06 Wednesday Feb 2019
Tags
Appalachia, ballot commissioners, Democratic Party, Emmett F. Scaggs, history, J.J. Ross, Logan County, politics, Republican Party, W.C. Mann, W.R. Thurmond, West Virginia
Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk | Filed under Logan
15 Saturday Dec 2018
Tags
Anthony Mullins, Appalachia, Charley Harris, Democratic Party, Deputy Marshal, deputy sheriff, Don Chafin, Dow Chambers, First National Bank, George Loggins, history, Hugh Deskins, Ira P. Hager, Iva Harris, Jean Thompson, Joe Hatfield, Keenus Mounts, Logan, Logan County, Lorado, Mine Wars, Monaville, Mud Fork, Randolph Dial, Republican Party, Sam Logan, sheriff, Surrilda Mullins, Tennis Hatfield, United States Commissioner, West Virginia
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
Before the undersigned authority, Ira P. Hager, a United States Commissioner in and for said District, personally appeared this day Sam Logan, who after being by me first duly sworn, says: That affiant was on the election ground at Mud Fork on election day November 4th, 1924, but did not see Don Chafin assault Hugh Deskins, Deputy Marshal, affiant being around on the other side of the school building; but affiant heard a commotion and heard the people say Don had hit some one, and saw the crowd gather around Hugh Deskins and Don, and I heard Don say, “If you don’t like that I will give you some more of it,” and followed him around and the Deputy Marshal was retreating from the said Don Chafin.
About a minute later the said Hugh Deskins deputized affiant as a Special Deputy Marshal to help keep order and handed affiant a pistol, and Don came up immediately and arrested affiant. He said, “Have you got a right to carry a gun?” I said, “Yes, I guess so,” and he said, “Show me your right,” and I said, “I was deputized by the Deputy Marshal,” and he reached and grabbed my gun from under my belt and said, “Come on and go to Logan,” and took me over to the automobile and told Randolph Dial, deputy sheriff to take me to jail. They locked me up in the Logan County jail and kept me from about 9:30 A.M. until about 7 or 8 o’clock next day. They kangarooed affiant while he was in jail and made affiant pay the prisoners $2.00 in money. Randolph Dial brought us out next morning and stayed with us on the corner at the First National Bank and said, “You fellows can go ahead now and we will notify you when we get ready for trial.” I heard Keenus Mounts cursing George Loggins on the election ground in the presence of a number of ladies.
Sam Logan (signature)
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me this the 10th day of November, 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 Anthony Mullins and Surrilda Mullins, who after being by me first duly sworn, depose and say that they voted straight Republican tickets at the Mud Fork Precinct, in Logan County, November 4th, 1924, having voted open, on the table, in the presence of Walter Queen and the other election officers. That as affiant went out at the door of the election room after voting the said Walter Queen made insulting remarks to affiants indicating that affiants smelt bad to him. That after the fight affiant was deputized by the Marshal, but Jean Thompson told affiant not to take a tun.
Affiants further say that they saw Hugh Deskins, Deputy U.S. Marshal, standing on the ground and he was simply standing there, and had done nothing to any person, so far as affiants could see, or hear, when Don Chafin walked up and struck him on the head, or about the face. The Deputy Marshal backed away from the said Don Chafin, and the said Don Chafin followed him up, making some remarks to him, saying, “Have you got enough? If you haven’t, I will give you some more,” or words to that effect and called him a snurl. There were four in the room when we voted.
