Hell in Harlan - front page

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"May I call your attention to the fact that practically all of the acts ofviolence in Harlan County, which have been so greatly publicized, took place undera previous administration? Whenever called upon by labor leaders or others toprovide protection for organizers, I have sent as many members of the highwaypatrol (the only State constabulary under my control) as have been requested."I need not remind you that all of the representations that have come toyour attention are not based on actual facts."Happy's alibi was puny and did not contain the facts that had beenrecorded in the official records in blood. It had been less than five months since"Happy" had said Theodore Middleton was a competent, efficient, and energeticSheriff and had dismissed the charges against him instituted by "Happy's"predecessor, Governor Ruby Laffoon. Cold-blooded murder had been the order ofthe day in Harlan since "Happy" had taken office.CHAPTER XVIWhat has been narrated before is entirely based on written, officialrecords. It brings the sad story of Harlan County's downtrodden coal miners to thechronological point where I was assigned to organizing duties in Harlan.Mentioned earlier was a District 19 convention called by DistrictPresident William Turnblazer. Its purpose was to plan and organize a renewedcampaign to bring the benefits of unionism to the drudges who slaved in HarlanCounty coalmines.I was working in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the time, field man for theUMWA in charge of the coal mine workers in the Sequachia Valley and Tracy CityAreas. I asked Bill Turnblazer to assign me to Harlan County. He said he thought Iwas nuts. He said: "The men who go into Harlan County will probably come outfeet first." However, he finally yielded and put Tom Jones in my place in southernTennessee while I joined the forces in Harlan County.The convention was an enthusiastic one. The International Unionpledged its support through various speakers, including several District officials —Pat Pagan, District 5 (Pittsburgh); William Blizzard, District 17, (Southern West140
Virginia); William Mitch, District 20 (Alabama); Ed Morgan, District 23, (WesternKentucky); John Saxton, District 28 (Virginia); Sam Caddy, District 30 (EasternKentucky); and Fremont Davis, District 31 (Northern West Virginia).Each of these Districts loaned one or more organizers to work in the drive,which was to be headed by District 19 Vice President "Tick" Arnett. The list of theirnames almost constituted a UMWA "Who's Who" of that day and time. ByDistricts, this militant group was: District 2, George Green; District 5, Pete Jackson;District 6, Tom Ferguson (who was shot) and Shorty Mclntyre; District 12, Paul K.Reed and Jim Mitchell; District 17, George Blizzard and Millard Cassidy; District19, L. T. Arnett, Bill Clontz, Marshall Musick and George Titler; District 20,Melton Youngblood; District 23, Matt Bunch, International Representative; District28, Fred Scroggs; District 30, Frank Hall, Milt Hall and Ted Clark; and District 31,Fred Stubbs and Ray Kelly.As a first step we planned to load up in cars and go to the forty-eightmining towns in Harlan County to enroll UMWA members. It was mentionedearlier that we were thwarted by a so-called quarantine, which the LaFolletteCommittee believed had been imposed by Harlan County officials to prevent usfrom holding large-scale organizing rallies. I believe that Committee was onehundred percent right. The County Health Officer, Dr. William P. Cawood,imposed the quarantine. He said there was a polio epidemic but an investigationrevealed there were only five polio cases in the entire county. I believe the HarlanCounty coal operators made a deal with Dr. Cawood, promising their politicalsupport for his nephew, Herbert Cawood, a candidate for High Sheriff, in return fora quarantine that would slow up the union's organizing efforts.Under this edict not more than two people could congregate. Thechurches and movie houses were closed. The schools were not, nor were the saloonsand beer joints, because the Sheriff and his henchmen had a vested interest in thesale of liquor.All was quiet until January 22, when we moved into the New HarlanHotel. On that date, we met in one of the hotel rooms until midnight, discussing ourplans for the next day. Whatever plans we made were radically changed almostimmediately because we had scarcely gotten to sleep when the hotel was tear-gassed.This renewal of the thugs' "reign of terror" has already been mentioned. TheLaFollette Committee recorded “Tick” Arnett’s version of it. I remember it well,141
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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTEGeorge J. Tiller i
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voluminous. This personal record en
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County is a frontiersman, proud and
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1910, many of the operators refused
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miners. The men are very bitter, bu
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failure of the United States Senate
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"That when a majority of the miners
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Howard and the men involved in the
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American wage workers the right to
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The second letter to appear in the
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industry."As a result of these cond
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attended the Pineville mass meeting
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CHAPTER IVThe Battle of EvartsThe B
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THE REAL STORYThe defense conceded
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coming from Harlan with warrants fo
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at the L & N depot where he had bee
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earnestly insisted that the verdict
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were tried in the County Court. If
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that instead of hurting the intende
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completely from the field.This left
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against the union are to be found e
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Virginia. He said: "It delayed an a
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the mines of the Harlan Wallins Coa
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hard-pressed for money, to draw adv
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$1800 or $1900 profit on them in 19
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There was even a private jail in Lo
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confidence. In 1920, after Army ser
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maintain these special accounts sep
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the $200, but was required to "kick
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Middleton, Logan Middleton, Merle M
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majority worked as company policeme
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J. C. Stras -—_-__-___.__________
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violations of the criminal statutes
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absolute power over its employees w
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Coal Labor Board was followed by th
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us organizers in Lynch. So the radi
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asis of the findings of this Commis
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The trouble at Lynch was soon over.
