Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-10
M|NCO TRIAL OPENS
AFTER LONG DELAY
Rumor Of Purpose to Ask Con.
tinuance Ended by Roll
call Of Witnesses
ACCUSED SHOW CONFIDENCE

Spocidl Dispatch 70 Evening ptb,ic Ess,,.
Williamson, w. Va. Feb 1O.-Tbo
trial of Sid Hatfield and his twenty co
defendants in the Mingo mine murao-
case is at last under way. the jury hav.
ing been completed Yesterday. and ,bo
defendants being brought into court \,
0:15 this morning.
There was delay in getting etor.od
on account Of the absence Of witnesses
Judge Bailey. who Is presiding st.nno,,
down from the bench to ascertain Tho
truth Of rumor that an ATTEMPT woulI
be- made to obtain postponemcnt Of ths
trial. A lengthy conference was hr'd
between counsel for state which lnstnJ
state asked for rollcall of its viii.
ncsses. This meant that the trial woull
start and set OF rest the idea that
continuance would he asked by the sta,r
I'VE must ask the indulgence OF thc
court for short time" s. II. Ayis
Of the states counsel, explained to the
court. Wv
I'VE will make every effort TO e1nc.
ditto the trial. We want TO ascertain
Just what witnesses we will usc and
those that We will not have to call. .
Quite number of tho witncssc,
called were absent. but most Of them
arc expected on the noon train. Some
of them who live Mt distant points nrc
not yet aware Of the fact the jury Ind
finally been selected. When the narc
Of Hugh Combs was called one Of his
ncighbors declared that he was suffering
from smallpox and would not be pres
ent at the trial.
Want Y. s. Troops to Stay
A strong protest has been raised
against the proposed removal of the
federal troops stationed here. Even the
counsel for the defendants feel that it
would be i'll timed to take the soldiers
away now as they feel their departure
might prccipitate disorder. Judge Bailey
is also adverse to having the soldiers
leave. il is authoritatively known, and
Governor Cornwcll, at whose request
the Nineteenth Regiment was sent, has
been so notified.
The stage for the beginning Of ono Of
the most sensational courtroom dramas
ever enacted in Mingo county is set. In
little mining hamlet is laid the prtu.
cipal scene. II was there that ten
nen were slain in the gun battle which
was the elimination of the controversy
between the coal operators and the coal
miners.
Quaint Scene i'm Courtroom
The characters are the quaint noun
taineers. who will be on the witness
stand and tell in their simple language
how ten men, including G. G.. Tester.
man, the mayor of Matcwan, gave up
their lives. The final curtain will be
rung down in the course of few weeks
after all of the witnesses have appeared
upon the scene and when the jury re-.
turns to the courtroom to render its
verdict which will determine whether
Sid Hatfield and his twenty associates
are cxonerated or held guilty for the
part they played in the gun battle.
The courtroom was crowded this
morning with townspcoplc who flOchrl
here for the opening scene. Sid Hat.
field and his associates appeared calm
and confident. Their wives and sweet
hearts were on hand and they sat at
the side Of the defendants. Some Of
the mothers had their babies with them.
Outside on the streets soldiers pa
trolled their posts and frequently the
tcnscness of the court proceedings were
punctuatcd by the buGle calls calling
the soldiers to their duties. Inside the
courtroom were army officers. including
Colonel Herman Hall. the commanding
officer of troops stationed here.
The state is going to ask for a first
degree verdict at the hands Of the jury.
This was made evident during the cx-
animation of the hundreds of talesmCn
when they were asked il they had con-
scicutious scruples against capital pun
ishmcnt. Five Of the jurors are farm.
crS. Two are school teachers, one an
electrician, another n brakeman, one 4
telephone company manager, one
sawmIl hand and the last ono
lohorpr