Anthony Mullins (signature)
Suralda Mullins (signature)
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me this the 10th 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 this day personally came Charley Harris and Ivie Harris, who after being by me first duly sworn, says:
That the said Charley Harris has been employed by the coal company at Yolyn. That affiants supported the Republican Ticket in the election. That prior to the election, Superintendent Butler came to affiant and told affiant that he wanted them to vote and support them. That affiant told them “he could not do that.” That affiants were “straight Republicans.” Dow Chambers came down today and said, “Say boy, how did you vote?” and I told him, “I voted Republican,” and he said, “You will have to move.” Two foreigners were standing by, and one of them was claiming that the other owed him two dollars for a board bill, and the said Dow Chambers hauled off and struck the other twice on the nose, and the blood squirted from his nose. I said, “Gee whiz.” He turned to me and said to me, “What have you to do with it?” and I said, “Nothing,” and he said, “You God Damned black son-of-a-bitch, I will kill you,” and he struck at me and came down off the store porch and went home. This happened about three o’clock today.
Mr. Butler, the superintendent, gave me my time today and said to me, “I am going to fire all who did not vote the Democratic ticket.” he told them to “settle with me” and that he would have to have the house.
Affiants are going to Monaville to try to get work, or may go to Lorado.
Down Chambers is supposed to be a thug or Deputy Sheriff. At any rate, he is a thug.
Ivie Harris (signature)
Charlie Harris (signature)
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me this the 10th day of November, 1924.
Ira P. Hager
United States Commissioner as aforesaid.
12 Wednesday Dec 2018
Posted in American Revolutionary War, Blair, Logan, Williamson
Tags
American Revolution, Anderson Blair, Anderson Dempsey, Appalachia, Blair, Blair Mountain, Chlorina Blair, civil war, Democratic Party, Edward Baisden, Frances Baisden, genealogy, genelaogy, Harrison Blair, history, Jean Schmidt Baisden, Joe Blair, John Blair, John McCoy, Joseph Baisden, Joseph Blair, Laurel Fork, Logan County, Lucinda Osborne, Mahulda Blair, Marquis de Lafayette, Mary Chafin, Mingo County, Moses Parsley, Polly Baisden, Powells Valley, Republican Party, Rhoda Blair, sheriff, Solomon Baisden, Susan Bennett, Thomas Copley, West Virginia, Williamson
From the Logan Banner of Logan, WV, comes this bit of history about Harrison Blair, an early sheriff in Logan County, WV:
Harrison Blair Was First Democrat Sheriff In Logan
Son of Namesake Of Town Of Blair Served Shortly After Civil War; Democrats Held Office Continuously Until 1924
John Blair, namesake of the little mining town which nestles at the foot of Blair Mountain on the headwaters of Laurel Fork, was the father of Logan county’s first Democratic sheriff.
He was a native of Powells Valley in Virginia and first settled just above the present site of Williamson. He married Polly Baisden and later settled near his father-in-law, Jean Schmidt Baisden, at the Mouth of Laurel.
Blair died in 1860 after rearing a family of three sons and three daughters. His son, Harrison, was Logan county’s first Democratic sheriff after the Civil War.
Harrison was married twice. He first married a Miss Johnson and later a Miss Chafin. His brothers Anderson and Joe married McCoy sisters and made their home near their brother and father on Laurel Fork.
Jean Schmidt Baisden, father-in-law to John Blair, was one of the first settlers at the Mouth of Laurel. He came with Lafayette to America and served under him during the Revolution.
After the war he located at Richmond, Va., and then moved to Reeds Island, New York, where he married a Miss Burnham. At the beginning of the 19th century he moved to the mouth of Laurel and reared a family.
He had three sons and two daughters. His sons were Joseph, who married Lucinda Osborne; Solomon, who married Mary Chafin; and Edward, who married Susan Bennett.
His daughters were Polly, who married Harrison Blair; and Frances, who married Thomas Copley.
John Blair’s daughters were Mahulda, who married Anderson Dempsey; Chlorina, who married John McCoy; and Rhoda, who married Moses Parsley.
The Blairs and Baisdens are a well-known family on the Laurel Fork side of Blair Mountain, though few have crossed the divide and settled on the Guyan river watershed.
Early county history has it that the Blairs were active politically in the county following the Civil War, but no definite facts can be found of individuals holding any official position other than Harrison, who was the first of a long line of Democratic sheriffs, which ruled the county up until 1924, when the Republicans broke the power of Democrats and began their regime which ended in 1932.
