The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-09-21
Six Georgia Train
Wreckers Arrested

Fitzgerald, Ca. Sept. 15.-The
Jury in the case Of o. c. Fairfield
one of 26 persons indicted in con-
nection with the alleged "interfer-
ence of employees of the Atlanta
Birmingham & Atlantic railroad,
was put to bed at II o'clock to-
night.
Fifteen minutes later Fairfield
who was under a $500 bond, was
placed under arrest on a warrant
charging murder, the warrant be-
ing issued on an affidavit signed by
Mrs. w. T. Reed.
The case of Fairfield went ito a
Jury in Ben Hill superior court af-
ter Judge o. T. Cover charged the
Jury at 9 o'clock tonight.
The grand jury, which is inves-
tigating the death of Engineer w
T. Reed, who was shot in his To-
connective on July S, had not com
pleted it's work tonight, although
more tt an 80 witnesses appeared
before that body.
With four additional arrests to-
day in connection with the death OF
Engineer Reed, six persons are now
held in the county Jail on war
rants issued on af1davits sworn te
by the widow of Engineer Reed
each charging murder.
John L. Lyle, SIS, former mem
Der of the board of education ano
former engineer, considered we'll.
to-do was taken into custody short
Iy before noon. j.: w. Hornsby, 50
former engineer, and A. K. Hall
60, also former engineer; Alf Smitf
and D. V, Myrick, former en-
ployees, are others in custody o1
the sheriff.
Judge OF. Cover held that the
walkout of former employees of the
Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic
railroad was not an issue in the
trial of o. c.. Fairfield and he sus'
tained the objection of Solicitor
| General Wall to the effort Of the
defense to show that the strike
was justified by acts of officials o,
that road. The jury was sent from
the court room while the lawyer:
argued this point.
| Fairfield, in a statement to the
Jury, said that 1--WE are organized
| to protect ourselves, to get a gooe
living and to be able to send oul
children to school and to live de-
Gently
He denied that he had ever in
Inundated any present employee o,
the Atlanta, Birmingham & Allan
tic railroad and denied that he
had attempted to destroy company
property.
'.I have tried to have the mer
uphold the law. am innocent,
he said in conclusion.
In rebuttal the state put on {
number of witnesses who charged
that former employees had threat
ened present employees Of the road
Sheriff Dorminey, ,one of the wit
nesses, said that ''many of th'
strikers carried sticks" He sait
that B. w. Mayo. one of the join
defendants. refused to give up hi
shotgun while on picket d".y wher
the officers demanded it. Mayo hat
sworn for the defense that the off
GERS had not asked for the gun.
J. H. Snellgrove told the jur,
that C. o. Russell, former en-
ployee, said he would blow th'
shops into hell" if he could get i,
for few minutes.
Lonnie Cox, negro, one of fiv
men on the locomotive when w. I
Reed was shot on July 5, and tn
first negro witness in the trial
said that the crew was fired upol
by strikers pickets.
Atlanta. Ca, Sept. 15.-B. L
Bugg. receiver for the Atlanta, Bir
rningham & Atlantic railroad, con
ferred here today with man from
Nashville, Ca. who previously ha'
written Governor Hardwick tha
he could point out two men wh'
he declared were responsible 70
the fatal wreck of an A. B. & A
freight train here last week
The mans ideErity was not dis
closed pending an investigation o
his claim Federal investigation o
the wreck was continued toda.
while the state commission wa
awaiting the result of scientiti
tests Of the rails under the wrecl
Of orf nf h
! locomotive before preparing it
report The union leaders con
tinued their claim that defectiv