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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday July 9, 1902
Mother Jones News Round-Up of June 1902, Part I
Found Speaking to Striking Miners in West Virginia
From Virginia’s Richmond Dispatch of June 1, 1902:
THE MINING SITUATION.
From all that can be learned, nearly all of the miners in this field will strike on June 7th, in obedience to the order recently issued. The mine workers’ organization is making a big fight to get the men in this field to obey the order. Agitators are here in large numbers and strike talk is the principal topic of conversation.
“Mother” Jones, a strike agitator, has been in this region since Thursday and is making an appeal to the miners to quit good jobs and join the strike. Yesterday she addressed a large crowd of miners on the mountain side near Coaldale [West Virginia]. To-morrow night she will make another address to the miners at Keystone. Although there is only a small percentage of the miners in this field that belong to the union it is believed that nearly every one will come out. The miners in this field number nearly 200,000. including the Thacker field, and much trouble is feared, in case the strike order is obeyed.
[Photograph added.]
From The Dayton Evening Herald of June 4, 1902
SAYS SHE EXPECTS TO BE KILLED
———-
Mother Jones Makes Sensational Address
Before West Virginia Striking Miners.
———-Huntington, W. Va., June 4.-“Mother” Mary Jones addressed 1,000 miners near Keystone in the Norfolk and Western coal fields last night. Her utterances were extremely sensational. She said her life had been threatened, and that she expected to be killed before she got away from the coal fields. She added:
But for every strike sympathizer that is killed, it will take the life of two operators to appease the crime.
Mother Jones is having tremendous meetings at every point in that region. It is believed the strike order will be generally obeyed on Saturday.
From Virginia’s Tazewell Republican of June 5, 1902:
“Mother” Mary Jones, the noted labor agitator, spoke to a crowd of about one thousand persons at Pocahontas last Saturday. She spoke from the porch of the residence of Col. J. S. Browning. She spoke Sunday night at Keystone, and her address was of a very incendiary character. She is urging the miners to go out on a strike.
From The Dayton Evening Herald of June 6, 1902
INDICATIONS OF A BIG STRIKE
———-
United Mine Workers in the Virginias
Go Out Tomorrow.
———-Bluefield, W. Va., June 6-Tomorrow is the day that the United Mine Workers of Virginia and West Virginia are to strike. The indications are that a large percentage will come out. Swarms of organizers are in the field, and there is nothing but strike talk. “Mother” Jones has canvassed this field and left for Fairmount. All the companies have notices posted warning all trespassers to keep off their land, and persons trespassing upon the property or attempting by any means to induce the employes to quit work, will be prosecuted. The strike fever is high here.
From The Dayton Evening Herald of June 7, 1902
From The Atlanta Constitution of June 8, 1902:
“MOTHER” JONES URGING MINERS
TO QUIT WORKBluefield, W. Va., June 7.— Out of the forty odd operations in the Pocahontas field, two-thirds of the miners are out. Some operations shut down and some are working very few men. Nearly all the mines here are shipping some coal today, but in most instances it is coal that was loaded on mine cars yesterday, or before the men came out. The agitators are working hard to make it a total shut-out in the entire region, and it is stated by persons familiar with the situation that but few men will be at work on Tuesday next. The headquarters of the strike are at Keystone, and it is reported they are marching through the field, with bands of music, cheering the striking miners and encouraging others to come out.
The Norfolk and Western officials say they do not consider the strike in their territory to be of a serious nature, and expect that the operations now tied up will resume work within ten days.
Coal is being loaded in the fields today, but the shipments are not up to the average number of cars.
“Mother” Jones, the famous Pennsylvania strike agitator, is on the ground urging the men to quit work and stay out until their demands are granted.
Officials of the Norfolk and Western claim that thirty mines in the Pocahontas fields are in operation today with reduced force. The Clinch valley and Thacker fields, they say, are working as usual.
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From the Baltimore Sun of June 9, 1902:
A Speech By “Mother” Jones.
