Q .6. _ if"
Their properties on a non—union basis. Both sides in the controversy felt U;
V that they were acting in
that their they were axkingxin the right and/for their best interests.
Excitement ran high in the coal fields centering around kvarts.
Miners who were discharged and companions who quit work in sympathy with
their fellow workers moved into Lvarts. The population was doubled in a few
weeks. The operators feared reprisals and appointed men to guard their pro-
perty. These guards were deputized. Many of them were "loyal" company men;
others were brought in from other camps and from other communities. They
were well paid for it was hazardous work. Random shots were fired from hill-
gffsides as men went to work. The regulars became alarmed and refused to go
""into liql the mines. A tippke caught fire here, a blast rocked the drift mouth
T there. Men watched one another out of the corner of the eye. The word "scab"
was passed between Wilse Burkhart and Ed Cricillis; both drew and beth shot
one another to death. Deputies went to arrest a miner charged with beating
up another who remained loyal to his company. Jesse Pace, the deputy, was
shot and killed by William Burnett, who also was wounded. Stores and comm-
issaries were broken into by armed mobs and everything was carried off.
There was a lull in the trouble and then came the shooting of four
men at Evarts. Deputies came through Evarts to escort some wwkkers to mines
above the town. The workers had been told at bvarts that a strike was in J
progress and that they must not pass through. The guards came down to escort
them and in the general battle which followed four men were slain. Two of
these were deputies, one a commissary store clerk, and the fourth a negro
miner. The clerk was with the officers when slain. Two men were slain at a
swimming pool, where a soup kitchen was being operated, and the count then
A stood three deputies killed on one side and three miners on the other. The
two slain in the duel, while miners, ~~:~~eg-~»~:e¤ · the fight
between miners and guards. A ehort time later a restaurant operator was slain
by one of the guards.He was cleared in a preliminary hearing though the mine
A ers claim that it was a "kangaroo court". Q%»FayéA7 0%bva»- AL-,- £&»*¢é;
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