Hartford coal mine riot facts for kids

The Hartford coal mine riot took place on July 12, 1914. It happened in Hartford, Arkansas. At that time, all coal miners in Arkansas were part of a union. This union was called the United Mine Workers (UMW).

One mine owner wanted to run his mines without the union. This led to a big conflict. Mines were damaged, and on July 17, a large group of union miners and their supporters attacked a mine. They destroyed the equipment at Prairie Creek coal mine #3. Sadly, two non-union miners were killed during this event. The legal cases that followed lasted until 1927.

Why the Riot Happened

Coal Mining in Hartford

The area around Sebastian County, Arkansas, was very busy with coal mining. This was especially true between 1910 and 1920. The town of Hartford, Arkansas, grew to about 4,000 people. The coal from these mines was very good. It attracted many mining companies. Miners came from different countries. Many were from Italy, Germany, Poland, and Greece.

Miners Join Unions

Local miners first joined a group called the Knights of Labor. By 1914, they were part of the UMW District 21. This union helped them get good wages and benefits. Almost all mines in Arkansas worked with the union. But two mine owners, Franklin Bache and Heber Denman, did not.

Since 1910, Bache had tried to avoid union rules. He used different companies to do this. The union agreement was ending on July 1, 1914. In March, Bache said he would run his mines without the union. He told Pete Stewart, a UMW leader, about his plan. Then, Bache closed his mines. He planned to reopen them on April 6 without the union.

Preparing for Conflict

Bache expected trouble. He hired three guards from the Burns Detective Agency. He also hired other people to help him. He heard rumors of fighting. So, Bache bought many Winchester rifles and bullets. He put cables around his main mine, Prairie Creek, No. 4.

Bache also sent notices to his workers. They lived in company houses. The notices said they had to leave if they did not work for him under the new rules. About 30 non-union men agreed to work when the mines reopened.

Union members asked people to come to a meeting. It was at the schoolhouse near the Prairie Creek mine. They wanted to protest Bache's plans. They felt his actions would weaken the union.

Union leaders met with Bache. They asked him to keep his mine a union shop. The guards were told not to use their guns unless their lives were in danger. Union miners attacked the guards. They took their guns and hurt some of them. As the union men moved forward, the workers left the mine. The attackers then destroyed the main pumps. This caused the mine to fill with water.

The Riot Begins

Legal Actions and Mine Repairs

Bache went to the federal court. He got an order against the union miners. This order included Pete Stewart, the union president. Bache then started to repair the mine. U.S. Marshals protected the work. Non-union miners and workers came from other states. The equipment was fixed and rebuilt.

The U.S. Marshals left the mine on July 15. Only private guards and Burns Detectives remained. The water had been pumped out. Mining and shipping coal were about to start again.

The Night of July 12

On Sunday night, July 12, shots were fired into homes. This happened in a small village called Frog town. It was about a mile and a half from Prairie Creek mine. Many people were scared. They heard cries that "the scabs were surrounding the town." "Scabs" was a term for non-union workers. People fled to Hartford, about two miles away. Union guards went to Hartford to protect the town. They expected an attack from the Prairie Creek guards.

Later, it was believed the shooting in Frog town was a trick. A local constable and another union miner fired the shots. They wanted to make people angry at the men at Prairie Creek.

The Attack on July 17

On the night of July 16, union miners' families were warned. Friends told them to leave Prairie Creek. They needed to avoid danger. At 4 a.m. the next morning, many shots were fired. This started the attack.

A large group of union miners gathered. They came from local unions and other mines. Their supporters also joined them. They had rifles and other guns. These guns were paid for by the union. Before daylight on July 17, they attacked the men Bache had hired. They began to destroy the mine property and equipment again. A large, union-backed force attacked the Prairie Creek site. They also attacked other properties belonging to Bache. This happened from all sides later that day.

The first destruction was at Mine No. 3. It was near Mine No. 4. The coal washhouse there was set on fire. The people inside the buildings were forced out. A few stayed and hid behind coal cars. Most workers and their families ran to the hills. There, they were safe from the bullets.

The attackers were so many. By 1 p.m., they had driven out almost all the defenders. They set fire to the coal tipple at mine No. 4. They destroyed all the plant equipment. They used dynamite and torches.

The attackers captured some of Bache's workers. They were escaping. The prisoners were taken to a log cabin. It was behind the schoolhouse near the mine. This was where the first riot meeting was held. Four or five prisoners were taken out of the cabin. Two of them were killed. One was a former union man. They were identified as J.E. Sylesberry, 23, and John Baskins, 45. Both were mine guards.

What Happened Next

Union Victory and Legal Battles

Bache declared his ten businesses bankrupt on July 25. This was a big win for the union.

Legal cases from the strike and riot went to the Supreme Court twice. Once in 1922 and again in 1925. The mine owners said the union had limited trade. In 1927, both sides settled out of court. The union paid $27,500. This was much less than earlier awards of over $700,000. By that time, coal miner unions in Arkansas had completely fallen apart.

Arrests and Trials

Several important union leaders faced federal charges. The union and prosecutors made a deal. A few people went to jail for up to two years. They also paid fines of up to $1000. The union paid these fines. Two men were tried for the deaths of Sylesberry and Baskins in January 1915. Many witnesses for the state could not be found. Because of this, both men were found not guilty.