Tag: UMW District 17

Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Goes to Marmet Where 3,500 Miners Are Camped and Ready to March on Logan and Mingo

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones Princeton WV Speech Aug 15, 1920, Steel Speeches, p230—————

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday August 25, 1921
Marmet, West Virginia – Mother Jones Headed for Miners’ Camp at Marmet

From The West Virginian of August 24, 1921:

MOTHER JONES GOES TO MARMET
—————
Charleston Citizens Still Hope
There Will Be No Trouble

Mother Jones, ed WDC Tx p2, Aug 29, 1920

CHARLESTON, August 24-Mother Jones, well know as a leader among miners, left here this morning for Marmet where about 3,000 miners have been in camp as a protest against the state of martial law in the Mingo county coal field.

She was to have addressed the men, who had moved their camp five miles from the original site, which was described as a more comfortable location.

While recognizing the gravity of the situation occasioned by the presence of so large a body of men within striking distance of the capital  public officials and leading citizens here expressed the opinion that under proper leadership the incident would be closed without serious result.

It was recognized, however, that the situation still contained elements of danger particularly if the original program was carried out and the men carried out their march through Boone and Logan counties to Mingo.

—————

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: 2000 Miners Gather at Marmet, Plan to March to Mingo County by Way of Logan to Protest Martial Law

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Fred Mooney, Mingo Co Gunthugs, UMWJ p15, Dec 1, 1920—————

Hellraisers Journal – Monday August 22, 1921
Miners Gather at Marmet with Plan to March on Mingo by Way of Logan

From the Baltimore Sun of August 21, 1921:

Miners March WV, HdLn Gather at Marmet, Blt Sun p1, Aug 21, 1921

Charleston, W. Va., Aug. 20 (Special).-Fifteen hundred coal miners from the Lens Creek, Cabin Creek and Paint Creek regions are camped tonight in a narrow valley at Marmet, eight miles east of here. Augmented by about 500 others from Little Coal river, they declared they will start tomorrow for Mingo county by way of Logan county in protest against martial law there.

Newspaper men who visited the camp this afternoon estimated at least 700 of the men were armed. Most of those had rifles and shotguns and others carried side arms. The two newspaper men who went to Marmet were escorted back to Charleston by six miners armed with rifles, who came as far as Kanawha City with them. As soon as they were forced to leave the valley a force of 100 men, armed with rifles, surrounded the camp to prevent outsiders from intruding…..

UNION HEAD “HANDS OFF.”

S. F. [C. F.] Keeney, president of District 17, United Mine Workers of America, said tonight that the men could march to Mingo as far as he was concerned and that he would not interfere. He said that he had been informed the miners were to have a meeting at Marmet, but that he had not been invited to attend. “I wash my hands of the whole affair,” he declared. “I’ve interfered time and again to stop such enterprises. I seem to have halted them only temporarily. This time they can march to Mingo, so far as I am concerned.”…..

—————

[Emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: West Virginia Miners Rally at Charleston, Speakers Include Mother Jones and Frank Keeney

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Mother Jones Princeton WV Speech Aug 15, 1920, Steel Speeches, p230—————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday August 13, 1921
Charleston, West Virginia – Mother Jones and Frank Keeney Speak at Miners Rally

From the Martinsburg Journal of August 9, 1921:

MINERS ASK MORGAN TO SETTLE WARFARE
They Submit Basis for Settlement.
[Mother Jones Speaks]
———-

Mother Jones, ed WDC Tx p2, Aug 29, 1920

Charleston, Aug. 7-Governor Morgan tonight asked for time in which to consider the demands submitted by the miners in a ten-hour mass meeting here today. The chief executive promised to send his answer to Frank Keeney, president of District 17, United Mine Workers, within the next few days. Keeney will convey the governor’s answer to local unions by mail.

The miners and their sympathizers began arriving in Charleston early this morning and by noon a throng variously estimated from 1,500 to 2,500 had gathered on the old capitol lawn. Mother Jones and other speakers addressed the crowd. The meeting disbanded at 10 o’clock…..

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: West Virginia Miners Rally at Charleston, Draft Resolutions for Settlement of Troubles in Mingo County

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Mother Jones Princeton WV Speech Aug 15, 1920, Steel Speeches, p230—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday August 12, 1921
Charleston, West Virginia – Miners Mass Rally Sends Resolutions to Governor

From The New York Times of August 8, 1921:

DRAFT MINGO PEACE TERMS
—————
Miners Adopt Resolutions and Present
Them to Governor.

