Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1922-08-29
BY GILBERT c. MckoWN

Charles Town, Aug. 29.-Nalter
/ Allen, on trial here for treason on
I charges arising from the march of
armed miners against Logan county
/ last August, today was called 'one
/ of the real trusted stealthy lead
ers" IN the armed march who car
ried out the instructions of his CO.
conspirators Crank Keeney. C.
Fred Mooney VIM. Blizzard and
| other United Mine Worker Off
cials.)" the Characterization being
made in III: States opening state
ment by Attorney A. NJ. Belcher
who traced the origin of the march
| back to Mingo county and the mar
tial law reign established there by
the governor.
The trial made Roadway this
morning with the filing of bill of
particulars by the state acceptable
to the defense, the swearing-in of
the jury and the introduction of the
first evidence which centered about
a eolored map showing the main
points in Kanawha. Boone and Lo-
gan counties which appeared in the
story of the march, the map
| having been prepared by Bruce NJ.
Mullen, of Madison. Boone county,
who took the stand and pointed
out 10 the jury the important
| towns and villages.
Specifies Charges Against Allen
The bill Of particulars filed this
morning set up Allen as one OF the
! ha
| ton of the alleged reasonable CON
| spiracy to levy war against the
| state, the execution of that conspir
! acv and the actual participation by
| Allen in the fighting which occur
red around Blair in Logan county.
| The defense made only one criti-
! eism of the bills,--that a motion to
compel a more exact specification
| as to the time when the alleged
overt act took place in Logan coun-
tv. but the Court held that the per-
| iod designated as between August
28th and September 4, 1921, was
sufficiently definite.
The bill alleges that during Aug
ust of last year in Charleston and
wha, Boone, Fayette, Logan and
Raleigh counties Allen conspired
kith Keenev, Mooney, Blizzard, Sa-
voy Holt and others 10 levy war
against the state; that in pursu-
ance of that conspiracy he assisted
in having assembled a large num-
| Der of persons and caused them to
arm themselves and to march from
| their homes to Lens Greek, Kama
wha county, at or near Marmet,
for the purpose of levying war;
that with others. as members OF
! the United Mine Workers, he CON
spired to and did levy war against
the state, and during the time
named he solicited and received
| funds for the purpose of carrying
I on the war, that he caused and in
duced officials Of mine union loo
ais within the jurisdiction of Dis
trict No. II, to furnish large sums
of money for the purpose of buy
ing guns and ammunition and 9th
err supplies to arm and equip the
members Of the organization; that
he solicited funds also from differ
ent persons whose names are prom
ised later by the state, and that he
also secured funds from what are
known as burial funds jointly
created by miners and the coal
companies, that he "Counseled, pro
cured, advised and directed" the
men so assembled and so armed to
invade Logan and Mingo counties
and to engage in actual warfare
against the state with reasonable
intent.
Claimed He Was In Fighting
The bill also alleges that Allen
was personally present at Lens
Creek before and on August "a,
that he advised the men there TO
begin the march to Logan and
Mingo and accompanied them from
Lens Creek to Boone county,
through Boone to Logan, and was
with the forces at various times
from August % to September 4;
that he advised with the forces in
their fight against the military
forces of the state; that he procur-
ed and furnished arms and ammun-
ition and delivered them TO the
armed forces, was armed himself
and actively participated in the
battles at or near Blair.
The jury was sworn in this morn
ing Immediately after the accept
ance of the bill of particulars.
Attorney Belcher's statement
was a sketch of the armed march
movement and a Characterization
Of Allen that supplemented the bill
Of particulars He declared Allen
was one of the real and original
conspirators in the alleged march
to levy war against the state for
the purpose of destroying the SOW
ereignty of the state in Mingo and
and Logan counties. He recalled
the declaration of martial law in
Mingo, the protests made by the
United Mine Workers, the distr!bu-
ton OF circular signel by Keeney
and others calling upon those ad-
dressed to "act," that the effective
ness of resolutions had ceased
and urging them to form "constitu-
tional leagues, recalled the threat
! of the mine union ocials to send
men by the hundreds into the south