The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-13
Records of Trials Before
Military Committee Can
not Be Rehearsed
GOVERNOR RAISES
MARTIAL LAW RULE
Decided at Conference That Mining
District Is Sufficiently Quiet
to Warrant Lifting of
Militia Rule

Charleston, w. Va, June 12.-Gover-
nor Hatfield of West Virginia tonight
declined to submit to the SENATE mine
strike committee the records OF the
trails before the military committee
which took charge of the strike ridden
district of the state during the trouble
this spring.
In letter to the committee the gov
ernor said that the findings of the conf
mittee in these cases had never been
approved, the men had been released
and he desired to keep the records for
use in seeking indictments in the civil
courts. To make them public at this
time. he said would be 'prejudicial to
the public peace"
Governor Hatfields letter was pre-
sented to the committee at tonights
session.
my attention has been called by the
adjutant general said the letter, ito
a subpoena demanding military records
and commission reports.
With reference to the strike, I was
inducted into office March A. and as
to conditions prior to that time | have
knowledge only through the newspa-
pers. Under my predecessor military
law was established in the strike dis
trict three times. A commission was
in existence when / came into office
and about so prisoners were in iail.
| wanted peace and harmony, as the
situation seemed threatening
Reference to the Strike
With reference to the papers now in
lie ha nI- h4 BD L..
proved them and had ordered all of
the prisoners released, despite the fact
that had Independent evidence in the
nature of voluntary confessions in the
case of some But for reasons of pru-
dence l ordered the discharge of ALL
My object was to restore law and or
der, and | have been successful, as both
sides have made mutual concessions"
The committee probably will make no
further efforts to secure the records of
these trials.
Raise Martial Law
Governor Hatfield tonight issued a
proclamation raising martial law in the
strike district. the committee was in
formed. The last few soldiers left in
the field were recalled AT a confer
ence between the governor and Off
cials of Kama wha county it was decided
that the district was quiet enough to
had been instituted by former Governor
Glasscock on February 10.
Judge Advocate General George S.
Wallace legal authority of the mill
tary commission in the strike zone, de-
Tended their conduct before the COM
mittee.
1--WE had the right to sentence an
offender to DEATH" he said under
whatever law the commander in chief
of the forces of the state prescribed
My contention is that in the theatre of
war the commander in chief of the
forces makes the law The governor.
when he declared martial law, recog-
nized that the constitution had been
suspended on Paint and Cabin creeks
and he sent us there to restore it, We
exercised war powers. that Is ALL"
Under cross examination Judge Wal
lace said he was paid a $4,000 fee for
defending the military commission If
taken to the supreme court of appeals
of the state.
Warden Martin l.. Brown of the state
penitentiary testified that military pris-
oners were treated the same as civil
court prisoners.
The committee then heard several
miners who said they had been pre-
vented by mine guards from getting
their mail.