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Students in the criminal justice program at Bluefield College recently visited Matewan, West Virginia, to tour the site of the infamous Matewan Massacre, an historical event in law enforcement and labor relations.

Chris Shoemaker

March 26, 2012

	BC's senior seminar criminal justice class visits the site of the Matewan Massacre. Pictured (from left) are Professor Kelly Walls, Hallie Elder, Lindsay Sizemore, Brittney Paynter, Angel Hackney, Bryce Laxton, Kyle Long, and Professor Kim Farmer.

The tour is part of the students' senior seminar class in criminal justice, which includes the study of a book titled "Baldwin-Felts Detectives." The book chronicles a gun shootout in Matewan on May 19, 1920, between Baldwin-Felts detectives, local union coal miners, and local law enforcement that left 11 dead, including seven detectives.

The BC students toured not only the massacre site, but also the museum in town dedicated to the history of the Matewan Massacre. The students participating in the field trip included Hallie Elder, Angel Hackney, Bryce Laxton, Kyle Long, Brittney Paynter, and Lindsay Sizemore. They were led by professors Kim Farmer and Kelly Walls.

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