Source: Logan (WV) Banner, 4 May 1937.
10 Saturday Nov 2018
Posted in Logan
Tags
Appalachia, C.L. Bradley, crime, Democratic Party, Deputy Marshal, deputy sheriff, Don Chafin, George Pack, George Thompson, history, Hugh Deskins, Ira P. Hager, Jay Elkins, Joe Hatfield, Logan County, Mine Wars, Mud Fork Precinct, Nannie Pack, Pat Adkins, Pat Murphy, Republican Party, sheriff, Tennis Hatfield, U.S. Commissioner, West Virginia
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
BEFORE THE UNDERSIGNED authority, Ira P. Hager, a United States Commissioner in and for said District, personally appeared this day, Nannie Pack, who after being by me first duly sworn, deposes and says:
That she was standing on the election ground at Mud Fork Precinct, Logan County, election day, November 4th, 1924, and saw Don Chafin, Sheriff of Logan County there. That Pat Adkins was standing on the ground, waiting to vote, and affiant saw the said Don Chafin take hold of the said Pat Adkins and shove him, saying, “Go on in,” and repeated it, “Go on in,” and shoved the said Pat Adkins toward the election room door. That he turned immediately and ran toward Hugh Deskins, Deputy Marshal, who was standing near by, and said, “What are you doing here, you cock-eyed son-of-a-bitch?” That he slapped the said Hugh Deskins, Deputy Marshal. That he then followed the said Deputy Marshal around on the ground, saying, “Have you had enough? Have you had enough?”
That they put affiant’s husband, George Pack, in jail on November 1st, 1924, and affiant went to Jay Elkins and George Thompson to ask them to go the bond of affiant’s husband. This was on Saturday, November 1st, 1924. That they declined and refused to do it, and affiant went home. That John Roberts followed affiant and said, “If you will vote our way, we will sure go this evening and get your husband out.” Then he said, “Unless you do that, we will not get him out and he will not get out.” The same day Thompson and Elkins refused to go my husband’s bond. They hunted me up while I was on the Dempsey Branch and told affiant that “if I would vote Democratic, and talk to my children and have them vote Democratic, that they would see that my husband got bond and got out.”
Nannie Pack (her mark)
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me this the 10th 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, this day personally came, C.L. BRADLEY, who after being by me first duly sworn, says: That he was on the election grounds at the Mud Fork Precinct on election day, November 4th, 1924, and affiant saw Don Chafin, sheriff of Logan County strike Hugh Deskins, Deputy Marshal on the head or face. I saw Don follow him up after he had hit him and I heard him say, “How did you like that?” and if “he did not like it he could give him more of it, or oodles of it,” or words to that effect.
When Don Chafin was after Hugh Deskins, Pat Murphy, supposed to be a Deputy Sheriff, was acting like he was about to pull his gun from his pocket. He pulled it part way out of his pocket.
C.L. Bradley
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me, the undersigned authority, this the 10th day of November, 1924.
Ira P. Hager
U.S. Commissioner as aforesaid
Appeared 1-13-25
28 Sunday Oct 2018
Posted in Logan
Tags
Appalachia, Cherry Tree, Cora, crime, Democratic Party, deputy sheriff, Deputy U.S. Marshal, Don Chafin, Ed Dingess, genealogy, Henry Sansom, history, Hugh Deskins, Ira P. Hager, Joe Hatfield, John Dingess, Lee Belcher, Logan, Logan County, Mine Wars, politics, Randolph Dial, Republican Party, Simp Thompson, Tennis Hatfield, Thomas Fisher, U.S. Commissioner, West Virginia
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
Before the undersigned authority, Ira P. Hager, a United States Commissioner in and for said District, Ed Dingess, who after being by me first duly sworn, says that he is thirty-seven years of age, married, resides at Cherry Tree Bottom, Logan County, and works in the ice business during the summer season.
