Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-03-31
b|SbEE SHERIFF
AN|LL|NG GOAT
FORCOPPERMEN
Hints That Kidnapings
of |. w. w. Were Their
Plot Met by Assump~
ton of All Blame.
Didn't Know He Round
ed Up Soldiers, Draft
Men, Property Owners
and Bond Buyers.

Tombstone, Ariz, March 3O.-Admis.
sion that he trusted to luck" as to
whether the military authorities at Co.
lumbus, N. NJ, would accept the mer
deported under his orders from Bis
bee, July IL, 1917. was made by Captain
Harry c. Wheeler, former sheriff OF
Cochise county, during cross-examina-
ton in the trial of Harry f. Wootton
charged with kidnapping in connection
with the deportanons.
In answer to questions by County At
tOrpey Robert n. French, Captain
Wheeler also admitted that he took no
record Of the names of the men who
were deported; that he did not know
their martial or other legal status, and
that he did not know who paid the ex-
penses of the deportation.
Deported Az Draft Men.
did you know that G. of the men
shipped out were soldiers and sailors:
that 472 were registered for the draft
that 2O5 Of them had bought Liberty
bonds; that $50 were subscribers for
Liberty bonds, and that 266 were pro-
perty owners of Bisbee:" Mr.. French
asked.
Il did not" Captain Wheeler re-
DuPu.
Did you know that at. 500 Sf Il the .. 11Se M
French persisted.
The witness replied in the negative.
Wasn't It Question Of Work.
':As a matter of fact, Captain Wheel
er, was not the only question asked of
the men who were rounded up in the
Warren baseball park before the de-
portations; }, =. Are you willing to &c, E, to
$50 far as 1 was concerned it was
not" Captain Wheeler answered. ''rhe
word work was not mentioned by mo-
l do not know what any deputies might
have done," the witness added.
The vast majority" of the men de-
ported were "disloyal,' he said.
Told Deputies to Maks~WiIls.
Asked what were his instructions to
his deputies, of whom he said he had
sworn in about 1900, the witness said:
Il told them we were facing great
danger. informed them that l had
made my will and advised them to wind
up their own affairs; instructed them to
wear white handke rchiefs around their
arms so as to be able to distinguish each
other from the followers of the other
side in case there should be shooting in
the streets"
Regarding his reasons for not keeping
the arrested men in the ball park in
stead Of shipping them out Of the state,
The witness explained that he could not
keep his deputies on guard over the
men indefinitely, and that he had been
warned that the I. W. w. were plan
ming to pour into the district in great
numbers to aid their fellows who had
been singled out for detention.
Ignored Courts and Law Wilfully.
ibid you not know that as an officer
IF the law it was your duty to turn over
aw breakers to the courts for a fair
and impartial trial:" County Attorney
Robert N. French asked the witness on
,ross-examination. did you not know
that there was law against kidnapping
n this state.'
"Yes, l knew all that. knew. too,
hat there was law Of necessity and
self lf-defense," Captain Wheeler replied.
Efforts Of Mr.. French to bring out an
admission that the deportations were
suggested and engineered by copper COM
,any officials as means of combating
he strike then in force in the district,
we're met by the reiterated statement
~ Captain Wheeler that he first
hought" OF the plan.
"Oh, am not trying to take any Of
he laurels away from you. Captain
Wheeler" Mr.. French said.
Il don't want any laurels, MIR. Franch.
he witness replied with some feeling.