▁the ▁state ' s ▁court ▁system , ▁which ▁considered ▁a ▁case ▁brought ▁by ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁Commission er ▁of ▁Labor , ▁George ▁Ford , ▁who ▁claimed ▁the ▁poor ▁conditions ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁in m ates ▁worked ▁and ▁lived ▁viol ated ▁state ▁law . ▁ ▁The ▁case ▁moved ▁quickly ▁through ▁the ▁courts , ▁reaching ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁State ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁ ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁Peter ▁Tur ney , ▁however , ▁ruled ▁against ▁the ▁min ers , ▁essentially ▁cit ing ▁the ▁san ct ity ▁of ▁contract s . ▁ ▁Burn ing ▁of ▁stock ades ▁and ▁establishment ▁of ▁Fort ▁Anderson ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁the ▁committee ▁representing ▁the ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁min ers ' ▁interests ▁announced ▁they ▁were ▁res ign ing , ▁den ounced ▁the ▁legisl ature , ▁and ▁issued ▁a ▁subt le ▁call ▁to ▁arms . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁there after , ▁on ▁October ▁ 3 1 , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁min ers ▁burn ed ▁the ▁T C MC ▁stock ade ▁at ▁Br ice ville ▁and ▁seized ▁the ▁Kno x ville ▁Iron ▁Company ▁stock ade ▁at ▁Co al ▁Creek . ▁Several ▁company ▁buildings ▁were ▁destroyed ▁or ▁lo oted , ▁but ▁the ▁stock ade ▁was ▁sp ared . ▁Over ▁ 3 0 0 ▁conv ict s ▁were ▁fre ed ▁and ▁supplied ▁with ▁fresh ▁food ▁and ▁civil ian ▁clothes ▁by ▁the ▁ins urg ents , ▁who ▁ur ged ▁them ▁not ▁to ▁commit ▁further ▁cr imes . ▁On ▁November ▁ 2 , ▁another ▁band