礦工殺人事件：從一樁凶殺案看日治中期臺灣煤礦業與煤礦工人

Miners’Murder Incident: An Exploration of Taiwan’s Coal Mining Industry and Coal Miners during the Mid-Japanese Colonial Period

本研究以一樁九十年多前的礦工殺人案件為引，探究該案件背後可能潛藏的社會脈絡與結構因素，並將之鑲嵌在日治中期臺灣煤礦業與全球經濟變化之間的關係，從而考察「煤礦工人」的形成過程。本文指出，這起命案的導火線雖是礦工間的私怨，然而，臺灣煤業的衰退、礦工的失業風險、承包制的巿場經濟與道德經濟雙重性等，卻是鋪陳雙方緊張關係的社會變遷與結構因素，而當時日益升高的階級意識、勞資衝突、以及勞工運動，則是內蘊於其中的歷史過程。針對這起深山裡的命案，我們勾勒出一種具有層次感和時代感的社會學解讀，從而省思「煤礦工人」在臺灣早期資本主義發展中如何面對其歷史命運。

This study takes a murder case involving coal miners that occurred over ninety years ago as a point of departure to explore the potential hidden social context and structural factors behind the incident. The discussion is framed within the relationship between the mid-Japanese colonial period in Taiwan and the global economic changes in the coal mining industry. The goal is to investigate the respective roles played by colonial capitalism and moral economy in the formation process of“coal miners”in Taiwan, examining how these two factors contribute to their development. This article highlights that although the triggering factor for this murder was a personal dispute among miners, the inland bubble in the coal industry, the risk of unemployment for miners, the market economy under the subcontracting system, and the dual nature of moral and market economy all contributed to the tension between the parties involved. Simultaneously, during the mid-Japanese colonial period, there was a rising class consciousness in colonial Taiwan, along with labor conflicts and the emergence of labor movements. These factors are intricately woven into the layered historical processes, underlying the increasing tension and conflicts in the relationships between different social groups. Consequently, regarding this remote mountain murder case, we present a sociological interpretation with a sense of hierarchy and historical context. This approach allows us to reflect on how“coal miners”in the early stages of capitalism in Taiwan faced their historical destiny.