Hellraisers Journal: West Virginia’s Mine Guard System: “The Hired Thugs of the Capitalists and Coal Operators”-Part II

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Quote Mother Jones, Powers of Privilege ed, Ab Chp III—————

Hellraisers Journal – Monday October 2, 1911
West Virginia’s Mine Guard System, Brutal Thugs Hired by Coal Operators-Part II

From The Labor Argus of September 28, 1911:

HdLn re West Virginia Gunthugs, Lbr Arg p1, Sept 28, 1911

If there is a place on earth where every right of citizenship is ruthlessly tramped beneath the feet of the brutal tyrants, armed thugs and political traitors it is the nonunion and guard ridden coal fields of West Virginia. Since the introduction of the Baldwin detective agency into the New River and Cabin Creek coal fields, crime has increased instead of being suppressed. More crimes have been committed in Thurmond, Fayette Co. since the Baldwin Feltz detective agency have made it their headquarters than were ever know before, and all of these crimes are traceable to the detectives themselves. This Baldwin Detective Agency is nothing more than a legalized band of Molly-McGuires, commissioned by the Governor of the State and allowed to brutalize, rob and murder the unprotected citizen.

The murder of six or seven miners at Standford City [Stanaford Coal Camp], on Piney, in 1902 [February 25, 1903] by a posse of coal operators and thugs lead by United States deputy marshals was one of the most revolting and cold blooded murders of innocent working men that was ever committed. These poor miners were guilty of no crime; their only offence was they had dared to strike against conditions. The posse lead by deputy marshalls, went to Stanford City in the night arriving just before day light. The first, warning the miners had of their presence came when they were awaken from their sleep by the bullits fired through their thin board houses, by the cowardly posse, bent on murder. Men were shot down like dogs as they ran from the houses in their night clothes; several being killed outright and many more wounded.

An active union miner named Harless [Joe Hiser?] realized that it was death to leave shelter during the firing and remained in the house until after day light, but when he attempted to leave he was shot dead from ambush. Was anything done about this wholesale murder of the innocent? No, it was done in the name of the law. The authorities took the words of the men who did the murdering. But that was just, a beginning of the tyrannical rule of the outlaws.

[There follows a long “partial list of men who have been slugged, beat, robbed and murdered” by coal-company gunthugs.]

These are not all the crimes directly traceable to the detectives, as some will never be known and space will not permit us to enumerate them all. When these guards spot a man they wish to assault, they always try to pick a quarrel, or get into a controversy of some kind. An old trick of theirs is to slip an old pistol into their victims pocket, and arrest them for carrying concealed weapons, beat them up and take them before one of the fixed Justice’s and have the poor victim sent to jail for six months and fined all the money on his person.

All the crimes we have listed have been committed; we can name the guards guilty of the assaults and murders in many cases, but what have our authorities done to protect the life and liberties of these working men? Nothing. Not a man has been brought to account for any of these crimes.

The strong arm of the law is paralyzed and palsied when it comes to protecting the rights and lives of the working class, but let the property of the masters be endangered and you can see how quick the powerful arm of the law will be put into action.

Are conditions any worse than those pictured here in Russia or barborous Mexico? The coal baron rules West Virginia and our officials are but puppets to jump and do the bidding of their masters.

How much longer, Oh! patient and long suffering people are you going to submit to these damnable conditions? Have you and yours not suffered enough already? Then go to the polls next year and vote these conditions out of existence by voting the Socialist ticket. Elect the Socialist to office in Kanawha county in 1912 and it will be moving day with the guards.

—————

[Emphasis added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: West Virginia’s Mine Guard System: “The Hired Thugs of the Capitalists and Coal Operators”-Part II”

Hellraisers Journal: Don Chafin, Logan County Deputy Sheriff, Shot by William Petry, Vice-President of District 17, UMWA

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“We’ll hang Don Chafin to sour apple tree…”
-Miners of West Virginia
———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday September 26, 1919
Charleston, West Virginia – Don Chafin Shot at District 17 Headquarters

From The West Virginian of September 24, 1919:

William Petry VP D17 UMW, WDC Hld p2, May 7, 1922
William Petry

LOGAN DEPUTY SHOT IN
MINE WORKERS’ OFFICES
—–

Vice President Petry, of United Mine Workers,
District Seventeen, Fatally Wounds Deputy
Sheriff Armed With Warrants.
—–

(By Associated Press)

CHARLESTON, Sept. 24Don Chafin, deputy sheriff of Logan county, here to make the arrest of a man wanted for trial in Logan county was shot and seriously wounded here today in the offices of the headquarters of district No. 17, United Mine Workers of America, by vice president Petry of the Mine Workers organization. Chafin who was shot over the heart, was taken to a local hospital where it is said his condition is critical. Petry was arrested and taken before a justice of the peace where he gave bond in the sum of $10,000 for his appearance before the Grand Jury.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Don Chafin, Logan County Deputy Sheriff, Shot by William Petry, Vice-President of District 17, UMWA”

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1919, Part II: Sissonville Prison Road Camp-Burning Hell Hole of West Virginia

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Quote Mother Jones Constabulary n Bread, Ab Chp 23, 1925———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday August 16, 1919
Mother Jones News for July 1919, Part II
-Found Protesting Conditions at Sissonville Road Camp

Hell Hole in West Virginia: Sissonville Prison Road Camp
-Described by Mother Jones:

Mother Jones Crpd Women in Industry, Eve Ns Hburg PA p2, Jan 6, 1919

With Mr. [Fred] Mooney and Mr. Snyder, organizers, I went to the prison camp of Kanawha County where prisoners were building a county road. It was a broiling hot day.

About forty men were swinging picks and shovels; some old grey haired men were among them, some extremely young, some diseased, all broken in spirit and body. Some of them, the younger ones, were in chains. They had to drag a heavy iron ball and chain as they walked and worked. A road officer goaded them on if they lagged. He was as pitiless as the Bull on their bent backs.

These were men who had received light sentences in the courts for minor offenses, but the road officer could extend the sentence for the infraction of the tiniest rule. Some men had been in the camp for a year whose sentence had been thirty days for having in their possession a pint of liquor. Another fellow told me he was bringing some whiskey to a sick man. He was arrested, given sixty days and fined $100. Unable to pay he was sentenced to five months in the prison camp, and after suffering hell’s tortures he had attempted to run away. He was caught and given four additional months.

At night the miserable colony were driven to their horrible sleeping quarters. For some, there were iron cages. Iron bunks with only a thin cloth mattress over them. Six prisoners were crowded into these cages. The place was odorous with filth. Vermin crawled about…..

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1919, Part II: Sissonville Prison Road Camp-Burning Hell Hole of West Virginia”