The Washington herald., 1921-02-14
THIRD CLANSMAN
TO GAIN LIBERTY
IN MINGO TRIAL
State Prepares to Spring
Surprise as Hatfield
Trial Resumes.

WILLIAMSON. w Va, Feb. Is
The threat OF the hangman's rope is
to be removed from another OF the
defendants in the Mingo miner trial
before the case is much further
along.
1t was learned today that the
state will ask to have the indict-
ment against another OF the accused
nolled, on the ground that It has
been unable to connect him with
tho gun battle in Matewan which
cost the lives of seven defendants
and three residents of that little
mining settlement Tho liberation
OF this man would reduce the total
Of defendants to eighteen.
However. sharp legal battle will
be waged over the proposed nOlle
motion. The defense will fight 1t to
the finish, on the ground that no
nolIe is possible after the jury 7-iF
sworn in and the defendants life
is in jeopardy. J. J. Coniff. Of coun-
sel for the defense, stated tonight
that he will insist on a trial for all
nineteen men. with special instruc-
tions to the jury for the aCQuital Of
the man tnc ease against whom has
collapsed.
Telephone Girls.
The week is expected to bring
forth sensational testimony. To-
morrow's first witnesses will he the
two telephone girls who testified
Yesterday to threat by Sid Hat
field. Matewan's chief of police, and
principal defendant, to kill the thir-
teen Felts detectives before they
could leave Matewan on May 10 last.
The girls-Elsie Chambers, is. and
Mac Chain. IS, will be crOss-exsm-
ined by Coniff. The main question
to be put to them will be as to how
they both listened in on the al
legged long distance conversation be-
tween Sid Hatfield and Deputy
Sheriff Tony Webb. The defense
will claim there is but one tele-
phone receiver at the station where
the two girls were at the time.
Feuds to Figure.
Family feuds will figure promi-
nently in the coming testimony.
Ever since the miners strike and
the appearaAe in MinEo's coal
fields Of Baldwin-Felts detectives
the lines of sympathy and antagon-
ism have been more and more
sharply drawn. Whole families are
divided. The Chambers girl, for in
stance, who testified yesterday and
will again be on the stand tomor-
row has not lived with her people
for years. Her father, Reese Cham
bors, a brother and a first cousin
are among the nineteen men
charged with the murder of Detec'
tive Albert G. Felts. Mae Cham
has an uncle among them.
Nor is always sympathy with one
side or other in the great industrial
warfare raging in West VirEinia's
black. diamond fields that splits up
families, breaks friendships and
adds to the hate charged atmos-
phere that hovers over Mingo like
a dread specter. The simple human
elements loom powerfully in and
behind it all. Threads of love and
passion are closely nterwoven with
the crimson line that leads back
TO the hullet-riddled walls Of
Chambers hardware shop at Mate
wan, where the two-minute trigger
orgy snuffed out ten lives.
Love Scenes.
There will, be offered in the tes-
timony during the coming week
revelations which on the surface
have closer relation to the way
of a man with maid" than to the
strikes, unions, evictions and bull
let's. Passionate notes tossed out Of
a window, caught by an ardent
lover standing in driving snow
storms, whispered warnings against
detection of clandestine associa-
tions, stormy scenes arising from
charges of disloyalty, and even the
old, old story of threatened or ac-
tual changes in life insurance pol
icies-all these things will be
brought out by attorneys for one
side or the other in efforts to
answer the eternal question in
murder cases: What was the mo-
tive?
When \court convenes tomorrow
the State will introduce in evidence
a relief map of Matewan and a min
iature plaster-of-paris model of the
entire town, in. order to enable court
and jury to follow the testimony
Among the States exhibits Will also
be the coat which Albert Felts wore
during the battle. Preliminary
stories-on court record-told by