The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1914-12-24
.EASTON DEFENDS
HIMSELF ON STAND
Edston Denies Many Incidents Thai
Were Brought Out by Prosecu-
tons LL,itneSSeS and JuStdinS
Loss of Memory on Others

/ knowledge in respect. to the matter
He learned about $50 o'clock Sat
rrday morning April 20. that strikers
from the various coal camps of the
county had gone to take Chandler.
Said that he had no knowledge at any
time during the following day of the
battle there proceeding, as nobody
in Rockvale seemed to know anything
about it. At no time during the day
did he go into the hills to try and
stop the attack on Chandler, or to
satisfy himself as to what was going
| on there. He stated that he called
up the sheriff's office in Canon City
early Saturday morning and inquired
if the authorities knew that a fight
was going on there. but Mr. New
comb was not in at the time and he
could get no definite information
about the matter.
Mr.. Easton denied that he had had
| any conversation with Mr.. McDermot
while returning from rabbit hunt
on Beaver Park about testimony to
be presented in the Chandler case
that would incriminate him as one
of the participants. Ben Richardson
came into his store Saturday morning
about o'clock to buy some cigars
and he saw him in Rockvale again in
! the afternoon about o'clock. Wit
ness said that he did not see an arm
ed man In either Rockville or vii
liamsburg. nor did he hear anybody
say that they were going over to help
the strikers take Chandler. Mr..
Easton said that his store had ,
large trade with the members OF the
United Nine Workers Of America and
that he was = strong sympathiser
. with them in the strike. II sympathiz
;; ed with the boys in the strike. said
Mr.. Easton. because 1 believed them
to be right and do yet. but at no time
did 1 think the taking of human life
or the destruction of property would
hcsp their cause. sympathized with
them in arming for the protection Of
themselves after the Ludlow trou-
ble."
| Memory Defective at Times.
Mr.. Easton;s memory was defective
at times under cross examination. but
at others highly retentive. He testi-
fed in reply to questions from Mr..
Dawson that he did not know Of a
single miiitiaman or soldier in the
vicinity of Rockvale or Williamsburg
at the time the strikers were arming
themselves for protection, nor did he
know of any group or organization OF
men that had been formed to fight
the strikers in this county When
he sold the guns and ammunition al
Rockyale he knew that there were
some mine guards at Radiant and
Chandler. but testified under crosi
examination that no aggression wal
feared from them. He was unable
to name a single man. when asked
to do so, that had given him infor
nation that the mine guards were
about to attack Rockvale or Williams
burg. Mr.. Easton stated that he hat
never talked with David Robb in re
lation to the strike. and. that SO fal
| as he could remember, Mr.. Robb had
never been in his store.
i Witness did not see an armed mar
in Rockvale on Sunday morning
April 20. but saw some there in the
evening Of that day. He went tt
Williamsburg with DR.. sutorius on
Sunday morning at the latter's 70
quest Saw some armed men there
but not great many. There was