![]() ![]() His father, Francis Marion Chafin, was the sheriff of Logan County, and Chafin grew up in the town of Logan. Early life Ĭhafin was born on June 26, 1887, near the town of Kermit in present-day Mingo County, West Virginia, the sixth of eleven children. In 1936, he moved to Huntington, West Virginia, where he was a wealthy and well-known figure until his death in 1954. ![]() After his release, however, he managed to regain some power in the Democratic Party of West Virginia, becoming a lobbyist for the coal industry. While in prison, he lost much of influence in Logan County. In 1924, Chafin was arrested in connection with moonshining and sentenced to two years in prison, of which he served 10 months. As a result of his actions, Chafin became a hero of the mine operators and an enemy of the miners. His forces successfully prevented the advance of the miners until federal troops intervened and forced the latter to disperse. He assembled a force of thousands of local townspeople, sheriff's deputies, and national guardsmen. As sheriff of Logan County, Chafin was a fierce opponent of unionization and received hundreds of thousands of dollars from coal mine operators in bribes for his violent suppression of the United Mine Workers union.Ĭhafin's most notable anti-union measures came during the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain, when he organized an effort to prevent armed miners from crossing through Logan County. Don Chafin (June 26, 1887 – August 9, 1954) was the sheriff of Logan County, West Virginia, and a commander in the Battle of Blair Mountain.
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