The Washington herald., 1921-02-16
Bribery Charge VigOr-
Ously Denied by Witness
For Prosecution.
LAWYERS WRANGLE
OVER JURY RECORD
Court Told Sid Hatfield
Fired First Shot
At Matewan.

WILLIAMSON. w. Va. Feb. Is
The days proceedings in the Nate
wan murder trial brought a num-
ber Of sensations. These included
hints Of an attempted $1,000 brioe
to influence the testimony OF a wit
ness for the State. which was Wig
orousIy denied by the witness him
self. Counsel for the defense
charged that 1t was not getting
square deal from the prosecutor 5
once. A witness swore that Sid
HATFIELD fred the first shot in the
gun battle at Matewan. Later.
however. he said that il was the
first and only shot he had per
sonalIy seen hred. He admitted
that other shots might have been
fred prior to the one he did see.
Girl TestInes-
Gladys Carnes, 17-year-old
school teacher, testified as TO what
she saw and heard during evictions
conducted by the Baldwin-Felts de-
tectives near Matewan.
Pete Colombo, an aged Italian,
told On the stand that Reese Cham
bers, one of the dcfondants, came
to him. rife in hand. just before
battle and said:
Pete, you're an old man. Better
keep in the clear"
Three physicians who examined
the bodies of the seven slain detec-
tives some hours after the battle
testfsed as to the wounds.
saIesmans Story.
C. v Fox, a salesman, who was
at the Urias Hotel, Matewan, on the
day OF the battle, testified he had
seen the Felts men take their rifles
apart. wrap them up in newspapers,
and pack them in suitcases just be-
fore they left the hotel for the sta
ton. Anne Hatfield, propIietress OF
the hotel. who had told a similar
story to the grand jury which in
diCted the nineteen men now on
trial, and who was to have been one
Of the principal witnesses for the
state. was mysteriOusly murdered
some weeks after the battle. 1t was
at the Urias Hotel that Albert Felts
received the mysterious warning
Just before the fight that he and
hIs men would be killed il they did
not look out.
Just before adjournment today
william Bowman, one of the defend
ants. requested permission, through
counsel, to go to Matewan, where
his wife is in critical condition.
She is the mother OF a baby two
days old. Judge Robert D. Bailey
allowed the accused to visit her in
custody of a deputy sheriff.
Placed in Record.
]. J. Conifr, chief counsel for the
defense, caused to be incorporated
in the record the fact that the four
attorneys assisting the prosecution
were engaged by Tom Felts, head
Of the Baldwin-Felts Detective
Agency. Capt. S. B. Davis, one OF
these lawyers emphasized, however
that he and his colleagues were
employed not by the agency, but
nv Mr. Felts personally. brother oil
Albert and Lee FeIts. two of the
seven detectives killed in the sur
fight.
The wrangle between counsel il
which Conif charged unfairnes.
was over the fact that Prosecutor
Wade Bronson has withheld from
counsel for the defense the min.
utes of the grand jury hearing,
which led to the indictments o.
the nineteen dttuStu.
Conifr declared each of the at
torneys for the prosecution had :
copy Of these minutes, and a spe.
ciaI copy was furnished to Ton
FcIts while the defense had beer
trying vainly since last July tc
get 4 single copy. The defense, h,
said. was entitled to these record,
to enable it to compare testimon,
In the trial with that rendered be
fore the grand jury.
Right to Records.
Bronson replied it was no NOR,
than right that the special prose
cutting attorney in the case agains
the FIVE surviving Felts detectives
TO be tried in April in Green BriaI
County on a charge of kiIIins
Mayor c. c. Testerman and other!
in the gun battle. should hav,
those copies. Harold Houston O
the counsel for the defense retorte,
70 this that he was special prose
cutting attorney in the case. II
r.tbat capacity. he said, he was en-
titled to have the grand jury rec
ords. Coniff interpolated at thi
point:
we are trying the Green Bria
case right here in this trial"
Judge Bailey finally instructe,
Bronson to let Houston have sucl
parts of the grand jury record
as he, Bronson, deemed necessary
This question is expected to lea
TO further quarrels.
Up to a late hour this evening
Col. Herman Hall. in command o
the Federal troops here, had re
ceiyed no orders from Washington
ranceIIing the recall of his me-
eTective tomorrow So far as he i
concerned the original order stand
Unless it is rescinded by the Wa
Department and he is notified, h
told newspaper men.