Birmingham age-herald., 1894-08-10
VERY DAMAGING Was the Testimony Against the
 Striking Miners ON TRIAL FOR MURDER Witnesses Testify as to the Meeting, Plot and Re-
 suits Thereof.
IN TRIAL FOR MURDER


 yesterday was consumed in arguments by
 counsel in the cases of the thirteen miners alleged u have been leaders iu the Pratt
 mines riot July Is.
 | When court was called to order the cross
 examination of Rodeet Fortuna was be- | gun.
 RoDELET FORTUNA. ''I am the same Fortuna who was in- | dict ,d in the criminal court for burglary | aud grand larceny. Was born in Belgium. 7 A man with gun forced me to go with the | mob that fired on the negro miners. | Descutener and Truillious remained on the | right when the vote was taken at the meet l ing on Village creek. About forty or fifty 1 men who were with the mob had guns. l | left the mob near the Ensley furnaces. The | white men had their faces blacked. l | didn't see them black their faces. l was arrested on a charge of murder and kept in jail t sn days.'
 Witness said while in jail he was taken
 to Pratt mines by deputy sheriff and
 made a statement there. The defense tried
 to draw from the witness to whom his
 statement was made and in what way he
 was released fro m jail. Objection by the state was argued by Solicitor Little and MT. Allen, and the objection sustained. Witness said he made the statement vol
 uuntarily and that no promises were made or other inducements offered him. Witness was asked by MT. Allen if he was not living in a house belonging to the Ten nessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company and if he was paying any rent. Solicitor Little objected. Arguments were made by Colonel Altman an 1 the so- licitor.
 MT. Allen: "Do you know Mrs. De- Roy?''
 Witness: .Yes, saw her and she said if had war flag she would take it in front and the balance of the women would | follow. left the meeting and went home | to get my shoes, and K=lso told me if l did
 not come back they would hunt me up and shoot me. returned to the meeting." Redirect: 'I understand French. The 1 proceedings were in English, but French man stated in French that motion was made to goand stop the 'blackiegs' from | work. Some of the Freuchmen understood what was being done"
 HI. zuBER. July 18 l was roadmaster for the Ten nessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company. and was at No. when the riot occurred. | l went on the train with the deputies from l No. to Paisley, where Fierce was killed. About 100 men were in the mob which was l in the quarters on the hill back of Ensley, | and nearly every one seemed to have 1 weapon of some kind. A large number of shots were fired by both the mob and the 1 deputies. The mob ran off across the ridge l in a northerly direction. There seemed to | be both white men and negroes in the crowd. The white miners faces looked | like they had been blacked. l recognized l that man (pointing at Benoi) in the mob. | He had gun and was shooting towards the | deputies. He was near Regis, the French little pen. I saw Bill Brock there.
 wards Ms hao us, CaSt s"a say sp0 he% eR0' many .E times he shot. They sbot as they retreated. saw in the crowd Fortuna and negro named Sam Evans. Regis was arrested there. His face had been blacked. Brock's face looked like it had been blacked. Sev- eral hundred shots were fired by the mob, some of which hit the ground near me. Regis had l3s- caiber Winchester with nine loads in it when arrested. saw lot of men going in the direction of where the meeting was held about p. m., but their faces were not blacked then" Cross examinations: "I saw Fortuna on the hill near Ensley and he had pistol. crowd and his face was blacked. Brock's | face was black. The first saw of the mob they had opened fire on the engine and deputies.'
 BEN BEAVER. 'I was a striking miner, and attended the meeting on Village creek July IS. There were robably POO men present. MT. Kelso was elected chairman, and he said it was time to get to W ork, as it was getting late. heard somebody say something should be
 done to stop the blacklegs, and vote was
 taken to ascertain who was willing to go
 and make an attack on the train. I don't
 know what train was meant. All who fa-
 vored the motion went to the right and
 those opposing it to the left. About two.
 thirds voted affirmatively. l saw no guns,
 but left the meeting before all had gone.
 heard the shooting in the in the direction
 of No. 8. Adam Power said he was willing
 back, but was opposed to any attack on the
 train. Present at the meeting were w. J.
 Kelso and Bill Brock. l don't remember
 seeing any of the other defendants. Brock
 was talking with me when the vote was
 taken, and he voted against going. Some
 body said the sblacklegs' would be on the
 train which they were to attack. l At 11:4 court adjourned until 2:3O p. m. l MRS. 8. E. sTAGG.
 Z s.I was at home July IS, and in the after
 noon about 8 o'clock or later saw William
 Bailey and Charlie Marlborough going tow
 ards the lumber yard. They had no guns
 then, but when they returned few min- sutes later Yarbrough had a gun and went
 back towards the north. Bailey had no
 gun that l saw, aud never saw them any more that day; They were going towards
 their homes '
 Cross-examination: "Coketon is north of where live and they went in that di-
 rection. When they passed my house it
 was about o'clock and they were going
 towards their homes. Lately l have seen a
 great many people pass with guns. Var
 Trough went in Mir. Mills' house, near where lived, and when he came out he