CHARLESTON, W. Va., Aug. 7.-Resolutions setting forth terms for a settlement of the industrial controversy in Mingo County were adopted here to-day at a mass meeting of union miners and presented to Governor Morgan. The Governor requested time to consider them, and said that he would send his reply to C. F. Keeney, President of District 17, United Mine Worker of America.

UMW D17, Mooney Keeney, Lbtr p9, Aug 1920

More than 1,000 miners were at the meeting, held in the open near the site of the Capitol, recently destroyed by fire. They were addressed by “Mother” Jones, labor organizer, and other speakers.

The resolutions suggest these point for a settlement:

Appointment of a commission of six, three to represent the and three the operators, to adopt rules and methods for adjustment of any disputes arising between the two parties.

Creation of a board of arbitration, consisting of one to be selected by the miners, one by the operators and these two to select a third who shall be a non-resident of the State. This board will settle questions on which the commission fells to agree, and their decisions shall be binding and final.

That employers involved agree that all employes return to work without discrimination against any one belonging to a labor union.

Establishment of an eight-hour working day.

That employes shall have the right to trade where they desire.

That employee  shall have the right to elect check weighers, and that 2.000 pounds shall constitute a ton.

That where coal is not weighed on a standard scale and the miner is paid by the car or the measure, the weight of each car shall be stamped thereon.

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[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: United Mine Workers Journal: West Virginia’s Militia Intent on Driving Miners’ Union From the State

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Mother Jones Princeton WV Speech Aug 15, 1920, Steel Speeches, p230—————

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday August 2, 1921
West Virginia’s State Militia Serves Interest of Coal Operators

From the United Mine Workers Journal of August 1, 1921:

[-from pages 3 & 4]

Mingo Co WV, Lick Creek Tent Colony, UMWJ p3, Aug 1, 1921
General View of the Miners’ Tent Colony, Lick Creek, W. Va.

More complete details of the raid which was made upon the headquarters office of the United Mine Workers at Williamson, W. Va., by the so-called military authorities of that state have been received at the Journal office, and they are of even a more harrowing and outrageous character than was at first suspected or realized. The raid was a down-right act of brutal disregard for all of the constitutional rights that are supposed to be enjoyed by every American citizen, but which seem to belong only to coal operators in West virginia. More and more it becomes apparent that the military raid on the union headquarters was merely another part of the plan of the Williamson coal operators to run the United Mine Workers out of that field. Of course, they will not succeed in doing this, but their failure to accomplish this end will not be through any fault of the West Virginia military establishment.

The last issue of the Journal contained the bare facts of the raid on the office of the Union and the arrest of David B. Robb, International Fiscal Agent; Ed Dobbins, International Board Member, from District 12; International Organizers, John W. Brown, Robert Gilmour, Jasper Metzger and Herbert Halls; J. B. Wiggins and Henry Koop, local workers; Claude Mahoun, Charles Lee, Whetrell Hackney and J. H. Reed, striking miners. A squad of the improvised militia, led by Major Davis, invaded the office and ordered the men to line up on the sidewalk in front. Next they marched the twelve men to the Williamson City jail and locked them up. The twelve men suffered terribly from the intense heat and close confinement, but even this fact did not appear to satisfy the authorities, for two days later they handcuffed the men in pairs, loaded them on a train and took them to Welch, county seat of McDowell county, and placed them in the McDowell county jail.

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Hellraisers Journal: Sid Hatfield and Ed Chambers Murdered by Baldwin-Felts Gunthugs at Welch, West Virginia

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Telegram Workman to FK re Sid Hatfield n Ed Chambers, WVgn p4, Aug 1, 1921—————

Hellraisers Journal – Monday August 1, 1921
Welch, West Virginia – Hatfield and Chambers Murdered by Gunthugs

From The West Virginian of August 1, 1921:

Bnr Hdln, Sid Hatfield Killed, WVgn p1, Aug 1, 1921

CHAMBERS ALSO DEAD AS RESULT OF
BATTLE WITH DETECTIVES AT WELCH
———-

Victims Were to have Appeared in
Court There Today
—–
FIVE ARE ARRESTED
—–
Shooting Took Place in the
Court House Yard,
Report
—–

WELCH, W. Va., Aug. 1-Sid Hatfield, chief of police of Matewan and Edward Chambers, a police man of that place, were killed in a gun fight in the court house yard here shortly before noon today. C. E. Lively, a [Baldwin-Felts] private detective and four other persons were arrested in connection with the shooting…..

