Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday March 10, 1903 Indianapolis, Indiana – United Mine Workers Receives Report from Chris Evans
From the Baltimore Sun of March 9, 1903:
WERE MINERS KILLED IN BED?
Evans Describes Atkinsville Affair As A Massacre By Officers.
Chris Evans, 1890
INDIANAPOLIS, March 8.-The official report of Chris. E. Evans, who was sent to the West Virginia coalfields to investigate the killing of the colored miners at Atkinsville [near Stanaford City, Raleigh County] has been received at the headquarters of the United Mine Workers.
The report states that General St. Clair, attorney for the coal companies, created an agitation to have the men arrested and taken to Charleston, and that immediately afterward arrangements were made with the United States Marshal by the Mine Workers’ officials to give bond for all who were arrested. Later, on account of the agitation created by Deputy Marshal Cunningham, he says, the agreement with the Marshal was broken and Cunningham was sent to arrest the men.
According to the report, there was a great feeling against Cunningham, and the men decided not to allow him to arrest them and he was driven away. Mr. Evans says that he, as a miners’ official, sent a telegram to the men to submit quietly, but the local coal companies, who own all the telegraph and telephone lines into the town, refused to deliver it. Before he could get any message to the men Cunningham and his deputies. Evans alleges, went to the town a second time and killed the miners in their beds at night.
Mr. Evans says that he went to the scene of the trouble the next morning and that 48 men had been arrested for conspiracy to kill Cunningham. He found in a house occupied by a colored man named “Stonewall” Jackson the dead bodies of William Dodson, William Clark and Richard Clayton, all negroes.
The report continues:
We found that the wife of Jackson and her four children, with eight negroes, were in the house, and that about daybreak all were awakened by shots, fired into the house from the outside. This shooting took place without warning, and the three colored men were found dead on the floor. Two were in their night clothes and the other one was partly dressed.
We visited another house, where Joseph Hizer lay in bed mortally wounded, having been shot as he was dressing. Hizer lived with his sister, and she made the statement at the inquest that she pleaded with those shooting not to kill her children, and in reply Cunningham said: “Women and children must take care of themselves.” In no instance could we find where these people had been asked to surrender until after the deputies had commenced shooting at the occupants of the house.
We next went to the house of Lucian Lawson, who was considered mortally wounded. I understand that after the shooting referred to this man, with others, returned the fire of the posse, and this is the only instance where any attempt of resistance was made by the miners.
During the shooting in many instances the men and women pleaded with the men outside to have mercy on them, but their cries were met with derision and curses. Our investigation proves conclusively that no effort was made to shoot or resist except in the one case mentioned, but that all would have been glad to surrender if they had been allowed the opportunity.
Mr. Evans says that the coroner’s jury has returned a verdict of felonious killing against Cunningham for the killing of William Dodson.
[Photograph, emphasis and paragraph breaks added.]
IMAGE Official Book of the American Federation of Labor Issued for the Tenth Annual Convention Held at Detroit MI on Dec 8, 1890 -AFL, New York, NY, 1890 -page 39, Photo of Chris Evans, AFL Secretary (search: evans secretary) https://books.google.com/books?id=4Lp7vUYu7msC
See also:
History of the Labor Movement in the U. S., Vol 3 Foner quotes from the letter of Chris Evans to UMWJ, published March 5, 1903:
“This shooting took place without anything being said to those on the inside and the three colored men…were found dead on the floor. Two were in their night clothes and the other one was partly dressed, with one shoe on partly laced and the other foot bare…In no instance could we find where these people had asked to surrender until after the deputies had commenced shooting at the occupants of the house named…[T]his slaughtering of miners, simply because they are forced to struggle for a just cause…[is] a sad commentary on our boasted Republic.”
–Note: Sadly, not yet able to locate issues online of United Mine Worker Journal for 1903, will keep a look out for same.
Three African-American miners were killed outright by deputies during the early morning hours of February 25, 1903, at Stanaford WV:
William Dodson William Clark Richard Clayton
Four miners reportedly died later of their injuries:
Lucien Lawson, died 28 February of infection as a result of his wound. Joe Hiser (Hizer), died 6 March of his wound, nine days after the battle. Bert Irvin, dying later in the McKendree Hospital in Fayette County. John Winchester, dying as well in McKendree Hospital.
Working Man (The Miners Song) – Men of the Deeps -Lyrics by Rita MacNeil
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