The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-11-25


put tBo clecks on one car which lei
p tie mistake Martin being e new
loader iasing been driver III tls
lise lid liasing shpFei hls if coal
With He aboat Two months agc had
lpdt Two check an the same car john
Van Hook check weighman. had CALI
led on the committee to come ont. see,
Ing that these two checks had come
up 1on one car and asked the commit
tee Kae could have a car of OF his
number that day to place on ours, be
ing as the TVS checks hal come nm ON
one car to even up and make out that
we had stolen the car, and then stop.
ped car off next day to make an
even number of cars to make the mi
ners believe we had stolen the car.
We did mot know whether he had load
ed Is or 16 cars, because Fred had
missed his check. When we went on
top Fred said we had loaded 16 be.
cause they were on the number. The
check weighman told US on Friday
morning that seeing two checks com
ing up on one OF our cars he thought
we had lost car. said. Johnny,
II you thought We had lost car, why
didn't you mark on X to the side OF
It. as you dc to other lost cars and
tell US we had two checks on one car
and we would have soon told you we
did not have lost car" Instead Of
that. to show that he held malice to-
ward us, he tried to even up these
checks by getting car of the COM
mfttee, VIM. Pierson. to place>>on DIR
number, and then stopped it off the
next day. told him | had lost ca"
then and he made no reply to my ques.
ton. The next morning we came to
work and the committee stopped us at
the pit head and told us we had bet
ter lay OF that day and come to the
meeting at night. I asked MIN what
II was for and ne said 1t was over
a2me cars. l asked him. to explain
and he said: Come to meeting" /
never returned a work to the COM
mittee but went home not knowing
what we were stopped about. I thought
probably we were ahead of turn and
they were stopping us on that ac-
count.
Martin was upright and straight and
I never knew him to carry any weap-
ons. not even pocket knife. have
known him for four months. He left
West Virginia because of the mines
being Scab and came mere so he could
work in union mine.
Bob Marratta said: We were all
standing at the store talking, waiting
for the meeting to be called and Mar.
tin came in. VIM. Pierson asked him
If he had done him any harm by send
ing him home and Martin said: INC, |
you only did your duty" Van Hook
then bntted in and Fred told him he
had better keep still. Van Hook put
mis- hand in his overcoat pocket and
Martin grabbed him by each arm to
defend himself, as he had been told
that Van Hook carried gun. Van
Hook then started shooting through
his pocket, and when Fred fell, John
went to the other side of the house
and told tAe men to stand back as ne
had another load left. He fired only
-four shots, each of which took effect.
Tghnhy called me into his house and
told me to be sure to be at the meet,
ing. as there surely would be some,
thing doing"
After the shooting Van Hook start,
ell for Shelburn and on arriving went
to Lon. Bolinger's store. At the re,
quest OF Van Hook EI1n telePa0nea for
Marshal Fox. who. on his arrival put
Van Hook under arrest and took him
to the county Jail at Sullivan 1t is
reported now that the heat of pas.
sion has passed away and the prisoner
has had time for sober reflection
that he is almost broken down and
continually PAGES his cell night AMI
day. He has secured Attorney Fred
Bays to defend MIN. The murdered