Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency facts for kids
The Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency was a private detective agency in the United States that operated from the early 1890s until 1937. This agency played a big part in events that led to the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921. They were also involved in many tough situations with labor union members. These events, often called the Coal Wars, happened in different places, especially in the Pocahontas Coalfield area of West Virginia. Some key events included the Paint Creek–Cabin Creek strike of 1912 in West Virginia, the 1913–1914 Colorado Coalfield War (which included the sad Ludlow Massacre in 1914), and the Battle of Matewan in 1920.
The agency was first started in the early 1890s by William Gibbony Baldwin. It was initially called the Baldwin Detective Agency.
Contents
How the Agency Started
William Gibbony Baldwin was the main founder of the agency. He was from Tazewell County, Virginia. As a young person, he loved reading detective stories. He first worked as a small store owner and then studied dentistry. But he decided to become a detective instead. He began his detective work in 1884. He later moved to Roanoke, Virginia, to manage security for the Norfolk and Western Railway's coal areas. He retired in 1930.
Thomas Lafayette Felts was from Galax, Virginia. He studied to become a lawyer. In 1900, he joined Baldwin's agency as a partner. He could offer legal advice to the company. In 1910, the agency's name changed to the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency. Its main office was in Bluefield, West Virginia.
At first, the agency helped railroads. They investigated train robberies and other crimes. They also guarded railway and mine payrolls. They even rode along with coal trains. By the early 1900s, they also worked for government agencies.
Becoming Well-Known
The agency became famous when they caught Floyd Allen and his family. They were involved in a shootout at a courthouse in Carroll County. Several people died or were hurt in this event in 1912.
After the shootout, the local sheriff died. This meant his deputies lost their power. So, the governor of Virginia asked the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency for help. Detectives searched for the Allens. They arrested most of them, even in bad weather. Two men, Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards, escaped to Des Moines, Iowa. But an informant told the agency where they were. The detectives caught them and brought them back to Virginia.
Working Against Strikes
By the 1910s, there were fewer train crimes. So, Baldwin–Felts started offering their detectives as security for mining companies. This is why the agency is mostly remembered for its tough actions against labor unions.
Mining companies could hire Baldwin–Felts because public police often didn't get involved in labor disputes. So, the agency was used to stop strikes. They also gathered information on unions. They prevented union organizers from entering company property. They even evicted families of striking workers from company-owned homes.
In 1912, Baldwin–Felts agents worked in West Virginia. They were at the Pocahontas Coal Fields and Paint Creek–Cabin Creek. Their harsh actions made them very unpopular. A former Attorney General of West Virginia once said that Baldwin and Felts were "the two most feared and hated men in the mountains."
Between 1913 and 1914, Baldwin–Felts agents moved to Las Animas County, Colorado. They were hired to bother striking workers. They even used an armored car with a machine gun. Miners called it the Death Special. These events led to the Ludlow Massacre. In this terrible event, the Colorado National Guard used machine guns. They killed 21 people, including miners' wives and children.
The Battle of Matewan
The most famous event involving Baldwin–Felts was in Matewan, West Virginia. A fight broke out between locals and the agents. Two miners and Matewan's Mayor were killed. Seven Baldwin–Felts detectives also died. Among them were Albert and Lee Felts, brothers of agency co-owner Thomas Felts.
On May 19, 1920, Baldwin–Felts agents arrived in Matewan. Albert Felts had already tried to bribe Mayor Testerman. He offered $500 to put machine guns on town roofs, but the Mayor refused. That afternoon, Albert, Lee, and other agents went to a coal company property. They evicted a woman and her children from their home. They forced them out at gunpoint and threw their belongings into the road. Miners who saw this were very angry.
As the agents walked to the train station, Police Chief Sid Hatfield and some miners confronted them. They said the agents were under arrest. Albert Felts said he had a warrant for Hatfield's arrest. Mayor Testerman came out and asked to see the warrant. After looking at it, the Mayor said, "This is a bogus warrant." A gunfight then started. Hatfield shot Albert Felts. Ten people died in total. This included Mayor Testerman, Albert and Lee Felts, and other agents and townspeople.
This gunfight became known as the Matewan Massacre. It was a huge moment for the miners. The Baldwin–Felts agency, which seemed unbeatable, had been defeated. Sid Hatfield became a hero to the union miners. He symbolized hope that they could fight against the coal companies and their hired guards. For months, fighting continued in the Mingo County area. Both sides gathered more weapons. Sid Hatfield even turned Testerman's jewelry store into a gun shop.
In January 1921, Hatfield's trial for killing Albert Felts began. It drew national attention to the miners' cause. Hatfield's fame grew during the trial. He talked to reporters, adding to his legend. He was found not guilty. However, the union faced problems. Many mines reopened with new workers. Some former strikers returned to work after signing agreements not to join unions.
In May 1921, union miners attacked non-union mines. This conflict, called the "Three Days Battle," spread across the Tug River Valley. It ended when a truce was called and martial law was put in place. Miners felt that martial law was unfair. Many miners were arrested for small reasons. But those on the "law and order" side seemed to be free from punishment. Miners responded with guerrilla tactics and violence.
In this tense time, Hatfield went to McDowell County on August 1, 1921. He was going to court for charges of blowing up a coal tipple. His friend Ed Chambers and their wives went with him. As they walked up the courthouse stairs, unarmed, a group of Baldwin–Felts agents opened fire. Hatfield was killed instantly. Chambers was shot many times. One agent, Charles Lively, shot Chambers again in the back of the head. Hatfield's and Chambers' bodies were returned to Matewan. News of their deaths spread quickly.
The miners were very angry about how Hatfield was killed. They felt his killers would not be punished. They began to gather from the mountains and take up arms.
Final Years and Closing
William Baldwin and Thomas Felts were also involved in banking. Baldwin later became president of several banks. Felts was elected to serve two terms as a state senator in Virginia.
Baldwin passed away in 1936 at age 75. Felts died a year later at 69. In 1937, just before his death, Felts officially closed the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency. By then, there was less work for strikebreaking. New laws made it illegal to use private detectives to spy on or bother workers. Public opinion also changed. This made such detectives less useful to companies in labor disputes.
After the agency closed, most of its files were lost or destroyed. The largest collection of remaining files is kept at the Eastern Regional Coal Archives in Bluefield, West Virginia.
See also
- Anti-union violence
- Charles Lively (labor spy)
- Pinkerton (detective agency)
- Labor spying in the United States
Images for kids
-
A Baldwin Felts agent at Glen Jean, Fayette County, 1902.
