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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday August 28, 1921

Madison, West Virginia – Keeney and Mooney Convince Miners to End March

From The Wheeling Intelligencer of August 27, 1921:

GEN. BANDHOLTZ INDUCES ACTION
BY THE LEADERS
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600 OF THE MARCHERS HAD
REACHED MADISON
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Conditions Reported Quiet on the
Boone Highways Friday Night.
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Madison, W. Va.,  Aug. 26.-The march of miners from Marmet to Mingo in protest against martial law came to an end late today, when President C. F. Keeney, of district 17, United Mine Workers of America, induced 500 or 600 of the men to agree to return to their homes. Keeney said that special trains would be provided for the men here, while the thousands along the road between Madison and Peytona had already taken the back track.

Mr. Keeney said he was trying to have a train get here tonight. It is only a short run over the Coal River branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad to St. Albans, on the main line, and an equally short one from there to Charleston.

To Board Trains for Home.

He planned, he said, to get the men here aboard the train at the earliest possible moment., for they were footsore and weary, and many of them had marched a long distance before they reached Marmet.

A meeting of the advance guard of about 600 marching miners was held in the baseball park here, the men occupying the grandstand. Enough stragglers had come in along the Peytona- Madison road to swell the audience to about 600.

They sat in the bright sunshine and listened intently while Mr. Keeney and Secretary Mooney explained to them the details of the conference they have had with Brigadier General H. H. Bandholtz, U. S. A., representing the war department, in Charleston this morning. Mr. Keeney told the men that General Bandholtz had insisted that march end at once, and suggested the possible course of the federal government if the men persisted in the determination to pass through Logan and into Mingo county.

Told to Go Home.

Two or three of the miners, who were said to be leaders among the men, also addressed the meeting. The more conservative of these speakers urged the men to take such advice as Mr. Keeney had to offer.

Mr. Keeney promptly told them to go back home.

That broke up the meeting and some of the audience who had joined the marching force from this vicinity, immediately started for their homes…..

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SITUATION AGANIN CRITICAL WHEN
MARCHERS REFUSE TO TURN BACK
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Failure of State Authorities to
Send Trains Criticized
-Band of 500 Seize Train, and
Are Headed for Logan County.
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Charleston, W. Va., Aug. 26.-

The situation here tonight is critical. State officials made a serious mistake in not sending trains to Madison before dark to take the miners back to their homes.

This statement was made at 11:30 tonight by C. Frank Keeney, president of District No. 17, United Mine Workers, who is reported to have “turned the men back” in their march from Marmet toward the West Virginia side of Tug river, in Mingo County.

At the same time, State Tax Commissioner Walter S. Hallanan and other state officials received reports that  a crowd of armed men estimated at 500, had commandeered a train at Clothier, on Coal river and were headed toward Blair, Logan county. Most of the armed men boarded the train at Danville…..

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[Emphasis added.]

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