The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-01-31
M'COMB STRIKERS
ARE ON TRIAL


Special to The NeDs.
Jackson, Miss, Jan. 31.-A sensar
ton was sprung in the trial Of the
fourteen strikers arrested under Fed
eral court warrants for violating the
Injunction in connection with the II
linois Central strike at McComb City.
when Jim McDaniels, deserter from
the union ranks, admitted from the
witness stand that he was in the
crowd Of strikers who fred into the
car of strikebreakers on the after
noon of October 8.
T went there to empty my gun,
but only got to fire two Shots" Nc
Daniel admitted in response to a
question from Attorney Williamson
The fourteen men on trial for con-
tempt before Judge Niles moved un-
easily In their seats when Mcdaniel
was asked to point out any others he
recognized as being part Of the at
tackng party. The witness charged
Joe Cotton, Smith Cotton, Walter
Barlow and Ed Harmes, as being the
others who participated in the riot
The witness said that he was car
repairer and one of the men in the
employ Of the Illinois Central when
the Federation called a strike against
the road He admitted that he has
since been living In New Orleans and
working in the shops there He said
that he went with the rioters to the
southern end of the yards and or
saulted the train Of strike-breakers
near the ]. J. White Lumber Com
pany. There were six shots fred
from the train. he said, before the
! strikers returned the fusilade. Ed
Harmes was shot in the hand by one
OF the men In the car, He admitted
that he was armed with rinle and
that he went to the yards with the
| men to empty it, but changed his
3 mind after firing two shots through
the window. The witness did not
state If any Of the men were shot in
: the car.
I What was the reason for attack
o ing the cart" he was asked.
+ ''They said that they wanted to kill
! the scabs because they were coming
g to take their jobs" McDaniels replied
y The witness was subjected to a Sc
i we're cross examination by attorney
s Lee representing the defendants, but
E aside from admitting that he was one
K of the attacking party gave little evi
dence in favor of the defense.
a. One of the government witnesses
y an old man named Holmes, who de
s. clared that he was seventy years
ID old, told pathetic story of the man
II ner in which the strikers bulldozet
lie and intimated him just because he al
lowed his houses to be rented by mel
- who have returned to work in tn,
Ut shops. Holmes declared that he ha
gu enjoyed the respect of the men wh'
worked in the shops prior to Januar,
ne when their attitude changed. He ash
al ed Smith Cotton, one of the leaders
IN why the men changed toward him.
en- You might just as well tear dow
ng your houses because they'll be empt
until they rot to the ground" Cotto
TO informed him.
dl- The witness declared lhat on tn
co. night of January 2, someone IRE
m into house which he had rented
III family. There we're two men, thr'
ng women and a number of children
Elk. the house. He said that he had be-
zen informed that Smith Cotton had fir
OF the shot.
his Holmes also testified that he "
1ed intimidated by the Cotton boys aft
all wards when he attempted to get
Of gro to haul some wood to his hoz
OF and that he was insulted and abul
whenever they met.
The trial of the case will proba
consume several days.