an ▁told ▁the ▁min ers ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁champion ▁of ▁labor , ▁but ▁as ▁governor ▁he ▁was ▁oblig ated ▁to ▁en force ▁the ▁laws ▁and ▁ple aded ▁for ▁calm ▁and ▁p atience . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁governor ' s ▁speech , ▁Mer rell ▁re but ted ▁it , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁the ▁governor ▁had ▁not ▁bother ed ▁to ▁en force ▁laws ▁regarding ▁scri p ▁or ▁check we igh men ▁and ▁calling ▁the ▁state ▁government ▁a ▁" dis gra ce ▁to ▁a ▁civil ized ▁country ." ▁ ▁Later ▁that ▁night , ▁sh ots ▁were ▁fired ▁at ▁the ▁stock ade , ▁start ling ▁the ▁governor , ▁who ▁had ▁remained ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁until ▁the ▁following ▁day . ▁ ▁The ▁governor ▁left ▁ 1 0 7 ▁milit iam en ▁under ▁Colonel ▁Gran ville ▁Se vier , ▁a ▁great - grand son ▁of ▁John ▁Se vier , ▁to ▁guard ▁the ▁stock ade . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁July ▁ 2 0 , ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁min ers ▁armed ▁with ▁shot g uns , ▁rif les , ▁and ▁p ist ols ▁again ▁surrounded ▁the ▁Br ice ville ▁stock ade . ▁ ▁The ▁min ers ' ▁ranks ▁had ▁been ▁bol ster ed ▁by ▁an ▁infl ux ▁of ▁min ers ▁from ▁the ▁border ▁town ▁of ▁J el lic o ▁and ▁several ▁hundred ▁min ers ▁from ▁Kentucky , ▁some ▁of ▁whom ▁had ▁successfully ▁removed ▁conv ict s ▁from ▁two ▁Kentucky ▁mines ▁five ▁years ▁earlier . ▁ ▁After ▁gain ing ▁an ▁ass urance ▁that ▁no ▁company