Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1922-08-14
THE DISCRIMINATING STATEMENTS BY WIIBIRN ARE AGAINST HIM
Displayed Cores Alleged Gun
And Said He Killed Deputy;
Witnesses Saw Him In Party

was the same gun that he claimed
had been taken from Gore. Mr..
Moore recalled having heard Rev.
Wilburn tell his boys as they start.
ed on the march to the mountain
that he wanted them to act as his
scouts.
Gave Signal To Open Fire
Grant Moore, of Blair, who said
he knew John Wilburn personally,
as we'll rs his father and two bro
Tiers, Frank and Jesse, said he was
called to the Wilburn home the
same day of the killing and there
heard John say that he had Cores
gun and knew it was Cores prop
erty because he had seen Gore fall
after being shot on the mountain
and had picked up the gun. At
that time Wilburn related his story
Of the demand for passwords and
said that Gore finally exclaimed
Amen
amen, He'll came from John
Wilburn, according to Moore who
was quoting Wilburn, and irnmedi-
ately firing opened. Moore examin.
ed the gun which Wilburn had at
that time and found It a high pow
cred rifle with a stock that was
SCARED with something that look.
ed like bullet. At this time vii.
burns mother was on the porch
some or 6 feet away and Moore
testified that she called to John
Wilburn and advised him not to
talk so much.
Moore was in the car that went
to Clothier that night. At Sharples,
he testified he heard Wilburn, who
was carrying tho alleged gun OF
Gore at that time, tell practically
the same story about the gun and
the fight on the mountain to
group Of men who gathered about
the car while it was being repair
ed. Moore noticed the rifle again
and said 1t evidently was the same
as that which he had seen earlier,
with the scar on the stock.
Moore testified he saw the armed
party going to tho mountain the
preceding afternoon. that John VIII
burn was in the party as was his
father and Frank Wilburn, Henry
Kitchen aad others.
Was In Murder Party.
On Saturday afternoon, during a
short session. A. II. Browning, aged
Blair merchant, who was on the
stand during the latter part OF the
morning. testified that he recognized
John Wilburn as having been one
OF the two boys whom he saw in
the party Of armed miners that left
Blair on the afternoon OF August 30.
He repeated that he could not be
certain OF the names OF the boys
whom he recognized but he recog.
nized the face OF John as being one
of the two.
Jack Brinkman, an itinerant mu-
stefan and star witness for the
state in the previous cases, was
examined Saturday afternoon and
will be recalled for further check
| ing by the defense of alleged in
constituencies in some OF his testi-
mony, Attorney Townsend, for the
defense, stated when Brinkman was
temporarily excused. Brinkman was
in the murder party on the noun.
and jesse, all sons Of the Reverend
Wilburn, were in the party and
ahead Of him in line in the party
when the fatal clash occurred. He
was questioned about the presence
OF Jesse and it was indicated he
would be subjected to further close
! questioning on the point because,
, the defense said, his testimony on
this point has been varying. He re-
called a speech at the schoolhouse
| by Reverend Wilburn before they
left for the mountain in which the
men were advised that there were
no jails or guard houses to fear and
that they knew what to do" He
understood the purpose of the
march was to go on through Logan
to Mingo, release prisoners and
then organize the nonunion fields.
amen, He'll" Fire Signal.
At daybreak the miner party met
the deputy party. There followed an
exchange of demands for passwords
between the two parties, he said,
and finally the deputies gave the de-
fender amen" password. lmme-
diately there came from the front
part Of the miner party,-he could
not be certain who said it,-an
Amen, Hell!", accompanied stimuli
taneously with shot against the
deputies.
The firing began from the miner
party, Brinkman said He said at
that time he knew there were in
his party among others Pryor Sharp,
| ..,-c.a