The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1919-10-16
LABOR WILL
SWEAR WARRANTS
Charging Police With Deaths
in Charlotte During
the Strike
49, ~ -vr- Hy@ rvTnx/
UP TO THE GRAND JURY

Charlotte, Oct. 15.-Defeated in
their efforts to secure an inquest into
the killing of five men at the car
| barns of the Southern Public Utili-
ties Company, on August 26th ,at-
torneys for the Charlotte Labor Ex-
ecutive board, an organization form
ed to probe the riot on that night,
announced tonight that warrants
Chief of Police Walter B. Orr and
the policemen with him on guard at
the barns at the time of the killing,
charging them with murder.
Attorney General James S. Man
ming, sent by the Governor of the
State to attend an inquest here to-
day, found upon arrival at the court
house at 10 o'clock this morning that
Coroner H. C. Irwin, newly appoint
ed to the job, was standing upon an
opinion written by County Attorney
E. T. Cansler, that no inquest could
dead bodies, ''supervisum corporis. p"
as the law books have it. The judge
| inspected the opinion and said it
seemed to be law as now written.
| Judge Manning conferred briefly
with Mr.. Cansler, who had an en-
! gagement to be in Richmond and
was leaving on the next train. He
had been directed to confer with So
licitor George Wilson of Gastonia,
who rides this district, but he was
not to be found. Sheriff N. w.
Wallace telephoned to Mr.. Wilson
and found he had gone to Ruther-
fordton probably. Solicitor Wilson
| did not show up later in the day.
After comforting with Sheriff Wal
| lace, Judge Manning made known
] his agreement with the opinion in
it's main points, to Coroner Irwin
| who had been waiting outside. Later
| he conferred with Attorney Jake
| Newell, counsel for the Charlotte
Labor Executive Board, and good
lawyer that the latter is, he readily
agreed that the Attorney General
! was right.
There remained but two courses
open to secure an investigation into
the death of Caldwell Houston
Claude H. Hinson, Walter F. Pope
IL. D. Aldrich and Will Hammond
who either were killed on the late
full night or died from wounds re
ceived then, both of which Mr.. Can
sler pointed out in his opinion. The
first course open was to leave il
with the grand jury, which is un
derstood to have already made in
dictments against several men re
turnable at the next term of court
That course did not appeal to the at
torneys for the labor council be
cause they wanted it public. Every
thing going before a grand jury il
! sacred from public view. The,
would turn on the light and desired
an investigation to present in pub
lie tribunal their claim that the po
lice were not justified in shootin!
down the men.
The remaining course open is t.
. proceed before a magistrate or be
, fore the recorder. This involved
other conferences, for there are linn
itations about this sort of investiga
tion that they do not like. For in
stance, they would have to indie
specific persons and they could onl
bring in evidence relating to thos
particular Investigations.
Il John J. Parker, of Monroe, wh
: with Attorney A. M. Stack, of tina
place, has been retained to appea
with Attorney Newell, arrived thi
afternoon and further conference
were held. Attorney General Mar
, | ming was consulted by the attorney
further about the proper proceduI
r to secure their investigation. 1t Wa
a decided to have a hearing before
= magistrate. 1t was first the purpos
:, of Attorney Newell to have warrant
4 sworn out and to proceed with tn
:. hearing tomorrow. However, tn;
v did not prove feasible. 1t is his d.
d sire to have the Attorney-General a
tend the hearing, Sif the Governe