The Washington times., 1922-10-30
MOTHER JONES
REFUSES BE
PUT ON STAND
Mystery in Failure OF Accused
Union Chiefs Counsel to w.
Get Her Deposition.

Get Her Deposition.
CHARLES TOWN. w. Va, Oct.
3O.-Mother Jones, militant labor or
ganizer, has steadfastly refused to
take the Witness stand in defense OF
union miners, during the trials In
progress here since last April, de;
spite the fact that her name has
figured more often in the testimony
than that OF any other individual. ="
II Mother Jones could be prevailed
upon to testify for the defendant
an attorney for the defense said
| here tody, she could riddle the
| strongest prop on which the State
will rest in its case against c. Frank
Keeney, president of District II,
United Mine Workers Of America,
now being tried on a murder charge.
On the other hand, attorneys for the
State declare that II Mother Jones
| ever consents to testify she, will
make stronger witness for the
State than she could possibly make
for the defense.
Some connected with the trials
| here say her refusal to testify is due
to a personal grudge against the Of.
ficers of District II and attorneys
connected with the defense, while
others see in her silence a rebuke
| to those alleged to have been re-
| sponsible for the march Of 5000 or.
! ganized coal miners. heavily armed,
from Marmet, Kanawha county,
with the avowed purpose of organ
izing the non.union fields of Logan
and Mingo and releasing the martial
law prisoners from the Mingo
county Jail.
Story OF Telegram.
At the inception of the march
Mother Jones appeared suddenly
| upon the scene, assembled the armed
miners around her on Lens creek and
urged them to return peaceably to
their homes, according to testimony
Of numerous miners who turned
States evidence in previous trials
here. She read a telegram purported
to have come from President Hard.
ing advising the men 10 disband and
go home.
About this time, according to testi.
mony which has not been denied.
Keeney and Fred Mooney, secretary.
the scene and demanded to see the
| telegram, which Mother Jones re.
/ fused to give them. Keeney then is
alleged TO have addressed the assem-.
blage advising the men not to pay
any attention to the telegram. that it
| was "a fake He advised the miners
TO remain there, according to the
testimony. until he drove with
Mooney twelve miles 10 district head.
quarters in Charleston and called
President Harding on the telephone
to learn If the telegram was genuine.
He and Mooney sent word back TO
the asSemblagp that they had talked
TO the President secretary, Mr..
Christian. and he informed them the
| telegram was a fake, according TO
the evidence.
This incident the State will cite
to prove that Keeney and Mooney
were insinCere in efforts they claim
to have made to turn the armed band
back.
Success in their efforts to have
Mother Jones testify for the good
Of the order" was almost within the
grasp of defense attorneys, with
strong pressure brought to bear
upon her through other organized
labor channels, on the eve of the
opening of the Keeney trial. They
notified attorneys for the State to
meet when in Washington TO take
the deposition OF the aged labor
champion. But at the hour set. the
taking of the testimony was post.
poned and later in the day was def.
nitely called off by Attorney Harold
w. Houston. chief counsel for dis.
trict II.
Can Do No Good.
In search of the cause for this
sudden postponement, reporter
found Mother Jones at the home of
T. B. Powderly, a former p-esiden'
Of the old knights of Labor organi-
zation, at 1900 Fifth street. Wash
ington. Admission was gained by
subterfuge, TO rthe aged woman is
said to have been forbidden to see
newspaper men because OF a recent
severe illness, from which she is con.
valescing. She was non -committal
and appeared to be unwilling to dis
Cuss the armed march. She express.
ed the hope that "all these troubles
might be ironed out" and asserted
that she could not see her way cleRi
to testify.
Il can't do them any good"
she said, land so the best thing
Is to keep my mouth shut" is
the way she stated It.
Frail and spent through years
Of hardship and rough existence
as a labor organizer, Mother Jones
is approaching the ninety-third
year of her life with a wasted body
and with the fire of battle gone
from her eyes and voice. She
admits her usefulness Is done but
she expressed a hope to live to see
the day when organized labor will
come into what she believes TO
be its Just deserts" That con.
dition can never be attained.