Today in Wheeling History: July 17--On this day in 1922, as Wheeling experienced a heat wave, the city was drawn into the aftermath of the nearby Cliftonville Mine Riot in Brooke County, with the Wheeling Intelligencer reporting on the event and Steve Betts, an alleged key figure in the riot, being transferred to Wheeling for safety reasons by Brooke County Prosecuting Attorney W.S. Wilken (1922).
The Cliftonville Mine Riot of July 17, 1922, was a violent labor conflict in Brooke County, West Virginia, near Wheeling. It began when 300–500 armed striking union miners gathered in Avella, Pennsylvania, on July 16, intending to stop non-union workers at the Richland Coal Company's Cliftonville mine. Early on July 17, the strikers marched to Cliftonville and surrounded the mine. Brooke County Sheriff H.H. Duval and about 20 deputies joined the mine guards. As the 5:15 a.m. train whistle signaled the workday's start, the strikers attacked, leading to a fierce gun battle.
In Wheeling that day, a heat wave gripped the city, and the Wheeling Intelligencer reported on various local and national events, including President Harding's appeal to striking coal operators. As news of the riot reached Wheeling, it dominated local discourse. The Intelligencer provided extensive coverage of the riot, its aftermath, casualties, arrests, and subsequent legal proceedings. Notably, Steve Betts, alleged to be Sheriff Duval's assassin, was moved to Wheeling on July 17 by Prosecuting Attorney W.S. Wilken for safety, highlighting Wheeling's role in the riot's immediate aftermath.
The legal consequences were extensive, with 216 men indicted: 78 for first-degree murder and 138 for conspiracy to burn, destroy, or injure property. As trials progressed, many charges were reduced or dropped, with all remaining homicide charges eventually changed to conspiracy. Some legal proceedings occurred in Wheeling, with the Ohio County jail holding prisoners awaiting trial or sentencing. Wheeling attorneys Charles J. Schuck and John Gardner played significant roles in defending the accused miners, with Schuck later becoming Wheeling's mayor based on his involvement in these trials.
The trials' outcomes were closely followed and reported by the Wheeling Intelligencer. Ultimately, 30 men received sentences of three or more years, with others getting lesser terms, totaling 172 aggregate years. On February 22, 1923, a compromise led to 30 "Key Agitators" pleading guilty, resulting in the remaining indictments being quashed and 126 men freed. In total, 60 men were sentenced to prison: 30 for at least three years, and 30 who accepted the court's mercy. The Cliftonville Mine Riot and its aftermath significantly impacted the Wheeling area, underscoring labor tensions in the region's coal industry and establishing Wheeling as a crucial center for news coverage, legal proceedings, and public discourse surrounding the event.
To learn more: (https://tinyurl.com/mz98w2f2) (https://shorturl.at/N2Hm6) (https://shorturl.at/XlsIe) (https://shorturl.at/zvdoD) (https://tinyurl.com/yv458hza) (https://tinyurl.com/bdzmts87) (https://tinyurl.com/yc2wzjhk) (https://tinyurl.com/vrc8evba)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; West Virginia & Regional History Center, Wheeling Intelligencer, West Virginia History OnView
The Cliftonville Mine Riot of July 17, 1922, was a violent labor conflict in Brooke County, West Virginia, near Wheeling. It began when 300–500 armed striking union miners gathered in Avella, Pennsylvania, on July 16, intending to stop non-union workers at the Richland Coal Company's Cliftonville mine. Early on July 17, the strikers marched to Cliftonville and surrounded the mine. Brooke County Sheriff H.H. Duval and about 20 deputies joined the mine guards. As the 5:15 a.m. train whistle signaled the workday's start, the strikers attacked, leading to a fierce gun battle.
In Wheeling that day, a heat wave gripped the city, and the Wheeling Intelligencer reported on various local and national events, including President Harding's appeal to striking coal operators. As news of the riot reached Wheeling, it dominated local discourse. The Intelligencer provided extensive coverage of the riot, its aftermath, casualties, arrests, and subsequent legal proceedings. Notably, Steve Betts, alleged to be Sheriff Duval's assassin, was moved to Wheeling on July 17 by Prosecuting Attorney W.S. Wilken for safety, highlighting Wheeling's role in the riot's immediate aftermath.
The legal consequences were extensive, with 216 men indicted: 78 for first-degree murder and 138 for conspiracy to burn, destroy, or injure property. As trials progressed, many charges were reduced or dropped, with all remaining homicide charges eventually changed to conspiracy. Some legal proceedings occurred in Wheeling, with the Ohio County jail holding prisoners awaiting trial or sentencing. Wheeling attorneys Charles J. Schuck and John Gardner played significant roles in defending the accused miners, with Schuck later becoming Wheeling's mayor based on his involvement in these trials.
The trials' outcomes were closely followed and reported by the Wheeling Intelligencer. Ultimately, 30 men received sentences of three or more years, with others getting lesser terms, totaling 172 aggregate years. On February 22, 1923, a compromise led to 30 "Key Agitators" pleading guilty, resulting in the remaining indictments being quashed and 126 men freed. In total, 60 men were sentenced to prison: 30 for at least three years, and 30 who accepted the court's mercy. The Cliftonville Mine Riot and its aftermath significantly impacted the Wheeling area, underscoring labor tensions in the region's coal industry and establishing Wheeling as a crucial center for news coverage, legal proceedings, and public discourse surrounding the event.
To learn more: (https://tinyurl.com/mz98w2f2) (https://shorturl.at/N2Hm6) (https://shorturl.at/XlsIe) (https://shorturl.at/zvdoD) (https://tinyurl.com/yv458hza) (https://tinyurl.com/bdzmts87) (https://tinyurl.com/yc2wzjhk) (https://tinyurl.com/vrc8evba)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; West Virginia & Regional History Center, Wheeling Intelligencer, West Virginia History OnView
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