The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-06-12
MINE PROBE IN
WEST VIRGINIA
IS IN PROGRESS
Gen. Elliott who was in Com
mand of Military in the
Strike Zone, Was First
Witness, Being Examined
at Length.
RY Assoc1ArEp. PRFss.


Charleston, W. va, June 11.-True
to it's announcement that witnesses
would be examined as rapidly as pos
sible, the United States senate com
Tnfttee investigating mining conditions
in this state began work early today.
Preliminaries were completed and sew
eral Witnesses examined yesterday
Adtuhant General Charles D. Elliott
of West Virginia, who was in COM
p1and OF the military in the strike zone
was the first witness today. He was
examined at length as to the dates on
which the various periods Of martial
law began. General Elliott presented
copies of the request of the sheriffs
Of Kanawha- Raleigh and Fayette
counties for military aid and the va
rious orders of former Gov. Glasscock
establishing martial law.
Under examination by Senator Bo-
rah, General Elliott described the tria.
of offenders by the military court after
the courts had been superseded.
The documents produced by Cen
eral Elliott showed f1fty-one men SEN
fenced by the military court Robert
Hartigan, A mine guard, charged with
doing police duty as a. non resident of
the state, was sentenced twice accord
ing to the list each time to pay a fine
of $500 and to serve six months in
prison. In another similar case
guard was fined 500 and sentenced to
sixty days. Among other sentences
shown were:
For intimidation Of workmen" thir-
ty two prisoners, six months each.
The list accounted for all but two
cases under the first martial law period.
These two cases were marked miss
ing from the files"
General Elliot said orders restoring
martial law last February we're modf-
fed by Gov. Hatfield, annulling that
placed the military above civil author
tiles.
The militia the witness said, now
was working under the civil courts.
while you were in charge in the
martial law zone, you made arrests on
your own responsibility, without a writ
or warrant from any civil COURT"
a sked Senator Borah.
Yes said Genera Elliott.
General Elliott said that he had no
record of the proceedings of the mill
tary courts established under the sec
ond and third declartion of martial
law.
The witness said his troops had cap
tured FIVE or six machine guns in the
affected district.
General Elliott told Of the operation
of an armored train on which a. ma
chine gun was mounted which made
four trips UP Pant aind Cabin creeks.
He could not say who manned this
train.
Attorney BeIcher tried TO ascertain
what rifles were carried on a special
train that invaded the Paint creek
section on the night of February Z and
from which a battle WAS fought. Cen
eraI Elliott did not know where the
guns came from
General Elliott said he had been in |
formed that just prior 20 the first dec !
laration of martial law bodies of
armed miners were parading up and
down Paint creek. He had been in |
formed that a watchman had been |
killed from ambush and another badly |
wounded. a party Of guards who en-
deavored to recover the guards body. !
he had been Informed, had been driven |
back by rife fire. The next day an at |
tack on the village Of Mucklow had |
been made by men firing from hills |
about the town.
It was Immediately after the battle |
Of Mucklow that the troops were sent |
into the Paint creek field.
General Elliott said martial law was |
urged by strikers and the United Mine |
" orkers. Coal operators protested.