Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1903 — NINE SLAIN IN RIOT. [ARTICLE]

NINE SLAIN IN RIOT.

TERRIBLE RESULT OF MOB'B DEFIANCE OF OFFICERS. In West Virginia 250 Workmen Meet Posse Bringing Injunctions with Winchesters and Open Fire—Nine Killed and Fifteen Wounded. In a desperate battle with Winchesters between striking West Virginia eqal miners and a foree of United States deputy marshals Wednesday nine persons were killed and fifteen wounded. The battle, which occurred at Wright's coal mine in Raleigh County, resulted when 250 striking miners attempted to prevent 100 federal officers who had been specially nworn in to serve them with injunction papers. The posse of deputies was met by the strikers, who were armed with rifles. They defied arrest and warned the officers against any attempt to serve the papers. Then followed their defiance with hostilities, opening tire upon the foree of deputies. The deputies responded and the battle raged furiously for several minutes. Special Officer Howard Smith of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad was shot in the arm. A striker slipped up on him and fired. Smith dodged the bullet intended for his heart and received it in his arm. He then killed the striker with a pistol. After the posse had repulsed the miners they followed up this advantage and secured the arrest of more than a hundred, who were taken to Beckley under guard. An ugly strike is the cause of the trouble. Most of the mob are foreigners.