Founded in 2017, Strange Times is a twice-monthly newsletter that explores the weirdest news of 1921, one day at a time. To get free games and the original PDFs of every article that runs in Strange Times—plus stories that didn’t make the cut—back me on Patreon.

To Kill a Cook

With just two short weeks left until the release of TO KILL A COOK, the good folks at Putnam suggested rewarding my beloved newsletter subscribers—that’s you, folks—with a chance to win 15 copies of the book’s uncommonly gorgeous galley. (To clarify: each person only gets to win one copy—15 is probably more than one person needs, although if you wanna purchase 15 copies, I’m not going to stand in your way.)

This is going out to my larger newsletter list on Friday, but I wanted to give y’all the first bite at it. Click here to enter!

Things I Like

1. Two Left Feet! If, like me, you’re struggling with the comedown that comes with running out of Heated Rivalry, I strongly recommend picking up Kallie Emblidge’s debut novel: the gay soccer romance Two Left Feet. I grabbed mine at my local romance bookstore last week—consider Cupid’s Bookshop a sub-recommendation—and it grabbed me immediately. Not only is it tender and beautifully written, Emblidge nails the soccer side of it as well. As a decades-long Leeds United fan who’s still buzzing from Luke Ayling’s appearance at a pride parade in 2022, it meant a lot.

2. Innerfrench! Another week, another recommendation for a free French learning tool. Last week I was hunting around for a intermediate-level French podcast, and Reddit swiftly directed me to Innerfrench. I started with episode 1, as the host recommends, and was shocked by how much I was able to understand. If you’re an A2/B1 kind of French learner who wants chill, half-hour podcasts that are not about grammar, give it a listen.

3. Oranges! It is grim, slushy, cold, and snowy here on the east coast, and the brightest thing in my house is the bag of cara cara oranges sitting on my counter. John McPhee got it—a really juicy orange is one of winter’s saving graces.

Today we’ve got one long story about union men marching to war. Put down your pick and grab your rifle on…

August 26, 1921

• The United States and Germany sign a peace treaty, officially ending hostilities nearly three years after the armistice of November 11, 1918. The treaty confirms all American rights enumerated by the Treaty of Versailles without binding the United States to the regulations of the League of Nations.

• With the “world’s greatest airship” now just “a silvery mass of débris,” early investigations suggest that the ZR-2 crashed during a high speed turn test, when unexpected stress caused the airship’s framework to snap in half.

• The Weather: Fair today and tomorrow; moderate temperature; east winds.

This is the warm-up to the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest labor uprising in the history of the United States. As protestors in Minnesota and across the United States fight daily against the masked army unleashed on our cities by our insane, would-be dictator president, the image of 4,000 unionized miners marching to protest union busting and martial law hit hard. The Wikipedia page gives a great overview of the background to the battle but the short version is that since 1890 Mingo County had barred unionization by coal miners. Aggressive attempts to change this by the United Mine Workers led to government retaliation, including the Matewan Massacre, the murder of Sid Hatfield, and the imposition of martial law. I suspect the next six or seven issues of the Times will feature many very long accounts of the coming battle—if I find they’re too detailed to type up for the newsletter, you’ll find the PDFs on my Patreon.

CHARLESTON, W. Va., Aug. 25.—A mob of armed union miners and sympathizers, said to total more than 4,000 men, is tonight nearing Mingo County, where, its leaders have threatened, they will make a violent protest against the “mine guard system” which has long prevailed in that troubled coal region.

Two thousand more armed union men are en route from points in Pike County, Ky., to join the marchers, reports to authorities tonight said.

It was reported from several sources tonight that fighting had followed contact of a Sheriff’s force with either the main body of the marchers or a detachment of their sympathizers at Blair, in Logan County, but later news failed to confirm the report. Logan County officials at a late hour were reported to be preparing to meet the “invaders” tomorrow.

The army of malcontents, among whom were union miners, radical organizers and not a few ex-service men, left Marmet, where they had been encamped for several days, at dawn this morning on their fifty-mile march to Mingo to stage their demonstration against martial law.

