The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-12-09
INVESTIGATION OF
"POSSUM HUNTER
Cases Was Conducted At
GreenviIle,
COURT OF INQUIRY WAS Hello
II Is Alleged That Fear Pre-
vents LawleSS Acts From
Being Disclosed.
SITUATION NOW WE'LL IN HAND

Greenville. Ky. Dec. 5.--In
County Court to-day before Judge
Rice, the examining trials of Ellis
Alexander. W. Y. Brewer and Bill
Maddox. the last named negro
were held. and all were bound over
to the grand jury. They were charg-
ed with administering Il whipping
to negro man and two negro wom-
en- with whom the man was board
ing, on the night of October 20.
Each of them sought to prove an al
hi. which the court rejected. Two
of them. Brewer and Maddox. exc
cuted bond in the sum of $500 and
were released, while Alexander Ian
guishes in Jail
Jesse Gibson also is in Jail await
ing an examining trial on n similar
charge on warrant sworn out by
Ellis Alexander. His hearing will
be held Tuesday.
Local authorities are pleased over
the situation just now. and say they
hope to have the situation in hand
shortly.
In investigating recent "Possum
Hunter outrages in Muhlenberg
county Court of Inquiry was yes
terday held before Judge ]. j. Rice.
County Attorney w. II. Gray
summoned David Duncan. who is
vice president of the United Mine
Workers, District 23. before the
court to testify as to the whipping
that Frank Lee, n miner. had receiv-
ed at the hands of alleged "Possum
Hunters on the night of November
4. 1914. Ii developed that the whip
ping was administered by a band of
about fifteen or twenty armed and
masked men in a meeting of Wood
son Local Union. United Mine Work
ers, at Hillside, and that Duncan
was present.
Duncan, who is also II candidate
for reelection 10 the Office of vice
president of District %. together
with Robert Pollock, both of Cen
trail City. and both candidates for
that ciGce, were present and both
were summoned before Judge Rice
to tell what they knew about the
whipping. Duncan said that he was
present to try to adjust some dues-
turn in doing certain entry work ut
one of the mines. He said that the
U. NJ. w. of A. had rule concern
ing that kind of work. He admit
ted that Lee. who was whipped. had
violated that rule. and Pollock. the
other witness. said that he knew
that Lee was being whipped for that
violation.
When asked why he and Pollock
and the other twenty members of
the union present did not protest at
the cruel beating of one of their
ffth titii pif0'llNts NV otih 'Abt
they We're s:.aid to protest. When
asked why they did not then. or AT
terward, notify the county officials
of the crime. they assigned the same
reason. They each admitted that
they thought the present conduct. if
persisted in. would disrupt the Unit
ed Mine Workers and organized la
Dor In general in Muhlenberg coun-
ty. County Attorney Gray then in
sisted that he had been endeavoring
to enlist the aid of the officers of
the United Mine Workers in break
ing up the lawlessness without
avail.
Mr.. Duncan was also asked by
Judge Rice if there We're any differ
ences between the miners and the
operators which had not been ad-
iusted by the representatives of
those organizations satisfactorily
and he said there We're not and that
the miners through their representa-
tives could adjust any and all diff
ferenees that might arise. He was
then asked to assign any reason why
the present conditions or lawless-
ness exist in Muhlenberg county,
and he said he could not.
IL Is known that quite number
of the persons who have been beat
en- In this county have been miners
who say that they were beaten ON
account of having violated some al