Hell in Harlan - front page

Recommendations

Info

$1800 or $1900 profit on them in 1936 alone. Bassham explained that the raffling ofused cars was a regular part of the company operations. By this he meant that it wasanother little racket the company had going for it. Bassham conceded that he"might" be taking advantage of his employees in forcing them to participate in thecar raffle. He said that the raffle was very profitable to the company and that thecars were "very easily sold." He admitted to the LaFollette Committee that hisability to exploit the miners through the raffle was based upon the fact that theydepended on him for their employment. A member of the Committee, Sen. ElbertThomas of Utah, asked him: "Why don't you quit the mining business and go intothis raffling business?" Bassham replied: "I would not be able to sell the chances,sir, if I did not have the mines."Conditions in Harlan County varied in the different mining camps — frombad to miserable. Certain operators denied their employes were exploited as harshlyas the employes of the Harlan Wallins Coal Corporation. However, in 1935, thesecretary of the Harlan County Coal Operators Association went to the State capitalat Frankfort to lobby on behalf of the coal operators of Harlan County againstlegislation which was solely intended to correct abuses on wages paid employes, butthey were also in a position to capture markets from operators in other districts whoabided by the union standard of hours, wages, and working conditions.Of all the operators and companies in Harlan County in 1937, there wereonly four whom I regarded as decent human beings. These men were victims of aFrankenstein monster, a system, over which they had no control and which, Ibelieve, they hated and feared. The hillbilly syndicate that operated this vicioussystem could and would liquidate anybody who dealt with the union. This wasproved by the attempt to dynamite the house of the superintendent of the BlackMountain Coal Company. The decent men to whom I refer are ArmstrongMatthews at Closplint, A. J Asbury at Black Mountain, R. W. Creech, owner of theCreech Coal Company at Twila, and Elmer Hall at Three Point.CHAPTER VIIThe LaFollette Committee and Harlan County Justice in 1937There were only five incorporated towns in Harlan County — Harlan, thecounty seat, Cumberland, Wallins Creek, Loyall, and Evarts. The largest of thesedid not have a population exceeding five thousand. There were about thirty50
company towns, including the following: Verda and Molus, the company townsowned by the Harlan Wallins Coal Corporation; Louellen, the company town of theCornett-Lewis Coal Company; and Closplint, the company town owned by theClover Splint Coal Company. At the eastern end of the county were the companytowns of Benham and Lynch, which were occupied by miners who worked at thecaptive mines of the Wisconsin Steel Company and the United States Coal & CokeCompany, the latter a subsidiary of United States Steel Corporation. Over forty-fivethousand citizens of Harlan County lived in company towns.In an incorporated town, the local government was in theory controlled byofficials duly elected by the residents. In a company town, local government wasadministered by the employer as a part of his business. Social life and communityactivities, normally regarded by Americans as a matter of individual choice, werepermitted in company towns only at the whim of the employer. The right to haveguests, to come and go without asking leave — even the use of Federal mails — wereall concessions which were granted or denied in company towns according topolicies adopted by the company management. Typical was Verda, the companytown of the Harlan Wallins Coal Corporation, directed by Pearl Bassham, whomaintained close control over all community activities. The road which led from thepublic highway to Verda was owned by the company and had on it a sign whichread "Private Property — Keep Out." Even the post office at Verda was located in abuilding owned by the company and on company property. Bassham admitted tothe LaFollette Committee that it would be possibly not only to prevent any personfrom entering the company town, but also from entering the company buildingwhere the United States Post Office was located.Across the highway from the private town of Verda, a large tree toweredover the road. Fifty feet high in its branches was a tree-house. This was