Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1922-05-16
BLIZZARD TRIAL RUNS into
THIRD WEEK, WITH STATE
WITNESSES STILL ON STAND.


WITNESSES STILL ON STAND.
The trial of William Blizzard for
treason in connection with the
"Miners' March" into Logan County
last August and September is now
running well into the third week IN
the Jefferson Circuit Court, with the
State witnesses still being put on
the stand, although the State expects
to rest its case some time this week.
The defense expects to take about
a week in the examination of it,
witnesses.
ALI of last week was taken up with
the examination of witnesses for the
prosecution in its effort to build up
its charge of treason against Biz
zard.
Among those who were on the
witness stand were Velasco Carpen-
ter, who was with the miners at the
killing of John Gore, and Major Tom
B. Davis, of Huntington, who was
appointed by the Governor to en-
force Martial Law in Mingo County
A large number of the Miners,
witnesses and others have been sent
home by those in charge, although
it is probable that most of them will
be required to come back later.
The prosecution made much prog
ress yesterday in speeding up the
case, putting some of it's most i'm.
portant witnesses on the stand.
Of the three, Colonel Eubank',
testimony caused probably the mos,
surprise. He told briefly how he
took charge of the defense. of the
county, how he inspected positions
and instructed men how best to cope
with the situation. He said they
were posted so as to command the
roads and ravines. He said Cover
nor Morgan had instructed him not
to advance with his men, but to con
fine his activities to holding his line
The most unexpected part Of hi
testimony came when he told of how
airplanes were employed. The de
tense during the whole progress OF
the trial, has made it point to bring
all possible testimony into the rec
ord on the use of planes, particular
ly concerning the dropping Of bombs
on the miners.
Without awaiting for the cross-ex
animation by the defense, the prose
cution opened the subject of the
bombs.
''Did you have bombs with these
planes?" asked A. M. Belcher, Of
prosecution counsel.
eyes, sir" replied the witness.
"What kind did you have?"
eve had improvised bombs fillee
with explosives and gas bombs"
"Did you use them?"
"We did,"
"Tell the jury why"
The witness started to explain thai
a state of war existed, when he was
halted by objections from the de-
tense on the ground that this was g
thing for the jury to determine
The objection was sustained and the
witness proceeded.
He said he was informed that q
column of 500 or 600 men was ad.
vancing against him, and that, since
he was ordered not to send any
troops against them, he had to take
some steps to scatter them. He said
he sent his planes out with bombs
both explosive and gas, and that the
men scattered and took to cover
when the bombs were dropped. He
said the explosive bombs were filled
with black powder and the gas bomb.
with gas that caused nausea and
vomiting, but not death.
nc nrvnut,Ny,e H.
witness said his forces used from
100000 to 100000 rounds of ammu-
milton, and he supposed the miners
wasted about as much as we did"
Don Chain, Sheriff of Logan
County, probably the most talked OF
man in connection with the Mine
War, was put on the stand. He is
q youngish-looking, well-groomed
perfectly composed man of athletic
build, rather good-looking. He is a
college man, it develops, and looks
more like a star half-back who has
become a stock broker than the
typical county sheriff. There was
no expansive rural complacency
here, no important garrulousness, nc
badge on a waistcoat pocket II
was a keen-looking, quiet, alert man
who faced the attorneys and the
jury.
On direct examination, Mr.. Chain
told of the word he received that
the miners were coming to Logan,
and of the preparations he made for
repulsing them. He said he had
posted about $500 men in the noun
tains when the march first started
but recalled then, on August &c
when he received information the
marchers had disbanded. Hearing
they had Communicated a train and
were coming to Blair, he said he
blew the power house whistle, reas-
sembled his force and sent them out
on Blair Mountain the same night.
He said he issued rifles and machine
guns, purchased during the 1910
march. August 80, he said Colonel
Eubank took charge and that from
that time on he took orders from
Colonel Eubank.
He told how he received, August
81, detachment of 80 state police
from Major Davis in Mingo county,
and how he handed Captain Brockus
a warrant for about 40 men on a
felony charge at Sharples. He told
how the State police started to serve
the warrant, but was allowed to go
no further in regard to this incident.
Captain Brockus told the story him
self later in the day.
On cross-examination he admitted
that all but six or seven of his 35 or
SO deputies were paid out of a fund
made up by the coal operators. He
said he could not remember the ex-
act amount they contributed. Asked
if he did not tell the Senate Commit
tee they had contributed SCI ,513 for
the first nine months of 1921, he
said he did not remember. He said
the deputies were used only to en-
force law and order