December 27, 1929

On the morning of December 27, 1928, another tragedy struck the Coal Glen Mine. As a shift of imprisoned laborers exited the mine that morning, riding in the same cart that drove coal to the surface routinely that day, as the cars crept within only 200 feet of the entrance to the mine, a pin broke between the first and second car. Subsequently, the rear eight cars rushed quickly back down the slope from where it came to a jarring halt 800 feet later. With four men killed, and seven injured, immediate sentiments shared a great concern about public opinion. Though fewer men died than in the disaster three years prior, the argument about the convict leasing program boiled over even before the burial of the dead. Included in Appendix A is a list of those men killed in the accident. Before exploring the aftermath of this accident, I would like to note that more than any other accident previously listed, the harsh realities of the Convict Leasing program are ignored in regional history. Even in historical texts, this accident is often relegated to a footnote, and little attention is given to name those men who died. This willful ignorance is likely a result of compounded issues, including the men because of racial tensions and judgments on the value dissonance on imprisoned lives.

December 27, 1929

Name	Birth Date	Age	Race/Nationality	Hometown/Birth Location	Burial Location
Waddell Dorth		17	Black	Durham County, NC	Goldsboro, NC
James Ray		Unk.	Black	Wake County, NC	Unk.
Henry Simmons		21	Black	Dillon, SC	Clayton, NC
Albert Spencer		35	Black	Auburn, Wake County, NC	Johnston County, NC