MONONGAH, W. Va., June 8.-This was a quiet day in the coal region of Northern West Virginia.
A meeting was held here and was addressed by “Mother” Jones and other labor leaders. The audience was comprised of strikers who marched from the vicinity of Clarksburg. Fifteen hundred men here sat upon their porches and watched the procession pass by, but did not attend the meeting.
From the Baltimore Sun of June 10, 1902:
Mother Jones Marching.
FAIRMONT, W. Va., June 9.-One hundred and fifty strikers, headed by “Mother” Jones, marched along the county road from Shinnston to Monongah today, where a second meeting was held in the afternoon. The marchers are from two mines, Flemington and Adamston. Miners in the region along the line of march are all at work.
From the Baltimore Sun of June 12, 1902:
LEADERS JAILED AT FAIRMONT
———-
Restrained By Court From Congregating
In Numbers And From
“Threatening Or Intimidating.”(Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.)
PARKERSBURG, W. Va., June 11.-Judge John J. Jackson in the United States Court today granted an injunction against the striking miners and all other persons to prohibit them from interfering in any manner with the work of the miners in the Fairmont coalfields who have refused to strike.
Two hundred or more strikers and several organizers have been parading around in the Fairmont field trying to bring out the miners. The injunction prohibits them from using threats, intimidation or force. United States Marshal C. D. Elliott and several deputies went to Fairmont to serve the injunction and see it enforced.
Seven of the strike leaders were arrested at Monongah and were taken to jail at Fairmont, charged with violating the injunction. The Sheriff had no difficulty in serving the warrants and no resistance was offered. The men arrested are National Board Member William Morgan and Organizers Haggerty, McKay, Springer, Noon, Poggannini [Poggiani] and Edwards.
Without a leader or supplies, the strikers who had been in camp scattered and returned to their homes, many of them vowing their intention of returning to work.
The injunction papers were issued against Thomas Haggerly, the leader, “Mother” Jones and a dozen other national organizers of the United Mine Workers. They are summoned to appear before the Judge the last Monday in June. The prohibition is sweeping and restrains the strikers from entering upon the property of the companies, from congregating in large numbers near the plants or from threatening or intimidating employes of the mine operators. The mines are running as usual.
Note: emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCES & IMAGES
Quote Mother Jones, Injunction Shroud, Bff Exp p7, Apr 24, 1909
https://www.newspapers.com/image/344471675/
The Richmond Dispatch
(Richmond, Virginia)
-June 1, 1902
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038614/1902-06-01/ed-1/seq-22/
The Dayton Evening Herald
(Dayton, Ohio)
-June 4, 1902
https://www.newspapers.com/image/394072274/
-June 6, 1902
https://www.newspapers.com/image/394072295/
-June 7, 1902
https://www.newspapers.com/image/394072304/
The Tazewell Republican
(Tazewell, Virginia)
-June 5, 1902
https://www.newspapers.com/image/81316315/
The Atlanta Constitution
(Atlanta, Georgia)
-June 8, 1902
https://www.newspapers.com/image/34109337/
The Sun
(Baltimore, Maryland)
-June 9, 1902
https://www.newspapers.com/image/370588073/
-June 10, 1902
https://www.newspapers.com/image/370588451/
-June 12, 1902
https://www.newspapers.com/image/370589462/
IMAGE
Mother Jones , Phl Inq p24, June 22, 1902
https://www.newspapers.com/image/168338244
See also:
Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for May 1902: Found Organizing Coal Miners for the UMWA in West Virginia
Part I Part II Part III
Autobiography of Mother Jones
Kerr, 1925
“War in West Virginia”
https://archive.iww.org/history/library/MotherJones/autobiography/6/
Tag: West Virginia Coalfield Strike of 1902-1903
https://weneverforget.org/tag/west-virginia-coalfield-strike-of-1902-1903/
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She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain -Ken Carson and the Choraliers