Evening star., 1941-04-15
4Dedd, 28 Hurt
In Kentucky
Coal Warfare
Mine President
Is Killed; Eight
In Hospitals
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
M1DDLESBORO. KY. April l5.-
-Four men were killed, 8 others
were in hospitals and an estimated
Is to 20 received medical treatment
early today after gunflre in this
Southeast Kentucky soft coal field.
Off1cers, lacking a clear picture Of
the fight, were told the battle oc-
CURED when a throng of miners
tried to get the mine to shut down.
The dead were:
G. w. Rhodes, As of Middlesboro,
president of the Fork Ridge Coal
Co. and of the American Asso-
citation, combination of soft coal
mining interests which founded
Middlesboro.
E. w. Silvers, Middlesboro. vice
president and treasurer of the coal
company.
Bob Robinson. TazWell. Tenn. a
former Tennessee highway patrol
man.
Sam Evans, Middlesboro, a miner.
Shooting On Road to Mine.
Patrolman Guy Harrell of Mid
dlesboro said the shooting occurred
just on the Kentucky side of the
Kentucky Tennessee line near this
mountain town and followed a mass
ing of miners from this county
Bell-and adjoining counties where
union miners have sought to stop
all operations pending settlement
of contract negotiations between the
c. l. O.-United Mine Workers and
coal operators of the Appalachian
field.
The bloodShed came with a blast
of bullets on road leading to the
Fork Ridge Mine, which is about !
mile inside the Tennessee line.
Mr. Harrell said motorcades of
miners assembled here last night
and proceeded toward the mine,
which has worked throughout the
stoppage of operations in adjoining
Harlan County.
Both Sides" Shot.
From the information we got"
Mr. Harrell said earlier, about 100
automobiles and trucks loaded with
miners came TO the mine shortly
after midnight and tried to get
I, the mine to shut down.
Both sides began shooting with
shotguns and pistols. There has
been so much confusion it has been
hard to get a clear picture of the
trouble"
Five men were killed in two gun
shot affrays in Harlan County April
and 2 as union miner picketS
sought to enforce a stoppage Of
mining there. All Harlan mines
since have suspended operations
under truce arrangement spon-
sored by Gov. Keen johnson.
Sheriff Not Sure of Cause.
Deputy Sheriff c. c. Harmon Of
Claiborne County, Tenn, placed the
time of the gunfire about three
hours before the day shift was to
have reported for work at Fork
Ridge. He was unable to determine
at once what led to the shooting
The wounded were registered at
hospitals here as:
Earl Alley of Balkan, shot in left
| chest; serious.
John Holland, Cary, shot in right
| thigh; serious.
Millard Forester, Cary, shot in left
thigh; serious
Clayton Webb, Capito, shot in
right hip.
R. w. Lawson. Bell County sher-
| ifs deputy, of Field. shot in left
| arm.
Afford Smith. Rella, shot in left
leg and foot.
Walter Polly ARRAY, shotgun pei
lets in left side and arm.
At the Pineville Community Hos
pital a man listed as A. j. Napier,
about 81. miner Of Rella, was re-
ported in fair condition with a
wound in the right knee.
Mountainous Road.
An executive of the Fork Ridge
company declared the mine would
not attempt operations today.
The working employs approx
mately 400, including what mining
circles here termed a small union
representation.
The road at the scene of the
shootings winds along one of the
many mine dotted mountain sides
of this rugged. bituminous- re-
gion. Approaching Fork Ridge from
Middlesboro, the road has a steep,
wooded rise on the right and a
sharp drop on the left side.
The upper roadside was said to
have been dotted with men at the
time of the fusillade.