The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-02-01
HATFIELD CLAN.
AGAIN DIVIDED.
One Member of Feudist Family
Is Helping State Select
MateWan Jury.

WILLIAMSON, w. Va. Feb. l.
There is already whispering among
the natives Of the stron" possibili-
ties of the resumption of the feud in
the Hatfield clan as a result OF the
trial of the twenty-one mountaineers
charged with the killing OF Albert Z.
Felts in the Matewan battle last
May.
CLAN AGAIN DIVIDED.
II NAV be that the trial OF Sid Hat
field will be the spark which VIII
again ignite the Are OF the feud which
existed for years.
Thus far the case has indicated that
the Hatfield clan Is divided. While
Sid Hatfield Is on trial, Greenway
Hatfield, a wealthy coal operator ana
a brother of former Governor Hat
aeld of West Virginia, Is assisting
the State in the selection or the jury
which will pass upon guilt or tnno-
cence of the defendant and his as
sociates.
While mystery surrounds the shoot
ing of Anse Hatfield, who was shot to
de ath as he sat on the porch Of his
hotel in Matewan, 1t is claimed he
was killed so as to remove one of
the States strongest links In the
chain OF circumstances which has
been woven AROUND Sid Hatheld and
the other defendants by the Common
wealth.
: CLAIM HE WAS NOTIFIED.
It was through Anse Hatfield the
Commonwealth expected to prove
that the killing Of the detectives was
prelpedi itatedR # Ii claimed that two
Telephone Observation-Disclosures the
Commonwealth will call as witnesses
An the present trial. heard conyersa-
,tiohSs over the telephone on the day
of the gun battle which caused them
to notify Anse Hatfield OF what they
had learned. After receiving this In
formation it is alleged Anse Hatneld
warned Albert Felts, one Of the de-
tectives, of the impending danger.
Jury impaneling in the trigger
trial" received a set back early IN
today's session, when seven OF the
tentative jurymen were excused, one
because of relationship to one OF the
defendants, the other six because
they had served on a petit jury WITH
in the last two years
This put the tentative panel at
twelve, and left eight more to be Sc
lected before final limitation to
dozen talesmen can be made.
CROWD Is DwINDLING.
The morning session. certain to De
another tedious one, saw the SMALLEST
crowd in the courtroom since the
opening of the case.
Witnesses for the State had been
called for tomorrow.
Wade H. Bronson, county prosecu-
tor, has taken a silent part In the
proceedings so far leaving the examl-
nation of veniremen to ex-Judge
James Damron and John s. Marcum.
Mr.. Bronson, however, Is the directing
force behind the scenes OF the states
presentation of its case in the biggest
and most dramatic trial in the history
of this state.
Chief among his legal aides Is Capt.
S. B. Avis, of Charleston, whose ora
torical talents will be pitted against
those of J. J. Coniff. chief counsel for
the defense, when the actual trial
gets under way.
Though sympathies and antago-
nisms are intense, the people OF this
county seat go on in their normal
course in a surprisingly quiet man
ner. Self-restraint is the keynote of
the general conduct. Rumors of inn
pending wild happenings fly thick
and fast continually, but nothing has
happened during the past week to
warrant fear of disorder.
The troops here from Camp Sher-
man, a little more than a company.
are "minding their business and
have won the esteem and respect of
the majority Of townspeople.