Evening star., 1921-03-21
M|NG0 DEFENDANTS
FOUND NOT GUILTY
Sixteen Freed of Staying
FeIts, Detective Chief.
Face other Charges.
By the Associated Press.


WILLIAMSON. w. Va. March 21.-
nection with the death of Albert T.
Felts, who was killed during the
Matewan gun fight last May 19 were
today found not guilty by jury In
the Mingo county circuit court.
The defendants were formally dis
charged by Judge r. L. Bailey. pre-
siding, but were .remanded to jail
pending bond arrangements on SIX
other indictments charging the men
with having been implicated in the
death Of six other private detectives
killed with Felts.
The trial consumed forty-six days.
News of the acQuittal was shouted TO
q large; group Of miners standing az
q window outside the courtroom. and
enthusiasm.
Wives and relatives Of the Mate
wanians stood on the porch of the
county Jail and received their Kin
with open arms. Williamson resi-
dents received the verdict quietly,
aside from an outburst of cheers from
the miners. who had stood vigil since
early morning.
Had Evicted Families.
A coal miners strike has been in
progress in Mingo county coal fields
since July, 1919. Organizers Of the
United Mine Workers Union sought
to unionize the districts, both IN Min
90 county and in Pike county. on the
Kentucky side of the border. Nearly
a year later the Stone Mountain Coal
Corporation engaged the BALDWIN
Felts detective agency to evict strik-
<o ho n "
houses in which they were living. On
May 1890. a party Of private de-
tectiyes headed by Albert c. Felts
carried out the evictions. After a
day fraught with argument between
the operatives and city officials. the
party finished its work and prepared
to depart from Matewan on an early
evening train.
The leader and Mayor c. c. Tester
man engaged in a conversation and
while they stood close to each other
talking a shot was fired. In an in
slant rifles and pistols barked from
all directions, and before the shoot
ing ended Felts. Testerman, six
other members of the Baldwin Felts
party and two other residents fell
of the village.
Twenty-three men OF Matewan
were indicted by a grand jury at Will
Hanson in connection with the death
of Felts At the outset Of the trial.
which began ON January n9 .S. zs,aa, 70, the
ants were dismissed. and as the TAX
ing of testimony progressed others
were discharged on motion Of the
prosecution. When the jury took the
case the fate Of but sixteen OF the
original defendants remained to be
determined. One Of those to await
a verdict was Sid Hatfield. Matewan's
chief of police, and around whom
major portion of the testimony was
entwined. During the closing argu-
ments of counsel reference was made
to Hatfield's marriage to the widow
Of Testerman two weeks after the
latter was killed. Mrs. HATFIELD has
been in constant attendance at court
since the trial began.
Anse Hatfield Slain.
Several months after the street fight
Anse Hatfield. proprietor Of the hotel
that housed the private detectives
during their stay in Matewan. was
shot and killed while sitting on the
porch Of his hostelry. Sid Hatfield.
Halle Chambers, Ed. Chambers and
Tair Chambers have been indicted in
connection with his death. Anse Hat
field had been looked upon as an inn
portant states witness in the trial
lust concluded,
The trial ended today has been the
longest and conceded to have been
the most sensational in the history
of West Virginia. 1t was held in the
county courthouse at Williamson. but
a few miles from where the Hatfield
Mccoy feud was Matched. A few
weeks before Judge r. D. Bailey, pre-
siding at the present term of circuit
court. called the case. Devil Anse"
Hatfield. noted leader of the Hatfield
clan during many troubled years. died
and was buried in the adjoining
county of Logan.