nochildren's playground, however. It was a pillbox where the Harlan Wallins gunthugs stationed themselves, like guards on a penitentiarywall, to watch the camp. From their vantage point, they could see anyonewho entered or left the town. Stranger, beware!The road leading to the company town of Louellen was barred by a lockedgate. The key was available only at the company office. In explaining this barrier,"Uncle Bob" Lawson, general manager of the Cornett-Lewis Coal Company, whichowned Louellen, told the Committee: "Now, if anybody comes in there and wants togo inside, they just ask — not a regular person that lives there — but they comeover to the office and get the key and go where they want to and come back."51
Page 2 and 3: BIOGRAPHICAL NOTEGeorge J. Tiller i
Page 4 and 5: voluminous. This personal record en
Page 6 and 7: County is a frontiersman, proud and
Page 8 and 9: 1910, many of the operators refused
Page 10 and 11: miners. The men are very bitter, bu
Page 12 and 13: failure of the United States Senate
Page 14 and 15: "That when a majority of the miners
Page 16 and 17: Howard and the men involved in the
Page 18 and 19: American wage workers the right to
Page 20 and 21: The second letter to appear in the
Page 22 and 23: industry."As a result of these cond
Page 24 and 25: attended the Pineville mass meeting
Page 26 and 27: CHAPTER IVThe Battle of EvartsThe B
Page 28 and 29: THE REAL STORYThe defense conceded
Page 30 and 31: coming from Harlan with warrants fo
Page 32 and 33: at the L & N depot where he had bee
Page 34 and 35: earnestly insisted that the verdict
Page 36 and 37: were tried in the County Court. If
Page 38 and 39: that instead of hurting the intende
Page 40 and 41: completely from the field.This left
Page 42 and 43: against the union are to be found e
Page 44 and 45: Virginia. He said: "It delayed an a
Page 46 and 47: the mines of the Harlan Wallins Coa
Page 48 and 49: hard-pressed for money, to draw adv
Page 52 and 53: There was even a private jail in Lo
Page 54 and 55: confidence. In 1920, after Army ser
Page 56 and 57: maintain these special accounts sep
Page 58 and 59: the $200, but was required to "kick
Page 60 and 61: Middleton, Logan Middleton, Merle M
Page 62 and 63: majority worked as company policeme
Page 64 and 65: J. C. Stras -—_-__-___.__________
Page 66 and 67: violations of the criminal statutes
Page 68 and 69: absolute power over its employees w
Page 70 and 71: Coal Labor Board was followed by th
Page 72 and 73: us organizers in Lynch. So the radi
Page 74 and 75: asis of the findings of this Commis
Page 76 and 77: The trouble at Lynch was soon over.
Page 78 and 79: purpose of visiting the local union
Page 80 and 81: little girl went in the building an
Page 82 and 83: five deputy sheriffs, including Unt
Page 84 and 85: Middleton, a deputy sheriff paid by
Page 86 and 87: when they encountered a band of 17
Page 88 and 89: 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 140 and 141:
"May I call your attention to the f
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
Page 190 and 191:
When we reached Jacksboro, county s
Page 192 and 193:
corn meal. They insisted that corn
Page 194 and 195:
He was right. The "someone" was Jud
Page 196 and 197:
Certainly there was nothing inheren
Page 198 and 199:
over the mountain to Harlan to keep
Page 200 and 201:
Union pickets were not armed. The s
Page 202 and 203:
meeting with Secretary George Ward
Page 204 and 205:
Two men died at Stanfill on July 12
Page 206 and 207:
When Mrs. Titler returned to our ho
Page 208 and 209:
met by Bill Turnblazer and escorted
Page 210 and 211:
Because of this situation, Mrs. Tit
Page 212 and 213:
organizer George Gilbert was ambush
Page 214 and 215:
Sam Evans, a union member, was kill
Page 216 and 217:
John Middleton, killed by Bill Dean
Page 218 and 219:
In 1910 Governor Glascock was the g
Page 220 and 221:
McHill. Earl Houck was sent into th
Page 222 and 223:
television program "Meet the Press"
Page 224 and 225:
John D. Rockefeller spent one and o
Page 226 and 227:
Judgment." This is the consensus of
Page 228 and 229:
Federal Judge Mark A. Costantino di
Page 230 and 231:
Nine of the oil companies, some of
Page 232 and 233:
President Nixon has announced that
Page 234 and 235:
of smaller companies. But it, like
Page 236 and 237:
FRANK J. HAYES ' 1917-1919JOHN L LE
show all

Hell in Harlan - front page

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?