The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-02-13
DETECTIVE Tells
OF MATEWAN FIGHT
Identifies One of Defendants as
Man at Whom He Fired
and Then Ran


Williamson, w. Va, February w.
Excited and confused, with pistols and
rifles popping on every side. John Nc.
DoweIl. one of the Baldwin Felts de-
tectives, who battled with the citizens
of Matewan last May. 10. testified to-
Chambers, one OF the defendants. and
then fled from the scene where seven
of his comrades and three OF the
townspeople lay dead in the village
street
Mcdowell. who was the first witness
called at the trial of 10 Matewan men
who have been indicted in connection
with the death of Albert C. Felts,
leader Of the detectives. told the story
to the jury and crowded courtroom
slant by two telephone operators, May
Chafin, niece of Reece Chambers. and
Elsie Chambers. his daughter. Their
testimony was no less startling.
Mcdowell said he had come with the
other detectives to evict from houses
owned by the Stone Mountain Coal
company at Matewan a number of min
ers and their families. He could not
recall the exact number and although
give the number of women and chill
dren turned into the streets. While
the evictions were In progress, Nc
Bowel! recalled that Albert Felts had
seen c. c. FISHERMAN, mayor of the
town, and Sid Hatfield, the chief OF
police, accompanied by = party OF men
coming their way. Felts, the witness
testified, ordered some of the meE to
get their guns and they did. The
mayor protested to Folts, who an
swered that he had ample authority for
man replied: well, you don't pull any
thing like that and get away with it
down here"
Later in the day when the evictions
were over and the men were preparing
to leave Matewan, Hatfield told Feits
that warrants for their arrest had been
sworn out in Williamson and were
coming on the next train.
FIRE FROM STORE
Mcdowell was not clear as to how
the shooting started or who fired the
first shot, but he said that while tho
Baldwin-Feits men were going to the
railroad station. they passed hard
ware store ABOUT the door Of which
some Is men had gathered. The first
shot was fired from the doorway Of
the store, Mcdowell testified At this
time, he was standing in front Of tho
station, ran to the shelter of tele-
phone polls He said that firing was
going on all around him, but the only
man he saw shooting was Reece Cham.
bers. Mcdowell according. to his tes-
timony. fired three shots at Chambe
and then made his way to Tug river,
on the edge OF the town. and crossed
over into Kentucky. Fully 100 shots
were fired he said. in the fight,
May Chain. the 17-year-oid niece Of
Reeee Chambers, was on duty on the
Matewan telephone exchaige as opera
tor that day. she testifdL She heard
then CHIEF deputy for Sheriff @. r.
Blankenshjp, and asked II m when war
rants could be obtained or the arrest
OF the Baldwin-Felt detectives She
further testified that sf, heard Hat
field tell Webb, Wen kill the
before they get out OF Matewan."
The next witness, Elsie Chambers.
daughter OF Reece Chambers. testified
to substantially the same thing. They
was Mcdowell, and court recessed I'M
til 3 o'clock Monday morning.
The testimony today was heard with
absorbing interest not only BY the 10
defendants, among whom sat Resce
Chambers. but also by the jurymen and
the crowd without the rail. For more
than two weeks the court has strug-
gled to ind IL men in Mingo county
TO hear the case and there were many
who expressed the opinion that the ac-
cused would never be brought to trial.
During all this time military guard
Of federal infsntrynlen have paced the
streets about the courthouse and the
rounty Jail, the last OF the troops sent
here for duty in the coal strike region.
Col. Herman Hall. the commander. has
been constant attendant =. court,
frequently occupying seat beside
Judge Railey on the be,~