Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-03-01
.SHEEHAN CLAIMS
HETOOK NGPART
ABERDEEN RIOT
Sixty-Year-Old Defendant
Takes Stand in Own De-
fense in Trial Of Reds at
MOntesano Today


Montesano, Wash, Mar. Mike
Sheehan, one of ten alleged I. w. w.
on trial here for the murder of War
rem o. Grimm, Centralia Armistice day
parade victim. took the witness stand
in his own behalf when the sixth week
of the trial opened today. Sheehan,
so years old, native of Ireland, but
not citizen of the United States, tes-
titled that he did not participate in the
shooting on November IL, last.
Sheehan said he went to Centralia
the night before the shooting, intend
ing to go to Tacoma on the night of the
eleventh for the purpose of hearing
Eamonn De Valera, Irish leaoer,
speak. He went to the I. w. w. hall,
ne said, on the night of the tenth, and
was there also on the eleventh.
Knew Nothing of Raid.
Shehan had no knowledge of an al
legged contemplated raid on the hall,
he testified. He said he did not hear
the matter mentioned during the time
he was in the hall. He saw in the hall
on the day of the shooting, Ray Beck
ler James McInerney, Britt Smith,
John Davis, Ole Hanson, Wesley Ever
est and John Lamb. Everest was the
man lynched by mob and Davis and
Hanson are dfndants, who have not
ben apprehended. The others are
among the ten defendants on trial.
Sheehan ran to the ice box after the
shooting began, he testified, and hid
therein with Becker, Mc1nerney and
7. c. Morgan, a member of the l. w.
w. at the time, but now a states wit
ness. A man in uniform, after the
shooting, Shehan testified, let them
out when he secured promise that
non of the men in the box would
shoot.
| That efforts to protect the men ar
rested from the violence of the angry
citizens were made was testified to by
! lSheehan, who told how Policeman
+. Jackson of Centralia struck a uniform
ed man who tried to take away his
prisoners. Shehan made voluntary
statement to prosecution attorneys. he
said. He heard Britt Smith the CHIEF
of police that he wanted to make a
statement, he testified, SO he, thinking
Britt Smith wanted to "double-cross
him, told the chief he too wished tc
make statement. The statement was
made in the office of c. D. Cunning.
ham, special prosecutor, Sheehan said
Defense Counsel Rebuked.
| Tba on,,rf rah,,Ea1 .dafonza Go,,n.1
Vanderveer when the latter attempted
to place in the record Sheehan's yer.
| sion of events following the shooting
Judge Wilson, presiding, told Wander.
veer that he insisted that the trial b,
conducted in proper manner, that he
should not attempt to argue before the
Jury questions not admissible. Shee
han testified that he did not have q
gun on the day of the shooting, al
Though he said Davis had asked him i
he had one. He said he bore no malice
against the men who paraded. He hat
worked at Camp Lewis with soldiers
he said.
On cross-examination, Sheehar
named the dfndants he had seen in tn,
hall the day of the shooting. He diC
mot Sc either Bert or o. C. Bland, h,
said. He never saw Roberts until ar
raignment at Chehalis, he testified
nor did he see Elmer Smith until tina
time. Sheehan joined the l. W. W. il
1911, quit it in 1914 and joined agaii
in 1917, he testified, He was not ac
quainted in Centralia. testifying tina
he went there the night before tn
shooting. having quit his job at tn
Mccormick Lumber company. at Nc
Cormick. The only discussion h
heard in the 1. w. w. hall the nigh
before the shooting, he said. was tina
Of the Irish question.