Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-29
LAWYER ASKS PERMIT
TO CARRY REVOLVER
Counsel i'm MateWan Case Was
on Bench When Fight Oc-
CURED, Sammoning Jury.

BY Associated Press TO Every Evening
Williamson. w. Va. Jan 29.--Iames
Damron. former Judge of the Mingo
County Circuit Court and a prominent
figure among counsel for the prosecu-
ton in the trial of the 2t men charged
with the killing Of Albert G. Felts at
Matewan. today asked for permit to
carry pistol
The application was made 10 Judge
Bailey. who is presiding az the trial
MIR. Damron Mas on the bench when
the fight occurred at Matewnn last May
and summoned the special grand Jury
which returned the indictments on
which the defendants are now being
tried. Il was in his court that the
trials were postponed from September
last until this month.
Prospects were slender today that n
jury would be obtained before adjourn
ment this afternoon. Thirteen men
were in the jury box when court opened.
with seven additional tentative jurors
10 be selected from the comparativcl, J,
few talesmen which remained of the
original panel. Judge r. ID. Bailey said
that should the list be exhausted before
the jury has heen completed additional
| veniremen will be drawn tonight and
deputy shesiffs VIII be sent through the
country TO summon them for appear
ance on Monday.
Scarcely a dozen spectators were
present when court opened. The de-
PENDANTS were in the ajority, so far
as numbers were concerned.
Before the examination had proceed
ed far correspondents in the court room
succeeded in reaching Judge Damron
with many questions as to why he had
! asked for the pistol permit. Judge
Damron replied that he did not care to
/ go into details and there the matter
rested.
At this point in the proceedings il
| became known that Sid Hatfield and
| Charles kiser. two of the defendants
| had been cited for alleged contempt by
! the Federal District Court for the
southern district of West Virginia the
answer being returnable next Tuesday
Attorneys for the defense immediatly
| telegraphed 10 Judge Waddell, of the
| court. explaining that it would be inn
! possible owing TO the trial here. for the
! men TO appear. II is alleged that after
| the Red Jacket Mining Company OBJ
| tanned an injunction from the Federal
| Court to prevent interference with
/ their employees. Hatfield and kiser had
1
| their employment at the Red Jacket
mines.
The question of kinship again bobbed
| up at the examination of prospective
| Jurors. Joe Dempsey was excused when
| il developed that he WAS related to
/ William Starr. one Of the defendants
| William Dempsey, who was said TO be
! a relative of Jack Dempsey. worlds
/ heavyweight pugilistic champion. was
accepted tentatively yesterday.
| NJ {. Burchett. of Breedon. the
| twentieth man examined today. caused
a stir when his name was called,
| Many persons in the court room re-
/ called that Burchett had been shot and
wounded last election day by mar
/ who later met death in battle with
| the State police along the Norfolk &
| Western Railroad when he resisted ar
| rest. IT was thought for a time that
| the shooting directly concerned the in.
| dustrial situation. but this. both civil
| and military authorities readily dis
| proved. they said
Burchett was given the sixteenth
/ seat in the jury box.