THE BATTLE OF MATEWAN CENTENNIAL EDITION Original Reprint Courtesy Of Wolfe Williams & Reynolds EXTRA! Black Lung Attorneys Matewan, WV, Logan, WV and Norton, VA Mingo Messenger 304 752-2126 YOUR SOURCE FOR ALL THINGS MINGO EXTRA! VOLUME IX NO. 20 • 28 PAGES MINGO COUNTY • WEEKEND EDITION, MAY 15-17, 2020 50 CENTS 10 MEN KILLED AND OTHERS WOUNDED AT MATEWAN, W. VA. Mayor, Seven Detectives and Two Miners Die in Battle Resulting From Union Troubles Ten men were killed addition to Felts were were widely divergent, ny. Local officials, this affirmative, according to two weeks and the mines and others shot in a bat- killed, and two miners. one report last night was report said, apparently police, and was in the act have been shut down. tle fought between mem- The list of dead fol- that the Baldwin-Felts sympathized with the of reading the Organizers are in bers of the Baldwin-Felts lows: Albert Felts, Cabell men had been the victims efforts which have been warrant when Mullens there organizing a union Detective agency and Testament, L. E. Felts, E. of an ambuscade and made for the unionization shot and killed him. and had stirred up much miners of the P. M. C. A., Powell, A. J. Booker, that most of them fell in of the Norfolk & Western Detective Ferguson, bad feeling. and Stone Mountain Coal J. W. Feguson, L. their tracks with but lit- coal fields, and refused officers say, then killed Gov. Cornwell sent companies in the streets M. Brown, C. B. Cun- tle chance to make a fight to serve the eviction war- Mullens, and the killing soldiers to Matewan of Matewan, Mingo-co., ningham, James Mullen, for their lives. rants. The detectives then of Ferguson by an immediately and quiet Wednesday afternoon. Patrick Kinsley, William The detectives are arrived for that purpose. unidentified miner fol- reigns to-day. Included in the list Roher. The last four said to have been on According to author- lowed. of dead i s Albert Felts, named were miners. their way to the railroad ities the trouble start- This, officers said, nationally known head The more seriously station after evicting ed when a miner named was the signal for a gen- This story originally appeared of the detective agency wounded include Samuel the household effects of Mullens approached Al- eral fight, which resulted in the Big Sandy News on May which bears his name, Artis, James Chambers a number of former em- bert Felts and asked if he in the deaths of the 21, 1920. and Cabell Testament, and Isaac Brewer. ployees of the P. M. C. carried a warrant for his other men. mayor of Matewan. While stories of how Coal company from hous- arrest. The miners have Six detectives in the shooting occurred es owned by the compa- Felts replied in the been on a strike there ACTION OF OUR CIRCUIT COURT Our Circuit Court is engaged in an inves- tigation of all the circumstances surrounding last Wednesday’s tragedy at Matewan. Bench warrants have been issued for the following persons: Sid Hatfield, Chief of Police of Matewan. Reece Chambers, citizen. Billie Bowman, miner. Clare Overstreet, citizen. Doug Mounts, citizen. Isaac Brewer, miner. Charlie Kiser, miner. Hally Chambers, miner. Ezra Fry, organizer. N. H. Atwood, miner. G. W. Anderson, J. R. Anderson, R. C. Bu- chanan, and John McDowell, detectives. The detectives for whom warrants were issued will appear later in the week. Those charged with shooting of the seven Baldwin-Felts men were brought into court yesterday. They waived examination and were bound over to await the action of the next Grand Jury. They were placed under bonds aggregating $45,000, the same being furnished by citizens of Matewan. It could not be learned from the Judge of the Court how soon these cases will come up for trial. The judge was in Wy- oming at the time the shooting took place, attending the regular term of court in that county, but he went to Matewan immediately, and made the inves- tigation which re- sulted in the issu- ing of the above warrants. The judge stat- ed that he had not decided defi- nitely as to the calling of a spe- cial grand jury, but he assured us that there would be the most thor- ough investiga- tion, not only as to what happened on the day of the killing, but also of the incidents ACT ION continued on page 9 2 • WEEKEND EDITION, MAY 15-17, 2020 • MINGO MESSENGER MINGO MESSENGER • WEEKEND EDITION, MAY 15-17, 2020 • 3 4 • WEEKEND EDITION, MAY 15-17, 2020 • MINGO MESSENGER WITH SEVERAL DETACHMENTS OF STATE CONSTABULARY ON SCENE