Sixteen Italian men came at one time to learn coal mining.  I arranged for them to batch near the mine in three log cabins in a small hollow.  Everything went along smoothly for two months.  Late one night heavy shooting could be heard in the hollow where the Italians lived.  I got my gun and called LEWIS and WYNN.  They told me a crowd was shooting to make the Italians leave.  I said, "Let's go and stop it." They told me that nothing could be done with a lot of drunken men.  I told them I was going to see what I could do.  It was dark when I reached the foot of the incline.  When I was near enough I looked into his face.  I knew him.  His name was Abe YUNT.  He had a rifle in his hand.  I said to him, "What are you trying to do?" The shooting and yelling was still going on.  I did not go direct to the cabins.  I went up the incline which was 600 feet long and then came down towards the cabins in another way.  I knew their guard YUNT would inform others by now, but I had gotten close to the cabins.  There was silence for a few minutes and then a volley of shots were fired in the direction I had taken up the incline.

From my position I could see the flash of guns pointing in the direction I had gone.  My first thought was to return their fire, shooting into them as they were bunched together.  I was angered some because they fired a volley up the incline.  I could hear the Italians' voices.  I walked right into their cabins.  Some of them could speak a little English.  They were greatly frightened.  It seemed that they all talked to me at the same time.  I went outside the cabin to see if any of the shooters were still around.  I noticed someone skulking back of the cabin with a shotgun in his hand.  I told him to step out where I could see him.  I knew him by name.  His name was JENKS.  He was a tough one from Stearns, Kentucky, who had recently moved into the camp.  He told me he heard shooting and had just got here.  I knew he was lying.  Later on I had some trouble with him.  I stayed with the Italians for one hour.  I told them that the shooting was over, that the purpose of the crowd was to scare them away from the mines.

Next morning I went to their cabins.  They were all preparing to leave for Cincinnati.  I knew it would be useless to try to persuade them to stay.  They were not miners.  The coal seemed thin and hard to mine with hand picks.  They all left that evening.  They started north on the L. & N. Railroad track, walking.  I received a phone message from E. J. DAVIS from Knoxville, the President of the East Tennessee Coal Company, for me to go to Williamsburg, Kentucky, eleven miles north, the county seat and charges preferred against those men who were shooting to scare the Italians away.  The next morning I went by train to Williamsburg.  I explained the situation to the sheriff.  He said he would attend to the matter, but nothing was done and no arrests were made.  The Italians were glad to get away.

This was my first trip to this town.  There would be no train until evening to leave for Jellico.  I walked around town to pass the time away.  It was now nearing the time for the train as I approached the depot.  I noticed that the Italians were sitting with their packs on a freight loading platform.  There was a crowd of natives looking at them.  I guess they never had seen so many foreigners before.  While I was speaking with one of them a yell was heard, then a heavy set young man appeared.  He was wild with drink and looking for trouble.  Several of the natives got out of his way.  He bumped with his shoulders those who did not move quickly out of his way.  I stood still as he came toward me.  There was ample room for him to pass by.  Instead of that he leaned over toward me.  He gave me a slight push.  I kept quiet, but felt that I ought to call him down.

He then walked up to one of the Italians who was sitting down on the loading platform and had his feet hanging over the edge about four feet above the ground.  He caught the man by the back of his neck and pushed him roughly off the platform and tried to throw him on his head.  When the Italian recovered himself he looked up at the tough and tried to talk to him.  The tough cursed and told him to shut up or he would kill him.  He jumped down off the platform on the Italian but did not strike him.  Just at that moment all the other Italians came to his rescue.  A large crowd had gathered.  I also went to give help.  I jumped down off the platform and placed my hand on his shoulder and told him to let the man alone, that he was not bothering him.