, ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁mine ▁own ers ▁compla ined ▁at ▁the ▁mine ▁site ▁about ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁mine ▁safety ▁law ▁and ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁supported ▁it . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁by stand ers , ▁Les lie ▁County ▁Judge ▁George ▁W oot on , ▁confront ed ▁the ▁owner ▁and ▁beat ▁him ▁blo ody . ▁The ▁owner ▁was ▁carried ▁from ▁the ▁mine ▁site ▁and ▁W oot on ▁never ▁faced ▁any ▁charges . ▁ ▁Re action ▁President ▁Richard ▁N ixon ▁quickly ▁issued ▁a ▁statement ▁offering ▁sympathy ▁to ▁family ▁and ▁friends ▁of ▁the ▁dece ased ▁min ers , ▁and ▁promised ▁to ▁take ▁" every ▁appropriate ▁step " ▁to ▁prevent ▁future ▁dis aster s . ▁He ▁dispatch ed ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁top ▁a ides , ▁including ▁Robert ▁Fin ch . ▁ ▁Charles ▁Fin ley ▁went ▁on ▁trial ▁for ▁neg lig ent ▁operation ▁of ▁the ▁mine ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁ ▁Dis aster ▁after math ▁The ▁bodies ▁were ▁taken ▁to ▁a ▁grade ▁school ▁g ymnasium ▁in ▁Hy den . ▁Many ▁bodies ▁had ▁been ▁so ▁dam aged ▁in ▁the ▁bl ast ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁only ▁be ▁identified ▁by ▁social ▁security ▁numbers ▁written ▁on ▁their ▁bel ts . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁min ers ▁came ▁from ▁Clay ▁and ▁Les lie ▁count ies , ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁poor est ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁and ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁described ▁their ▁economy ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁by ▁saying ▁" there ▁is ▁little ▁industry ▁but ▁coal ". ▁In ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁correspond ent ▁Bill ▁Walker ▁of ▁CBS ▁News ,