SITUATION AT MATEWAN IS SAID TO BE WELL IN HAND Fatalities Resulting From The Wholesale Shooting Late Wednesday Afternoon Now Known To Number Ten, With Eleventh Man Missing and Probably Dead. WILD RUMORS OF FURTHER TROUBLE PROVE INCORRECT No Efforts Have Been Made to Effect Any Arrests So Far as Can be Learned. FIVE WOUNDED PERSONS EXPECTED TO RECOVER Accounts of Shooting Are Given by Two Eye Witnesses, One Saying Everything Valuable Was Taken From Bodies, Which Were Riddled With Bullets After Falling. The fatalities re- day night by Governor placed aboard train No. shots were fired from manner in accomplishing Williamson, who accom- sulting from the whole- Cornwell did not arrive 16 and brought to the hillsides, house tops and the evictions and we went panied the bodies of his sale shooting at Mate- until late in the morning. hospital at Welch. It was upper stories, is pointed our way smiling and jok- brothers, A. C. and L. C. wan, Mingo county, late The first detachments reported that he was a to by Baldwin-Felts op- ing with friends there. Felts, and the remains of Wednesday, afternoon are numbering around six special agent of Bald- eratives as an indication “We then went to T. C. Higgins, he charged now known to number men, reached William- win-Felts agency, but this that the shooting was a the hotel for supper, and that all of the slain men ten. The whereabouts of son about daybreak, but was denied at the agency prearranged affair. The some of us having no had been found to have John McDowell, of Beck- remained in that town headquarters here last first three men to fall pistol licenses, we all been wantonly mutilated ley, a member of the Blad- until they had been re-in- night. The man was not were Albert and Lee placed our rifles in suit and all jewelry and valu- win-Felts Detective agen- forced. About noon known by any members Felts and C. E. Cunning- cases. After supper we ables stolen from them. cy, who was in the party twenty of the men and of the agency. McCoy lay ham, the only members started to catch Norfolk On one of the men about of detectives fired upon, two officers entered the for an hour in the road of the party who were and Western train No. 16. thirty dollars was found, is yet unknown. It is be- town of Matewan. Later before he was found, and armed, the operatives At the station Albert C. he said. It was known lieved that McDowell was in the day another detach- said he did not know for say. With the knowledge Felts was approached by that Albert Felts had slain while attempting to ment, numbering from what reason he had been of the recent trouble be- a little short man I do in addition to two valu- swim the river in an ef- thirty-five to forty men, shot or have any idea as tween the detectives and not know. A small crowd fort to enade the armed arrived. The latest re- to who the parties were the county officials of gathered. Mr. Felts said: able diamonds a purse party that laid down a ports from Mingo county who shot him. Mingo, they further as- “Let’s walk down this of about $800. His oth- heavy barrage of rifle stated the situation was That Albert C. Felts, sert, Albert Felts did not way.” They went to a store er brother was known to and pistol fire. To the well in hand and the or- who was in charge of the permit any of his party door and Mr. Felts held a have had about $300, Mr. list of dead is added Ca- der was being preserved. detectives, fired the first to carry pistols except paper which he had taken Felts said. Mr. Higgins bell C. Testerman, mayor Advices stated that shot and fatally wounded those who were licensed. from his pocket in both was chief of police at Ga- of Matewan, whose death as far as could be learned Mayor C. C. Testerman, The party had carried ri- hands. He was facing the lax, Va., but had been do- occurred at a Welch hos- no effort had been made was denied by every eye fles in the performance inside of the store. The ing special work for the pital shortly after 11 to effect any arrests in witness who has yet ar- of their duty, but before little fellow stepped back agency for many years. o’clock Wednesday night. connection with the trag- rived in Bluefield from going into Matewan prop- inside and shots were He had been a close The revised list of dead ic affair. Passengers the scene of the shoot- er these rifles were bro- fired from within at close friend of Albert and Lee follows: arriving here yesterday ing. In a statement is- ken down and placed in range, striking Mr.