News of their start and reports throughout the day of their depredations and acts of violence as they progressed caused wild alarm throughout the area the marchers said they would traverse. In Logan County, the scene of tonight’s reported clash, Sheriff Don Chafin made hurried arrangements to resist the “invasion,” recruiting and arming a party of deputies. At daybreak he had 500 men ready to proceed to the Boone County border to halt the mob.

Governor Asks For Troops. 

When news of the march reached Charleston Governor Morgan took immediate action. He appealed to the War Department for 1,000 Federal troops and shortly afterward issued a statement describing the situation as officially reported to him.

The official statement by Governor Morgan is as follows:

“We are in possession of information that a large body of armed men, numbering several thousands, who have been encamped for several days on Lens Creek, near Marmet, marched early today to near Racine in Boone County, intending the same as a preliminary movement to a march into Logan and Mingo Counties.

“Inflamed and infuriated by speeches of radical officers and leaders, the men started their march and arrived at Racine at noon. Heavily armed patrols, which have been patrolling the roads in the vicinity of Marmet, are still active.

“The Governor’s office is fully aware of the gravity of the situation. Two men were killed in the district, while numerous stores on Cabin and Paint Creeks, along Kanawha River and on Coal River have been entered by armed men and robbed of arms, ammunition and supplies.

“Trains have been stopped and forced by men with drawn guns to haul them to their destination.

“While there have been wholesale violations of the law, the Governor desires to give assurance to the people of the affected district that every available resource will be utilized to restore law and order, and trusts that it can be accomplished without bloodshed.

Rob Stores on Route. 

Swooping down on Boone County early today, the marchers robbed and pilfered almost every country and coal mining store in their path. Authorities here were notified of scores of robberies of firearms, ammunition and provisions.

The first leg of their march was completed about noon, when they reached Racine, sixteen miles northeast of Madison. Many were in automobiles and some were on horseback, but the greater majority were afoot. The motley rabble, showing a determined manner in every move, entered the Coal River district and soon spread over the country about Racine.

In their march the men spared none who fell in their clutches. Several houses were pillaged, and in one instance Coroner Black is hurrying to East Bank to view the body of one of the mob’s victims who was held up and forced to contribute to the men’s “ration fund.”

Shortly after the “army” left Marmet the bullet-riddled bodies of two miners were found. One was Christ Pettry of Raleigh County. His body was found on the front porch of the home of J.S. Pryor, undertaker at East Bank, where it evidently had been carried by Pettry’s executioners. Pryor recalled having heard voices near his home during the night, but the only word he could understand was “Sheriff.”

Pryor notified Coroner Black, who started for the Pryor home to make an investigation. En route he was held up by several armed members of the mob, who said:

“Give us money for food for the boys.”

After handing over several coins, Coroner Black was permitted to proceed on his way.

The other victim was a negro who was killed during the night. The bullet-riddled body has not been identified. Officials here believe the negro was killed as a “spy” because he was suspected of having conveyed information to the authorities of the “army’s” plans.

Those of the malcontents who have made no move to leave Marmet are reported to be without arms. They are searching homes in the vicinity of Marmet, confiscating all firearms and weapons. As rapidly as they are able to arm themselves they take the trail followed by the main body.

The citizen who gave this information refused to permit the use of his name, fearing reprisals. His home already has been searched several times and his wife made ill by her experiences. She is now in a hospital.

The stop at Racine was for breakfast, and by commandeering and by purchase they obtained enough food for all the marchers. They did not leave until late in the afternoon, and some of them said they would not resume their march into Mingo until late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

Logan County Ready For Them. 

Their next stopping point was said to b e Logan, where Sheriff Chafin had mobilized his volunteers to meet them. The town was an armed camp from early morning, and the Sheriff declared every effort would be made to prevent the mob crossing Logan County on the way to Mingo.

Early tonight there were reports of a clash between the Sheriff and 300 deputies and as many miners at Blair, but those cannot be confirmed.

H.W.B. Mullens, prosecuting attorney of Boone County, told authorities here that passengers on a Chesapeake & Ohio train passing through Blair this afternoon had told him that fighting was going on, that the depot and the Post Office had been closed and that the population was fleeing in terror to the hills. Prosecutor Mullens, however, said he did not know whether the reported clash at Blair was with the main body of marchers or with local sympathizers.