That on November 2nd, 1924, affiant was in the Marshal’s office at Logan, when a man who lived at Cora came in and reported that Lee Belcher had ordered him to leave Cora, where he lived, on account of his having Republican literature on his car and house, stating that the said Lee Belcher, Deputy Sheriff had threatened to do him bodily injury, that affiant along with Henry Sansom was deputized by one of the Deputy Marshals to go to Cora and protect the man, he being afraid to return to his home without protection. That affiant and the said Henry Sansom were in Cora, guarding the man, and Lee Belcher came up and said, “Are you fellows here to guard these men out of here?” And I said, “Yes.” And he said, “The county ought to be filled up with good looking men like us.” And I replied “that it was pretty well full.” He then went away and did not make any trouble for us. On the night of the election I went to the Court House at Logan to ascertain the results of the election, and as I went through the corridors of the Court House I met Lee Belcher, and he said, “What was you doing in Cora, you god-damned son-of-a-bitch, that is my town.” He said, “I am running Cora,” and made at me with his pistol, and John Dingess, who used to be a deputy, pulled his pistol and said, “Give it to him, god-damned son-of-a-bitch,” and repeated it several times. John Dingess kept his pistol drawn on me while Lee Belcher beat me about the face. The scars and bruises are visible on my face where I was struck. I tried to shove off his licks, but he hit me twice, and Simp Thompson ran in and stopped him, and I presume that Thompson saved me.
I bled right much and suffered considerable pain as a result of the blows.
Ed Dingess
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 this day personally came Thomas Fisher, who after being by me first duly sworn, says:
That he was deputized by Hugh Deskins, at Mud Fork, on election day, after the said Hugh Deskins, Deputy U.S. Marshal, had been assaulted by Don Chafin, Sheriff of Logan County, and that the said Hugh Deskins gave affiant a pistol, and about thirty minutes after affiant was deputized, the said Don Chafin came around and arrested affiant, and took the pistol away from affiant, and turned affiant over to Deputy Sheriff Randolph Dial, who took affiant to jail, where affiant was kept until the next morning. Affiant lost his vote. Affiant asked the said Randolph Dial to let him vote, having told the said Randolph Dial that affiant had not voted, and the said Randolph Dial said, “I haven’t time to fool with you.” So affiant lost his vote.
Affiant saw Don Chafin assault Hugh Deskins, Deputy U.S. Marshal. Hugh Deskins was standing on the election ground and Don Chafin drove up in his car. Hugh was standing with his hands folded and Chafin walked up and hit him on the side of the face under the left ear. Deskins backed off, and Chafin said, “Don’t you like that? If you don’t, I will give you some more.” Chafin drove off in his car and in a little while came back and one of the Mounts boys called to Don and pointed me out and then Don arrested me. When Chafin arrested me I told him that I was deputized by a United States Deputy Marshal and he said, “That don’t go here.”
Thomas Fisher
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me this the 8th day of November, 1924.
Ira P. Hager
U.S. Commissioner
20 Saturday Oct 2018
Posted in Big Creek, Big Harts Creek, Boone County, Civil War, Coal, Logan
Tags
Appalachia, Aracoma, Big Creek, Boone County, Brooke McNeely, Camp Chase, Chapmanville District, Charles Williams, civil war, Claude Ellis, coal, Confederate Army, crime, Dave Kinser, Democratic Party, Douglas Kinser, Elbert Kinser, Ethel, Fort Branch, French River, genealogy, ginseng, Harts Creek, Hetzel, history, J. Green McNeely, Jake Kinser, Jane Mullins, Jefferson Davis, Jim Aldridge, John Carter, John Kinser, Logan, Logan Banner, Logan County, logging, Malinda Kinser, Malinda Newman, Mary Ann Ellis, Mud Fork, Otis Kinser, rafting, Scott Ellis, Smyth County, Stonewall Jackson, timbering, tobacco, Virginia, Washington Township, West Virginia, Wythe County
Logan (WV) Banner, 20 June 1936. Note: Jacob was not born in 1850, so he does not appear with his family in the 1850 Census for Wythe County, Virginia. He was nine years old in the 1860 Census for Smyth County, Virginia.