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purpose of visiting the local union
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little girl went in the building an
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five deputy sheriffs, including Unt
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Middleton, a deputy sheriff paid by
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when they encountered a band of 17
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For attempting to assist miners to
Page 90 and 91: that the miners returned to work in
Page 92 and 93: other organizers arranged with an e
Page 94 and 95: Turnblazer and his party. Merle Mid
Page 96 and 97: In July 1935, there were only three
Page 98 and 99: September 1935. Elmon Middleton, th
Page 100 and 101: County. Williams hid in the bushes
Page 102 and 103: This brand of "justice" was challen
Page 104 and 105: Federal District Court for a false
Page 106 and 107: The Louisville Courier-Journal on A
Page 108 and 109: County, and had been sentenced for
Page 110 and 111: charges that had been made against
Page 112 and 113: hotel and found that two of their c
Page 114 and 115: On January 25, 1937, "Tick" Arnett
Page 116 and 117: over my head and knocked off my hat
Page 118 and 119: John Clouse and his little brother
Page 120 and 121: county, resided at Wallins Creek wi
Page 122 and 123: coming, that possibly it was coming
Page 124 and 125: and shoot it up." I asked White who
Page 126 and 127: that I never did think I saw him le
Page 128 and 129: oad and circled the road returning
Page 130 and 131: However, a feeling of revulsion swe
Page 132 and 133: Hugh Taylor told it this way: "Then
Page 134 and 135: CHAPTER XVThe LaFoIlette Committee
Page 136 and 137: On June 8, 1938, the Circuit Court
Page 138 and 139: Bryan W. Whitfield, Jr.LAW OFFICER
Page 142 and 143: myself. I shared Room 214 with Arne
Page 144 and 145: From March 22 until April 9, little
Page 146 and 147: A few days later, Earl Houck and T.
Page 148 and 149: Matt Bunch, an ordained Presbyteria
Page 150 and 151: CHAPTER XVIIChange In StrategyWe so
Page 152 and 153: safe and he would be holding the sa
Page 154 and 155: stock in trade was planting moonshi
Page 156 and 157: tion; another company union was for
Page 158 and 159: Mine Workers of America. Except the
Page 160 and 161: A little later in the year, we lear
Page 162 and 163: I shot Rose at the bus depot, and t
Page 164 and 165: day. The next day he picked up a gi
Page 166 and 167: ut did not advise anyone in authori
Page 168 and 169: to spread the story that when a spe
Page 170 and 171: Lewis cut loose with the machine gu
Page 172 and 173: Two men got into a gunfight at the
Page 174 and 175: Charles I. Dawson, of Louisville, K
Page 176 and 177: operators to the Association, numbe
Page 178 and 179: He said that White kicked him and t
Page 180 and 181: After a while, the paper said, a bi
Page 182 and 183: Both Huff and Eggers underwent stif
Page 184 and 185: trial were staying. Chris Patterson
Page 186 and 187: presented evidence proving that Bry
Page 188 and 189: fact, don't you know your baby got
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When we reached Jacksboro, county s
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corn meal. They insisted that corn
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He was right. The "someone" was Jud
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Certainly there was nothing inheren
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over the mountain to Harlan to keep
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Union pickets were not armed. The s
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meeting with Secretary George Ward
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Two men died at Stanfill on July 12
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When Mrs. Titler returned to our ho
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met by Bill Turnblazer and escorted
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Because of this situation, Mrs. Tit
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organizer George Gilbert was ambush
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Sam Evans, a union member, was kill
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John Middleton, killed by Bill Dean
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In 1910 Governor Glascock was the g
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McHill. Earl Houck was sent into th
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television program "Meet the Press"
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John D. Rockefeller spent one and o
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Judgment." This is the consensus of
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Federal Judge Mark A. Costantino di
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Nine of the oil companies, some of
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President Nixon has announced that
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of smaller companies. But it, like
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FRANK J. HAYES ' 1917-1919JOHN L LE
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