Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-03-13
Prejudiced Military Court
Will Convict Mine Strikers

Charleston, w. Va, March 14.-(Spe
cial1-The laWless military commits
sion of Governor Hatfield must grind
ION in its work of railroading striking
miners to the State penitentiary at
IAonndsyille. This is the decree of the
circuit Court of Kanawha county, as
handed down by Judge Samuel dit
tlebage on last Wednesday. Mother
Iones Paul lPaulsen, Chas Bailey and
charles H. Bosell, editor Of The Ar
Gus had applied to the circuit court
For a writ torDidding the laWleSs mill
Itary commission from proceeding witt
the trial. The action OF Judge Little
page dismiss ed the petition and put the
petitioners out vi court he SAID tnat
if the decision OF the Supreme Court
was not in his way he could declde The
matter in 1.-TWO minutes. ThlS action
of the Supreme Court OF Appeals
shows how "a precedent may enslave
the other subordinate courts and gra-
dually take away the liberties of the
citizens. The official organ of the
1 West Virginia Bar Association takes
the view that the Supreme Court rem
dered an unsound opinion. This is
also the opinion of the able lawyer
all over the State.
In their struggles against the opera
tors, the miners have had to fighl
every conceivable form of opposition.
Some of the traitors to the miners
sent shyster lawyer by the name
Iof Matheny to the strike zone to loo
after the interests of the miners.
EImlnedl.. Lely upon his arrival he be
gins to lay plans for the conviction o.
the miners. He, together with two
Imilitiamen generously appointed by
the khik court to represent the
miners" entered into an agreement
with G. S. Wallace, he with the face
like a sew er rat" whereby the So
called attorneys for the miners admit
ted practically everything charged
against them by the military inqulsl-
tion This same professional crook OIL
an attorney was instrumental in get
ting thirty-nine miners to sign paper
addressed to the Judge Littlepage ask
ing that the military court be allowed
to try them. This petition to the
Judge also stated that the pimps Oh
the military commission could and
would give the miners Just and fair
trial. AS a sample of professional
,crookedness and duplicity this action
upon the part of M. F. Matheny is al
most without parallel. This is the
same professional crook who has suck
ed the blood of the miners in the years
gone by.
Will Convict Miners.
The military commission, now given
a free hand by the courts, will proceed
to convict the miners and railroad
them to the penitentiary. In all the
annals of English and American law,
there can be found no precedent for
this crime against free government.
1t makes the constitution mockery,
and liberty farce.
To Federal Courts.
The attorneys for the miners state
that they are now preparing to go into
the federal courts to test the right OF
the Governor to use the military court.
The cases will be taken to the SUI
preme Court of the United States with
all possible dispatch. Should the
miners win out in the federal courts,
it is their intention to bring civil &C
TOMS against all the parties implicated
in railroading them to the penitentiary.
They have just begun their fight, and
there will be no let up until the last
ditch is reached.