Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-30
MARCH OF Miners
PICTURED IN COURT
Leader of One Band Of 300
Tells of Intent to "KiII
Don Chafin."

by the Ass0cia ted Press.
CHARLES TOWN. W. Va, April 80.
IA treason trial and an amateur
base ball, game shared here today
In interest. with the same man as
central figure in both, but, although
the game had the larger attendance,
even the longest home run could not
produce the thrills of the story in
court.
Details of marching through Sec
tons of three counties, the COM
laundering of railroad traini bat
tie in which machine gun and un-
numbered rifles spat from West Vir-
ginia hills into a valley where the
enemy was in position. all flowed in
the ears of jury. court and specta-
tors in the matter-of-fact tones of
Ed Reynolds, coal miner and self-im-
plicated leader Of a band that had
these experiences. William Blizzard.
subdistrict president of the United
Mine Workers, charged with treason
and now on trial, led similar band
the witness declared. which accom-
panied them until the two groups
took up separate positions on the
battle line"
The base ball game which in the
afternoon drew the attention the
court had held in the day was be-
tween the team of the United Mine
Workers, every man of which is here
in connection with the armed march
trials. and picked players of the
town. The miners won, to 3, with
run and making three hits out of
five times at bat.
Out to Kill sheriff.
I'VE We're going to kill Don Chain
and that bunch and march on through
Logan to Mingo and release the men
in Jail there" Reynolds testified.
Don Chain. further questioning
county. and that bunch" the deputy
sheriffs, with whose aid the defend
ants believed Chain had prevented
union men from pervading the Logan
coal fields.
Even when his direct testimony
had finished and Harold W. Houston
opened the cross-examination for the
defense by asking about his arrest
on a charge of collecting money I'M
der false pretenses. the witness did
not make any display of emotion. but
calmly gave his story of collecting
$500 from a half dozen mine union
locals for benevolent relief" pay
ment of part of it for two grocery
bills that had been incurred in JEFF
frey, which he had previously desig-
mated as base of supplies for the
fighting men on the miners side. and
delivery of the rest to NJ. L. Hap
tonstall. acting president of district
II of the union. who, he said. had
given him authority to make the col
lectionS.
tion?" Mr. Houston demanded, after
the cross-examination had gone
through each detail again. and still
the clear voice of the witness did not
change as he denied that charge,
while the states lawyers were still
f1sv- % thn
ton. His first testimony was Of
meeting in Charleston August Z, 1921.
at which he said he heard President
Kenney speak about conditions in
Mingo county.
Take Over c. & 0. Train.
After the meeting. he said. he and
Blizzard set out afoot for Racine.
bred men. Arriving there that night.
Reynolds sent a detachment to get
railroad train, on the branch Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio. which. he said.
they "took." On this they went the
next day to sproul, and. after holding
up the operator there to get the right
of way. the train continued on to
Madison Blizzard was on the train,
Reynolds testified, but in cross-ex-
animation he said he had not talked
with the leader of the other con-
tingent or heard the latter give any
At Madison President Keeney. Dis
trict Secretary Fred Mooney and
Brig. Gen. Bandholz overlook the ex-
petition. and at ball park there
Mooney and Keeney told the men to
go back to their homes. Savoy Holt,
Dee Munsey and Walter Allen. with
whom the earlier arrangements for
the march had been made and from
whom he had taken his orders thus
far. told them later that the speeches
meant nothing; that Keeney had to
saw what he did ito save district II"
and that they were to go on. HIS
band and that of Blizzard continued
to Jeffrey on foot, the witness de-
cIared, and there separated. A march
up the mountain at night put them In
posItion and 1--WE met our enemies
the next day, he testified.
The witness told of the dropping
Of seven bombs on or near their po-
sition from airplanes. Five of the
seven exploded. but the men had a
chance to examine the others, he
said. and found they were made OF
iron pipe with caps threaded on the
ends and a shotgun cap and plunger
to explode 1t, inserted at one end.