The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-11
BIC MASS MEET INC
CALLS ON k|LBy To
CURB MAJ BAL OWN
State Militia Given GriIIing by
Speakers Before Great
Crowd at Jefferson
Theatre Sunday
Continued From Page one1


A. Greene he did not require them
brought into court at once, but made
the case returnable the next day,
which was Saturday. Neither did
Judge Greene make 1t returnable be-
fore him, but passed it on to Judge
]. Q. Smith. When the case was called
Saturday, Judge Greene came in and
told Judge Smith that he had Just
received q telephone call from Major
Baldwin, who said that he had not
finished questioning the men and
wanted the hearing postponed until
Monday"
Mr.. Altman declared that Judge
Dan A. Greene of the circuit court
had delayed action in hearing OF
habeas corpus petition for two OF
the men, and that in the meantime
Major Baldwin had made arrange
ments for having them turned over
to federal authorities.
other judges of the circuit court
were employed later, Mr.. Altman said
and he referred to instances where
they had made habeas corpus pc
titions returnable within an hour.
Mr.. Altman then called upon c. c.
Calls on witnesses
Mr.. Altman then called upon G. c.
Moore, w. e. Joiner, c. C. McGraw,
IL. i. 1ON, w. - w dilCiis dQy NtN
nolds, Kelly Barnett, Arnold Sharrit
and e. M. Thompson, who testified
that they had been taken from their
homes and subjected to humiliation
at the hands of militiamen and Of
ficers. Wives OF Moore, Cox and
Joiner corroborated statements that
their homes had been entered and
that abuses had been heaped upon
them by guarsmen.
Moore, the first to testify, said that
he was arrested without warrant on
the night of November IA. He was re-
fused answer to repeated inquiries
as to why he was arrested, he said,
and was later released without any
charge against him.
He declared that the second time
he was arrested he was thrown into
dirty room In the attic of the post
office that was worse : than hog
PEN and told by Major Baldwin
that he was telling a pack of lies
when he protested that he knew
nothing of the charges against him.
Says Men Were Brusque
Mrs. Moore declared that she was
alone with her three children on one
occasion when the guardsmen called
for her husband. and that she was
terrified by the brusque manner in
which they entered the house.
Joiner narrated semi -comical
story that brought laughter from the
audience when he told of having been
arrested without warrant, imprisoned
at the armory dismissed without any
charges against him, and ushered out
of the armcry by a eoterie of buglers
who came along behind him.
He said further that he had been
threatened with being thrown in the
penitentiary and was told that he
had seen his wife and children the
last time.
Mrs. Joiner declared that when
guardsmen came to her home they
threatened iff you don't open the
door wen break 1t down." She said
that when she repeatedly asked
them where they were taking her
YOUR damn mouth or you'll wish you
had"
McGraw described a visit to his
home at 11:15 o'clock on the night OF
November 3, when. he said. militia
men surrounded the house and d.
rected rifles at the windows. He
said he was kept In the armory three
| days. was quizzed by Major Baldwin
about a dozen times, and was threat.
ened with betting thrown in the fed.
| eral prison. He teld of being taker
and that he was accused of lying
when he said he was innocent.
Cox declared that guardsmen cam,
/ to his home in his absence on No
vember 6 under the influence of IL
| quor, searched his house and Went
to the Southern shops, where he was
working and arrested him withCu
warrant. His wife declared that the
smell of whisky was detachable be.
! So H.. II
and that detectives admitted later
| that the guardsmen were drunk.
| w. c. Walten said he was told
after he had been arrested that h,
was going to be carried before Judge
| Grubb and that the old man wa.
going to die and is hard boiled
Grady Reynolds, 17-year-old boy
| declared that he had been arrested
accused cf being liar by Major
Baldwin and told that we'll break
your neck with Kelly Barnett If yol
| don't talk
Taken BEFORE baldwin
Kelly Barnett said guardsmer
came to his home, knocked on the
door as though the house was on fire
and arrested him. Il was taken be-
fore Major Baldwin who cursed me
like dog" said Barnett. "They tool
me up on the third floor and told ms
II I got ont ! would jump out ant
break my damned neck"
Arnold Sharrit, IS years old, sale
he was twice arrested, and that the
last time he was placed In a dirty
nasty room on the third floor" Wher
he asked for chair. he said. one Of
the> guardsmen said, Hell, no. lie
him sit on the floor" He was given
one blanket to sleep under. he said
on cold night. He said he was told
that he would be released IL he would
tell on some of the older men.
Sharrit said that after he was re-
leased the first time he was followed
to Attorney Altman's office, ant
was asked after he had left the Of
flee what he went for. II told them
II was none of their business" sait
Sharrit.
'eThen they threw me against the
wall. choked me, knocked some oil
my teeth loose and cut my gums by
thrusting their hands in my mouth
They then told me they would knock
hell out of me next time" p
Thompson testified that he was ar.
rested with Cox, handcuffed and i'm
,prisoned. He declared that in the
middle of the night one of the guards
men came ripping down the hal
and said he wanted to kill sen body