Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-28
ACCUSED MINER
MAY AID STATE
Indictment Quashed and Brewer
Is Expected to Help at West
Virginia Prosecution
CORPORATIONS VS.. UNIONS

speo'o' pisrrfch N Evc-ino Pubic Lodaer
Williamson. w. Va, Jan. IS
Gloom hung this morning over the de.
PENDANTS in the case Of Sid Hatfield and
the twenty defendants who are on trial
here in the Circuit Court before Judge
X. Il. Bailey. as n result of the report
that one of their ranks had become a
Traitor and would turn states evil
dence. \ surprise was created yester-
day when the states counsel announced
In court that il had no evidence against
Isaac Brewer. who was indicted with
Hatfield and the other defendants for
the Staying Of the seven Baldwin Folts
operatives at Matcwan. on May ~,
1870, and asked that the indictment
against him be nolle pressed
Later In the day they learned the
state was planning 20 spring a coup on
them and that the reason Brewers in
dictmcn; had been nolc pressed was
because he had promised to take the
stand for the commonwealth against
Hatfield and the others. Brewer is an
important witness at the trial and the
defense had built up their case around
him He was shot in the neck in the
battle at Matcwnn.
They are not going to spring any
thing on us by having Brewer turn
states evidence" Attorney !. 7. CO.
milf, chief counsel for the defense. de-
clared. We have his sworn statements
and We will be ready for him IL he takes
the stand against the defendants. lie
will have to perjure himself.
"Ho cant do US any harm if he tells
the truth" Sid Hatfield, the principal
defendant in the case, declared.
Sid More Subtlued, But Still Confident
Sid and the remaining twenty de-
PENDANTS were brought into the court
room by the sheriff few minutes before
the trial started. The former had lost
some of his debOnair disposition after
his night in the crowded jail. The men
complained that they were overcrowded
an that they had poor beds to sleep on.
"Wel. I spent my first night in
jail" declared Hatfield as he dropped
into his chair behind his counsel.
This was the first that / was ever in
Jail in my life, but | wont be there
long.
Shortly after court convened Mrs
Hatfield, the former widow of Mayor
e. G. LcstPrman, of Matewan. VINO was
slain at the time the Felts detective was
shot to death, arrived in the court
room.
She IS a da<hing beauty and is de-
clared to be the prettiest woman in
Mingo county. Hatfield married her
two weeks after her husband was killed
The wife took a seat among the spccta
tors and smiled sweCtly upon her hus'
band
The defense encountered a setback
when the court ruled that no member:
&c
leu could sit On the jury in the case
This matter prrcipitated bitter CLASH
between opposing counsel.
Judge Baiiey declared that he wanted
O jury which was free from prejudice
and in view of the fact that the killing
arose over controversy between tn
operators and the union officials, h
would have to rule against jurors wh'
are members Of the United Min
Workers.
Witnesses Excused Until Monday
Examination of talNsmcn proceeded
so slowly this morning that Judge Bal
ley excused all witnesses until Mon
day. expressing the opinion that Sc lee
tion Of a jury seemed improbable betOr
that time. Seven men we're examined
ou.r one. Louis Smith,
farmer. was tentatively accepted, afte
saving he did not know whether he wa
a relation OF JAKE Hatfield, the fathe
of .,lI, tuat h" was friend OF Rees
Chambers. aud not sure he could ren
der a verdict Of guilty aga nst him bu
II the evidence was strong, he wouh
have to observe his oath.
The next man examined va
PROMPTLY excused when he said he wa
q Goa operator. Ten jurors have be-"
urr.rtpD tnufufIyp'y m now