New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-13
GOV. HATFIELD DENIES
RECORDS TO SENATORS
Would Keep Findings Of Mill.
tary Trials for Use in Seek
ing Indictments.
COMMITTEE TO ACQUIESCE
Investigators Spend Day at
Seat of War" but Secure
No Definite Testimony
No Sign of Disorder.

Charleston, W. Va, June Ex-Governor
Hatfield Of West Virginia tonight de-
clined to submit to the Senate Mine Strike
Committee the records of the trials be-
fore 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 COM
mittee I'm these cases had never been APP
proved: 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 "prejudcial 10 the public
peace"
The committee will probably coincide
with the views OF the Governor and make
70 further effort to secure the records Of
these trials.
Governor Hatfield tonight issued a
PROCLAMATION raising martial law in the
strike district, the committee was in
formed.
Among the little miners cabins Of the
West Virginia mountains the Senate COM
nittee to-day sought the truth about the
strike which has disrupted the state for
more than year. All day long a special
train carrying the Senator'S visited the
mining camps In Paint Creek and Cabin
Creek.
Groups OF mountain men and women,
with their children about them. were
startled and a little awed by the sudden
appearance OF the FIVE stern-faced Sena-
tors. lawyers. mine operators, stenog-
raDhers and newspaper men at the doors
of their little homes. The businesslike
company stores" gave up TO the Sena-
tors lists OF the high prices" which were
given as one OF the strike causes, and the
dust begrimed miners. bound TO or from
the drifts that cash the sides OF the
mountains. were halted and questioned In
the road. The squalld homes Of the
miners and a model camp were also In
spcctcd
AS a method OF securing definite testi-
mony the all-day trip proved unproduc-
tive. but the committee was enabled TO
secure 1rst-hand view OF the conditions
in the field. 4 bucolic quiet reigned
throughout the entire district, so lately
the scene Of constant violence. The last
OF the state troops left the strike zone
to-day just as the committees train
pulled into Paint Creek Junction, where
military headquarters had been main
tanned.
"To-day's trip was valuable said Sena-
tor Swanson. chairman OF the suo-com-
mittee. when he reached Charleston to-
night. because It gave us bird s-eye
view Of the situation and enabled US to
fix the geographical outline " the coun-
try in our minds. II will facilitate greatly
tho examination OF witnesses"
Throughout the entire trip the commit
tee did not see single disturbance or
sign Of disorder. and not an armed man
was met I'm the district. where the militia
have conhscated hundreds OF rifles, re-
volvers and shotguns \ half dismanted
sheet iron shed used as a fort. and a
number OF bullet ridded houses were the
only signs the committee saw OF the state
OF virtual civil war which lately existed.
These and a few strike camps. with less
than half a hundred union miners living
i'm tents. were all that were left OF the
strike so far as the committee could tell.