Political history for Logan County, West Virginia, during the 1920s was particularly eventful; it included the latter years of Sheriff Don Chafin’s rule, the Mine Wars (“armed march”), Republican Party ascendancy, and the rise of Republican sheriffs Tennis and Joe Hatfield. What follows are selected primary source documents relating to this period:

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA,

HUNTINGTON DIVISION

John Cooley being by the undersigned authority first duly sworn, says that on the 5th day of November, A.D., 1924, he was on his way from work, and was traveling along the county road through the Town of Switzer, in Logan County, having been a mule driver, was riding his mule. Orville Hall was with affiant. I was riding and Orville was walking. We saw a car coming, with Jack Meadows and Buck Adams, Deputy Sheriffs in the car, with some other men we did not know. When they approached us, about 300 yards away, they began firing their pistols shooting down by the side of the car into the ground. They kept shooting until they came up where we were, and shot by the side of the mule I was riding, and frightened him right much, but the mule did not throw me. They shot within about three feet of the mule. Several citizens heard the shots in Switzer, and some of them saw it.

We went before G.F. Gore to get a warrant for the men, and he ask us who did the shooting, and we told him, and he said, “They are deputies. I do not see how you can do anything with them.”

John Colley

Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me this the 8th day of November, A.D., 1924.

Ira P. Hager

United States Commissioner as aforesaid.

***

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA,

HUNTINGTON DIVISION

Before the undersigned authority, Ira P. Hager, a United States Commissioner in and for said District, personally appeared this day Jesse Yeager, who after being by me first duly sworn, says that he resides at Stollings (or McConnell), Logan County, in said District.

That on November 5th, 1924, being election day, affiant went to the Court House to ascertain the results of the election, and affiant was standing in the crowded room. Wayne Grover came up to affiant and said, “God dam you, you haven’t any business here. You are legging for the Republican Party.” And at the same time struck this affiant in the side of the head with some sort of weapon, which affiant believes was a black-jack. That affiant fell to the floor in a dazed condition, very much injured, and affiant’s hip was almost broken, and affiant suffered a great deal on account of the same.

There were no arrests made. He ran back into the crowd as soon as he struck me. Affiant never had any trouble or hard feelings against the said Wayne Grover, and there was no excuse or provocation for the assault, except that affiant worked for the Republican Party in the election.

Jesse Yeager

Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me this the 8th day of November, 1924.

Ira P. Hager

United States Commissioner as aforesaid.