Matewan Defendants Sid Hatfield n Ed Chambers, WV Hx Center, see also UMWJ p14, June 15, 1921

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[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Mine Organizers Will Brave Martial Law at Mingo County, West Virginia, Including Mother Jones

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Mother Jones Princeton WV Speech Aug 15, 1920, Steel Speeches, p230—————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday July 30, 1921
Mingo County, West Virginia – Mine Workers’ Organizers Set to Brave Martial Law

From the Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger of July 29, 1921:

MINE ORGANIZERS TO BRAVE
MARTIAL LAW AT MINGO
———-
Hundred, Including Mother Jones,
Not Afraid of Arrest

Charleston, W. Va., July 29.-(By A. P.)-One hundred members of the United Mine Worker of America from the Cabin Creek and Paint Creek fields will start for Mingo County, according to C. F. Keeney, president of District 17. “Mother Jones,” labor organizer, is expected to arrive here tonight, Keeney said, and also will leave for the Mingo fields immediately.

Decision to send the union men into the district, which is under martial law, was made after C. H. Workman, an organizer, was reported arrested in Mingo recently. Keeney claimed that Workman had permission from State authorities to return to the fields to wind up personal business.

Keeney stated that if the organizers were arrested he would send more men into the district until every jail was filled, and that if they were not arrested he said he would prove that organizers “can go into a strike zone and conduct themselves in an orderly manner.”

Mother Jones w Sid Hatfield n Organizers in Matewan, UMWJ p11, July 15, 1920
Mother Jones at Matewan, about June 21, 1920.
United Mine Workers Journal of July 15, 1920

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[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Sid Hatfield Testifies Before Senate Investigating Committee, Relates Details of Battle of Matewan

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Sid Hatfield, re Evictions per R Minor, Lbtr p11 , Aug 1920—————-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday July 18, 1921
Washington, D. C. – Sid Hatfield Tells of Battle with Baldwin-Felts Gunthugs 

From the Washington Evening Star of July 17, 1921:

WVCF Sen Com, Testimony Sid Hatfield, WDC Eve Str p7, July 17, 1921

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Hellraisers Journal: Frank Keneey, U. M. W. District 17 President, Testifies Before Senate Investigating Committee

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Mother Jones, Doomed, Wmsn WV, June 20, 1920, Speeches Steel, p213—————

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday July 17, 1921
Washington, D. C. – Frank Keneey Testifies on Behalf of  Mingo Miners 

From the Washington Evening Star of July 16, 1921:

WVCF Sen Com, Testimony Frank Keneey, WDC Eve Str p2, July 16, 1921

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Hellraisers Journal: Fred Mooney, U. M. W. District 17 Secretary-Treasurer, Testifies Before Senate Investigating Committee

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Fred Mooney, Mingo Co Gunthugs, UMWJ p15, Dec 1, 1920—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday July 15, 1921
Washington, D. C. – Fred Mooney Testifies on Behalf of  Mingo Miners 

From the Washington Evening Star of July 14, 1921:

WVCF Sen Com, Probe Begins, WDC Eve Str p2, July 14, 1921

Peace may be near in Mingo county, W. Va., where several hundred coal miners have been on strike for more than a year, it was developed today before hearing begun before a sub-committee of the Senate committee on education and labor to determine the causes of the industrial situation in Mingo county.

Members of the committee, headed by Senator Kenyon, sought to ascertain whether the Governor of West Virginia had acted upon the suggestion submitted three days ago by the miners. Questions asked by members of the committee carried a suggestion that the committee might attempt to bring the sides to the coal controversy together if it were found that a real basis had been suggested for a compromise.

Fred Mooney, secretary-treasurer of District 17, the miners’ union, representing the Mingo field, told the committee that the strikers were ready to go back to work if the operators would receive them without prejudice and would not insist upon employing only non-union labor…..

—————

[Emphasis added.]

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