The Connecticut labor news., 1922-11-10

Keeney had been called to trial oh a charge of accessory to mtrder- the charge growing out of the at tempted march of union miners into Logan county several months ago in protest of the feudal conditions in its coal fields.
 Efforts of the prosecution to call William Blizzard to trial on the same charge, after Keeny had been granted a change in venue, brought a ruling from the court that further proceedings would be suspended until after the Court of Appeals of West Virginia has passed upon the action of the court here in granting new change in venue in case which was originally removed here from Logan county. This ruling is expected in about Is days. While granting the issue an injunction against the coal interests of the state from participant ing Ill the prosecution and putting up the money for conducting the trials.
 Keeney's victory brings to the coal interests of the state their first big defeat in the effort to oust the miners union from the state. Incidentally, 1t exposes in a court of record the ac-l tivities of the coal interests in using the prosecuting power of the state to fight the miners union.
 Attorneys for the prosecution bit terly contested the motion of Keeney for change in venue. It was claimed that one change in venue IS all that the law allows, and that Keeney was enjoying that in having his trial re- moved to Jefferson county from Lo- gan county. It was claimed that the 1 %I, 4<@I grant a second change, and main tained that the allegations of preju- dice in Jefferson county were un- founded
 About 100 afidavits were offered from residents of Jefferson county, where three convictions had already taken place in the treason" cases, that no fixed prejudice exists in the county, and that Keeney could "get a fair jury" The court ruled these affidavits were too general in char acter to be of value. Sought to Stop Flood of Coal Barons'
 Money.
 Keeney's motion for a change in venus was quickly followed by an application for an injunction to pro hibit the Logan Coal Operators As
 
 from contributing money to finance the prosecution of the miners union officials. This application was laterI denied by Judge Woods.
 Keeney's application in addition to asking for restraining order 1 against the Logan Coal Operators Association, and various coal corpo- | ratoins, also mentioned Sheriff Don ! Chain, and his deputies in Logan county; and Sheriff Macaughtry, of l Jefferson county, with the plea that ! they be restrained from continuing | to use money to defray expenses and costs of the treason" trials which is ] advanced to them by the coal opera tors of Logan county and other non- union fields in the southern part of | the state.
 It is alleged that over $32,ooo has | been directly paid out by these coal operators in the prosecution of the cases at Charles Town.
 An indirect sum of twice this | amount is understood to have been 1 expended, while the preliminary ex- penses incident to the preparation of | the cases brings the total to a sum | of $I5o,ooo to $2oo, 1000.
 Keeney in his petition made the charge that his prosecution is essen tially private persecution, and claimed that the Logan Coal Opera tors Association and the private coal i corporations, who desire to drive the miners union from the state, have contributed large sums of money to further 1t, and stand ready to ad- vance other sums He pointed out that these interests have even ad- !!