The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-03-21
SIXTEEN DEFENDANTS
TRIED FOR KILLING Of
OFFICER FELTS, FREED
Miners Hail Verdict With
Outburst of Cheers
Case Lasted 46 Days.

WILLIAMSON, w. Va Marcn xls
Tho l6 defendants tried In
connection with the death Of
Albert c. Felts, who WAS killed
during the Matewan gun tight
following eviction of miners
families last May 10, were today
found mot guilty" by . jury In
the MingO circuit court
The defendants were formally
discharged by Judge r. ID. Bailey.
presiding, but were remanded to
Jail penuing bond arrangements ON
six other indictments charging the
men with having been implicated In
the death of six other private detec-
tives killed with Felts.
The trial consumed 46 days.
News Of the acquittal was shouted
to large group of miners standing
at a window outside the court room
and the announcement was received
with enthusiasm.
Friends and relatives of the Mat
ewanians stood on the porch Of the
county Jail and received their kin
with open arms. Williamson resi-
dents received the verdict quietly
and there were no demonstrations
aside from an Outburst of cheers
from the miners who had stood vigil
since early morning.
Long Jury Session.
This case was given to the Jury
shortly after 5 o'clock on Saturday
afternoon. Judge R d. Bailey, pre-
siding, kept circuit 2 urt in session
until 8 o'clock at .ght to receive
a verdict At that hour there was
no indication that the,duFy could
soon arrive at q concluiA.in and q
recess was taken until S o'clock this
morning.
At the same time that court re-
convened today the jury resumed
its deliberations. Aside from news
papermen, several attorneys, court
officials and defendants, there were
few people in the court room.
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 Mingo 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 detec-
tive agency to evict striking nic-
ers' families from the company's
houses in which they were living.
Made EvictiOns.
On May -. 1920, a party of pri-
vate detectives. headed by Albert
c. Felts, carried out the evictions.
After a day fraught with argument
between the operatives and city Of
ficials the party finished its work
and prepared to depart from Mate
wan on an early evening train.
On leaving their hotel Albert
Felts and his men stopped in front
OF q hardware store The leader
and Mayor c. c. FISHERMAN en-
gagged in a conversation and while
they stood close to each other, talk
ing, a shot was fired. In an instant
rifles and pistols barked from all
directions and before the shooting
ended Felts, FISHERMAN, six other
members OF the Baldwin, -Felts
party, and two other residents fell
mortally wounded in the main
street Of the village.
q Indicted.
Twenty-three men OF Matewan
were indicted by grand Jury at
Williamson in connection with the
death Of Felts. At the outset of
The trial, which began on Jan. 26,
the cases against several of the
defendants were dismissed, and as
the taking Of testimony progress
ed others were discharged on mo-
ton Of the prosecution. When the
jury took the case the fate of only
16 Of the original defendants re-
mained to be determined. One of
these 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 arguments of
counsel reference was made to
Hatfield's marriage to the widow
OF Mayor FISHERMAN, two weeks
after the latter was killed.
Mrs. Hatfield has been in con-
slant attendance at court since the
trial began.
List of Defendants.
The 16 men on whose cases the
Jury deliberated are:
Sid Hatfield, police. chief; Reece
Chambers. William Bowman, Clair
Overstreet Doug Mounts. Jesse
Boyd, Charles Kiser. Ben Mounts.
William B. Coleman, Ed Chambers,
Lee Taylor, James Overstreet, Al
Williams, Van Clay, Fred BurgraR.
Hallio Chambers.