Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1922-06-20
miners were xrr1ed.

The generally good reputation
of Wilburn in his community.
Four witnesses were used on the
stand by the defense in this process.
On cross examination the State Sc
verely quizzed the witnesses and
from two of them drew admissions
that before the Beach Greek clash
and the Gore killing the people a.
bout Blair had been discussing the
march of armed miners from Mar
met, that there were armed men in
and around Blair, and that it was
understood the purpose of the armed
march was to go through Logan
county; and two of the witnesses
testified that this march lad created
some excitement around Blair.
Sam Copies, of near Sharples,
who said he was at the head of
party of armed miners that witness
ed the clash with the State deputies
and State police on Beach Creek the
night of Aug. 81 testified that the
Logan party opened fire on the min
ers after a brief challenge, that two
miners were killed, two were wound
ed, houses were penetrated by bull
cts, and one bullet hit pillow on
which a baby rested. After the
clash two of the deputies whom he
knew, Joe Osbourne and John
Browning, penned two families in a
cellar and warned them to stay there
while the deputies blew ''the place
off the map"
Copley said he knew John Gore,
the slain deputy, and that he had
a reputation of being a dangerous
and quarrelsome man.
VIM. B. Lepage, of Sovereign,
testified to the good reputation of
Wilburn in Blair, and the excite
ment among the people there on
Aug. 81 because of the Sharples
clash, the hostility of the Logan dep
uties toward U. M. W., and the fee
ing of families from Blair because
of fear. On Aug. % he said he saw
one armed miner firing at an air
plane.
Lepage denied on cross examina-
ton that he had threatened Alva
Roe, state witness, on Saturday
night last in a local hotel with i'm
prisonment unless Roe testified on
certain matters as the defense wit
nesses told him. He said he had
been drinking but only told Roe to
"tell the truth"
F. H. Estep, of Blair, estified SUBJ
stantially to the same points of the
defense. He had a conversation
with the man near Madison who said
he was going to ask the miners, who
were turned back at Madison from
their first march, to come to Blair
where it was reported the deputies
were making raids. He saw strange
armed men in Blair on Aug 81 and
% and saw some of them leaving on
the latter day. On Aug. % after
the Beach Creek shooting, the feel
ing of fear in Blair became more
pronounced, he declared. On cross
examination, he said he understood
the Logan deputies were throwing up
breastworks on the mountain in an
ticipation of an invasion of Logan
county by the army of armed miners
and for week previous to the
breastworks report he heard the
Blair miners discussing the gather
ing of armed miners at Marmet and
understood their plan was to march
through Logan county. He saw
armed miners on the highway a
round Blair and other mining towns
of the section as early as Aug. 20
and practically every man who had
arms was carrying them, he said
He himself was stopped on the high.
way by guards who advised him OF
the dangers in Blair. He heard OF
a train being taken on August rs
from Blair down to Madison to bring
some armed men to Blair.
The State announced that it would
put on the stand in rebuttal Cover.
nor E. F. Morgan, of Charleston
Col. W. D. Eubank, of WEIGH, and
Sheriff Don Chain, of Logan county
to testify as to the defenses raised
in Logan at the instance of the
Governor to meet the second inva.
sion by the army of armed miners
Major Tom B. Davis, in charge OF
martial law enforcement in Mingo
county, and Capt. ]. H. Brockus in
command of the body of state police
and Logan county deputies that
clashed with armed miners on Beach
Creek on August 27 and which the
miners claim so excited the people
that they armed themselves against
reported raids by the deputies, will
go on the stand to tell the states
side of the clash which declares the
Logan detail in question was on
Beach Greek to serve warrants on
miners alleged to have disarmed a
group of State police earlier in the
month and that the miners fired first
after an exchange of challenges.