Logan (WV) Banner, 12 November 1936. Note: Jake Kinser appears as a seventeen-year-old fellow in the 1870 Census for Boone County, West Virginia (Washington Township).
Jake Kinser and his sister Jane Mullins, Logan (WV) Banner, 7 July 1937.
Jake Kinser and his sister Jane Mullins, Logan (WV) Banner, 7 July 1937. Note: Mary Jane (Kinser) Mullins was eleven years old in the 1860 Census for Smyth County, Virginia. Mr. Kinser died in 1944; his death record can be found here: http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view2.aspx?FilmNumber=571280&ImageNumber=349
20 Saturday Oct 2018
Tags
Appalachia, Buck Adams, crime, Democratic Party, deputy sheriff, Don Chafin, G.F. Gore, genealogy, history, Ira P. Hager, Jack Meadows, Joe Hatfield, John Colley, John Cooley, Logan County, McConnell, Mine Wars, Orville Hall, Republican Party, sheriff, Stollings, Switzer, Tennis Hatfield, United States Commissioner, Wayne Grover, West Virginia
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.
18 Thursday Oct 2018
Posted in Coal
Tags
Buck Adams, Burl Farley, Democratic Party, deputy sheriff, Don Chafin, history, Ira P. Hager, Jack Meadows, Joe Hatfield, John Cooley, John T. Gore, Logan County, Orville Hall, politics, Republican Party, Roy Adams, sheriff, Switzer, Switzer Collier Company, Tennis Hatfield, U.S. Commissioner, Wash Farley, West Virginia, Wilburn Adams
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
Before the undersigned authority this day personally came Orville Hall, who after being by me first duly sworn, deposes and says that he is sixteen years of age, resides at Switzer, Logan County, and is employed by the Switzer Collier Company, at Switzer.
That on the 5th day of November, 1924, after affiant had voted for the Republican Party in the election held November 4th, 1924, affiant was coming up the road, having come out of the mines, and I was walking. John Cooley was riding a mule, which mule we had been using in the mines. After we had gone some distance, Jack Meadows, Deputy Sheriff came along in a car and commenced shooting at the lower end of the camp of the Switzer Collier Company. He was shooting toward the ground. Buck Adams, Deputy Sheriff, was in the car with Jack Meadows, and another man or two that we did not know. They first shot at a point about the middle of the camp, having fired several shots. I got back out of the road, as far as I could, to let them pass in the car, and they shot right below me, and Jack Meadows took some shells out of his gun and threw them out in front of me and laughed, and he went on up the road, with the pistol in his hand, the car still running. They shot within about two feet of the mule. Two men shooting at the same time. Buck Adams and Jack Meadows were both shooting. The mule became frightened and John held on and was not thrown off; it was about four o’clock when this happened.
Orville Hall
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before this the 8th day of November, 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 Wilburn Adams, who after being first duly sworn says that he run his car on election day, and hauled Republican voters to the election; that he was approached by John T. Gore, a Deputy Sheriff, while on the election ground, and the said Gore said to this affiant, “You did not go into the election to win, but you went into the election for contrariness, and we are going to set on you.”
I am informed by my son, Burl Farley, Wash Farley and Roy Adams that the said Deputy John T. Gore is threatening to do me bodily injury, or “beat me to death.” I being sick at the time he made these threats, which threats have been made since the election.
Wilburn Adams
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me this the 8th day of November, 1924.
Ira P. Hager
United States Commissioner as aforesaid.
NOTE: Wilburn Adams and Deputy Sheriff Anthony “Buck” Adams were brothers. Wilburn married a sister to my great-great-grandmother.
