, was num-
bered among the injured. He was
shot in the right leg and five bullets
pierced his coat. w. A. Vinson, gen.
eral superintendent, was shot in the
head.
"The mine at which the brutal at
tack took place is located at Morton's
Gap in Muhlenbery County. Sheriff
Tuck O'Neil identified the assailants
as members of the Lewis-controlled
United Mine Workers of America,
financial angel of the Congress Of
Industrial Organizations.
''The mine was just recently opened
by Operator Hart and there were only
about thirty men working at it at the
time it was stormed. Hart operates
mines in adjoining Hopkins County
under contract with the Progressive
Mine Workers of America. The Pro-
gressive Union is well established in
the latter county hundreds Of miners
there coming under the jurisdiction
of District No. 5, P. M. W. of A.,
which is headed by Jewell Blanks. AS
yet the Progressive organization has
made no appreciable gains in Mullen
berg County.
Usual Tactics
"The fact an election conducted by
the National Labor Relations Board
is to be held in the immediate future
in western Kentucky to give the en-
ployes at ten mines an opportunity
to choose the organization either the
Progressive Mine Workers or the
United Mine Workers they wish to
represent them, undoubtedly is in a
large measure responsible for the vio-
lent action of the L. NJ. w. mob,
which in all probability was led by
several Of Lewis appointed payrollers.
at is plain the effort was made to
intimidate the mine workers into vot-
ing for the L. M. w. when the cleo
tion takes place. 1t seems, however,
that the mob action failed in its pur-
pose, for District 5 President Blanks
has informed International Union
headquarters at Springfield, Illinois,
that since the terroristic demonstra-
tion at Morton's Gap the sentiment
of the western Kentucky miners is
stronger than ever in favor of the
Progressive Union, many of the
miners declaring that if they weren't
going to vote for the P. NJ. w. be-
fore they certainly would now.
"Joe Ozanic, international presi-
dent of the AFL-affiliated Progressive
Union, sent kilograms to Governor
Keen Johnson of Kentucky and United
States Attorney General Frank Muir
ply vigorously protesting against the
action Of the mob, asking that the
civil liberties of the mine workers in
western Kentucky be protected, and
urging an immediate investigation of
the incident"