1. All persons or corporations engaged in or operating any coal mines in this state shall pay their employees once in every fifteen days in lawful money of the United States, and at no payday shall there be withheld any of the earnings due any such employee; provided, persons or corporations operating coal mines may withhold not to exceed five days of the earnings of employees.

2. Any such operator or employer failing or refusing to pay his employees, their agents or assigns or anyone duly authorized to collect such wages as in this section provided, shall become immediately liable to such employee, his agent, assigns or anyone authorized to collect such wages for an amount double the sum due such employees at the time of such failure or refusal to pay the amount due, to be recovered by civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction within this state.