With a fleet of more than a hundred automobiles held in readiness to reinforce the deputy sheriffs who are guarding the mountain passes through which the mob intends to reach the non-union fields, Logan County officials tonight had completed their preparations to block the invasion, it was learned from another source.

The automobiles were requisitioned by Sheriff Chafin this afternoon after aviators had circled over the mountains. The plane was several hours in the air taking observations and then the pilot returned to Logan to make his report to Sheriff Chafin. What this report was tonight was known only to the Sheriff, but a short time later the word went forth that the Sheriff wanted automobiles and volunteer drivers. Within an hour more than a hundred had been offered.

Sheriff Chafin tonight was inspecting the lines of defense in the hills.

At 9:30 o’clock it was reported to the Sheriff’s office that the advancing vanguard of marchers had arrived at Van and were expected to reach Clothier not earlier than 9 o’clock tomorrow morning. Following the receipt of this information, Sheriff Chafin released his deputies, who had been held at the Court House, until 6 o’clock in the morning, when they will advance to meet the marchers.

Hear Plane Was Fired On.

The pilot who this afternoon took observations for the sheriff was under an oath of secrecy as to what he had discovered. From other sources, however, it was learned that the men were making faster progress on their march than had been expected and that their arrival at the Logan County line by daybreak was likely. It was also reported that the plane was fired on, but that the plane did not reply.

The afternoon train for Huntington was crowded with women and children who had been sent out of the danger zone, but the men for the most part remained behind to lend support to Sheriff Chafin.

Authorities were notified that two miners in two automobile trucks bought $5,000 worth of rifles and ammunition at a Huntington hardware store. Governor Morgan has issued a request to all merchants in Southern West Virginia to refrain from selling arms and ammunition. The railroads running into this State have been asked to prevent shipments of firearms from coming into the State.

Josiah Keeley, manager of the Cabin Creek Consolidated Coal Company store at Kayford, and his store clerk, George Baker, were held up at the point of rifles by fifty masked men and forced to surrender twelve high-powered rifles and a large quantity of shells.

A coal company store at Edwight, Raleigh County, was robbed of two machine guns and all ammunition. Scores of other stores at Maxine, Sharlow, Cedar Grove, Acme, Red Warrior, Quarrier and other places were looted of rifles and shotguns.

Freight trains operating on the Cabin Creek and Coal River divisions were commandeered by the miners and forced to haul them to their destination.

A tense situation exists in Mingo County tonight, where several thousand striking miners and 1,000 armed volunteers and a large detachment of State police await the arrival of the armed mob.

Sheriff Pinson of Mingo County stated this evening that he had appealed to Sheriff Chafin for aid, but would not comment further on the expected “invasion” except to say that many of the armed band were being transported in automobiles.”

CHARLESTON, W. Va., Aug. 25.—Reports of a gun battle today between Logan County Deputy Sheriffs, said to number 300, and a large body of armed men at Blair, W. Va., were received here tonight. Efforts to confirm these reports through Sheriff Don Chafin of Logan County, who was reached by long distance telephone, were unsuccessful. When asked by an Associated Press correspondent whether there had been fighting at Blair today, his reply was:

“I cannot say anything about it; we are not giving out any information.” He then hung up the receiver.

Blair is a mining town close to the Boone County line. It is said to be one of the few mining towns in the Logan field organized by the United Mine Workers of America. C.F. Keeney, District President of the miners, tonight said that the President of the Blair local union had reported to him early this week that the men there were “prepared for trouble” and had “dug trenches in the surrounding hills to protect themselves from possible attack.”

United Mine Workers’ officials, commenting on the reported battle, said that if there had been an engagement it was local and not connected with the Marmet situation nor engaged in by men from the Marmet camp.

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 25.—Sheriff J.L. Hill of Boone County tonight told The Associated press over the long distance telephone that all wires between Madison and Blair had been cut and that he was without information concerning a reported engagement between marchers and deputies at Blair.

Preorder To Kill a Cook!