16 Tuesday Oct 2018
Tags
Anna Meade, Appalachia, Charley Stollings, Cherry Tree, constable, Cora, Democratic Party, deputy sheriff, Don Chafin, Frank Bell, history, Ira P. Hager, jailer, Joe Hatfield, John Harris, John Parmer, John T. Gore, Lee Belcher, Logan County, Logan District, Mine Wars, politics, Republican Party, Taplin, Tennis Hatfield, Tom Chafin, United States Commissioner, W.E. White, West Virginia
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
Before the undersigned authority this day personally came FRANK BELL, who after being by me first duly sworn, deposes and says that he resides at Taplin, Logan County, in said District; that he is a contractor in the mines at Cora, Logan County. That Lee Belcher, Deputy sheriff came to affiant’s employees yesterday and told affiant’s employees that affiant was a Republican and that he “was going to get him.” That on last night they fired several shots all around affiant’s house and some shots into affiant’s house, some of them kept parading and firing pistols around the walls of the house all night, and affiant did not sleep any, but kept his clothes on all night.
That affiant looked out and saw some of the men and knew one of them to be Tom Chafin, Deputy Sheriff.
Frank Bell
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me this the 6th day of November, 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 Annie Meade who after being by me first duly sworn, says: That on election day, November 4th, 1924, she voted a Republican Ticket at Cherry Tree Bottom, and that after affiant voted W.E. White, Jailor of Logan County, and John T. Gore, a Deputy Sheriff of Logan County, and John Harris, Constable of Logan District, and John Parmer, whose business is unknown to affiant, followed affiant down the street to the home of Charley Stollings, where affiant stopped, and they ordered affiant to get off the public highway. I was then standing in front of Charley Stollings’s house on the hard road. They then said, “If you open your mouth we will take you and put you in jail on your head.” I answered Squire White by telling him that he would not do it. Deputy John T. Gore then said, “You will see if I do not do it.” They then abused me for voting the Republican ticket.
Affiant is forty-four years of age.
Anna Meade
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me this the 7th day of November, 1924.
Ira P. Hager
United States Commissioner as aforesaid.
14 Sunday Oct 2018
Posted in Coal, Man, Women's History
Tags
Appalachia, Charley Gore, Democratic Party, deputy sheriff, Don Chafin, H.S. Walker, history, Ira P. Hager, Joe Hatfield, John Morgan, Kistler, Logan County, Malinda Carlton, Mattie Marley, Mine Wars, Pearl Anderson, Republican Party, Tennis Hatfield, United States Commissioner, West Virginia, Will Lancaster
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
Before the undersigned authority, Ira P. Hager, a United States Commissioner in and for said county and State, personally appeared this day Mattie Marley, who after being by me first duly sworn, deposes and says:
That she resides at Kistler, Logan County, in said District; that on or about the 2nd day of November, A.D., 1924, at Kistler, in said District, Charley Gore, Deputy Sheriff said to affiant that after the election he was going to give some of them hell; that he was then in affiant’s house, and pulled his revolvers and said that if we would not permit him to give a supper there he knew of plenty of houses where he could get a free supper. He also said when he put his pistol back into his pocket that if his special did not get them his machine gun would.
Mattie Marley
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me this the 3rd day of November, A.D., 1924.
Ira P. Hager
United States Commissioner as aforesaid.
Witnesses:
Will Lancaster
Pearl Anderson
Malinda Carlton
***
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA,
HUNTINGTON DIVISION
Before me, Ira P. Hager, the undersigned a United States Commissioner in and for said District, personally appeared this day John Morgan, who after being by me first duly sworn, deposes and says:
That affiant voted a Republican ticket on election day November 4th, 1924, and H.S. Walker, receiving clerk tore the same up and destroyed it. That there was no justification for his destroying said ballot. Affiant further says that the other election officers of the Junior High School Precinct saw the said Walker destroy said ballot.
John Morgan
Taken, subscribed and sworn to before me this the 4th day of November, A.D., 1924.
Ira P. Hager
United States Commissioner as aforesaid.
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