Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday August 30, 1921 Staples, West Virginia – Miners Die Fighting in Battle with Brockus
From the Baltimore Sun of August 29, 1921:
FIVE MEN FALL AS MINERS AND POLICE CLASH ———- West Virginia Troops Fired On When They Order Band To Surrender. ———-
STATE POSSE THEN FORCED TO RETREAT ———- 1,500 To 2,000 Armed Men Reported Gathered At Blair, Logan Co. ———-
State Police Headquarters, Ethel, W. Va., Aug. 28.-Five men fell in an encounter early this morning between an armed band and State troopers on Beach Creek [which runs into Spruce Fork near Sharples, about 6 miles north of Blair], Logan county, near the Boone-Logan county line, Capt. J. R. Brockus, commanding, State police and deputy sheriffs, reported this afternoon. There was much shooting on either side, he said. Whether all the men who fell were killed, Captain Brockus was unable to state.
STATE TROOPS RETREAT.
He added that after his men had seen those who had fallen picked up and carried away by their companions the State troopers and deputies retired because some of their number were in civilian clothes and it was difficult to distinguish them in the darkness from the men comprising the armed band.
The clash was at close range, according to Captain Brockus’ report, the men firing at each other where but eight to ten feet apart.
Prior to the fight, Captain Brockus said, 11 prisoners had been taken by the patrolling party which set out from Logan yesterday, ostensibly toward Blair and Sharples. Four of the prisoners escaped during the engagement, it was said, and one of them is believed to have been killed.
Captain Brockus was at the head of the advance guard of troopers and deputies. It was this detachment, comprising 12 men that engaged the armed band. The patrol, while proceeding toward Sharples, Captain Brockus reported, ran across five men on foot. All were armed with rifles and one had a shotgun, he said.
CAPTAIN BROCKUS’ REPORT.
“We called upon these men to disarm, which they did,” the Captain continued.
“We placed them under arrest and proceeded down the road. Further on we met two automobiles and placed six additional armed men under arrest.
“With the 11 prisoners we marched on toward Sharples and came upon another squad of five armed men. Some one called to us that we would not be allowed to pass. We called upon them to surrender their arms, but received in reply a volley of shots.
“Our men returned the fire and in the fight five men fell to the ground. We waited until we saw that they were picked up and carried away, and then decided to discontinue the advance for the present. It was very dark and some of our deputies were in civilian clothes, hampering our distinguishing them.”…..
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[Emphasis added, map added from New York Daily News of Aug. 27th.]
Note: this is the same Captain Brockus who perpetrated the raid on Lick Creek Tent Colony in Mingo County in which Striking Miner Alex Breedlove was shot and killed with his hands in the air and a prayer on his lips.
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