The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-20
WITNESS SAYS' WAS. MOb MEMBER.
First Man Arrested in Connec- ton With Warehouse Probe Is Identified New
 Masked Band Is at
 Work in Parish
 Br Associated Press

Attorney General A. V. Coco, con ducting the investigation here in o the operations of masked bands in Warehouse parish, sprang a sur prise today when at the opening of l the afternoon session of the open hearing he placed A. A. Berry Milestone on the stand. Whetstone, regarded as the states most important witness in it's effort to identify the kidnapers and slayers of Watt Daniel and T. F. Richard. almost at the beginning of his testimony named T. Jeff Bur nett, former deputy sheriff now under arrest on a charge of mur- der, as one of the members of the masked band that had Daniel and Richard in charge the evening of August "A at point on the 3astrop and Mer Rouge highway two miles from Bastrop.
 Witness Under Guard Milestone, since stating several weeks ago that he had identified one or more of the masked men has been in charge of the authorities at an unannounced place and when he un- expectedly appeared in the court room, lie was escorted by Detective Chief Glynn. of the New Orleans po- lice department. He left the room, accompanied by Glynn immediately after concluding his testimony. was joined by agents of the federal de- partment Cf justice and in the ab- sence of an announcement as to his whereabouts 1t was assumed he was 1 taken .o Baton Rouge or some other city.
 Newt Gray. declared yesterday by , Fred Eubanks to have been mem Der of the band which Kidnapped Dam iel and Richard, was named again today as one of the party. Mrs. J. H.. Inabnet cf Mer Rouge, testified that after attending the barbecue and baseball games in Bastrop on August 24, she started for home in an au- tomobile driven by Thelma Dade, granddaughter of J. l.. Daniel and niece of Watt Daniel. The car, she said. was held up by the masked band and when it was ascertained no men were aboard, 1t was ordered to pro ceed. Miss Dade saw her grandfather and uncle blindfClded and guarded by hooded men and became so agi- tated that Mrs. Inabnet had to take her place at the wheel of the car.
 Womnn Testifies
 Mrs Irabnet said the mask of the hooded man was torn, that she rec ognized him and upon being pressed for his identity declared it was Newt Gray.
 Whetstones experience with the hooded band was unlike that of ether persons held up. He resides at Oak Ridge, and walked to Bastrop to attend the celebration. He left for home jn the evening afoot with the expectation that he would be given lift by d passing motorist and while walking saw an automobile parked near the highway. He assumed it was a party of picnickers. but upon ap preaching, discovered the persoLs about the fire were black hooded men.
 He almost reached them before he was noticed, he said, and when 50 feet away one of the men called him by name. They gave him bucket and told him to get some water.
 Whetstone said upon his return he sat on log for 30 minutes in the midst of the party. He noticed wires hanging down and discovered that the telephone lines had been cut.
 Pretty soon." he continued the crowd came from Bastrop and all got held up. Then about 20 minutes later someone said they had Watt Daniel, J. l.. Daniel, W. c. Andrews and those other fellows. Then 1 got loose from them and caught car and rode to Oak Ridge.'
 Recognized Burnett
 Asked if he recognized any of the masked men, Whetstone replied:
 Yes, T. J. Burnett"
 Are you positive?"
 "Yes. he had his mask up."
 Did he ever indicate afterwards that he knew you had recognized him?" Attorney General Coco, exam ming him, questioned.
 "Yes. every time 1 would see him he woindA smile at me just as if to say, Well, you know. '
 Burnett soon after his arrest and incarceration in the parish jail here, developed pleurisy and was removed tc a hospital in Shreveport. He vir- tually has recovered and left that city late today under guard to be re- turned here.
 Other testimony regarded by the states forces as of vital Importance to it's case was offered at the fore noon session by William J. Mcdonald, bro ther-in law of J. l.. Daniel MT. Mcdonald declared that Jap" Jones, mentioned frequently in previous tes- timony, had told him that the whole damned family" would be "cleaned out before the alleged attempt to assassinate Dr. B. NJ. McKoin, former mayor tf Mer Rouge, was settled
 Mcdonald said Jones did not know he was related to the Daniel family and when he learned of it. asked him to forget the conversation.
 Mcdonald declared he called Jones' hand and that Jones said T needn't get so mad about it. He added that ho told Jones no one had ever shot at Dr. NcKoin and he explained at length why he held this belief ANOTHER MASKED BAND
 REPORTED OPERATING
 BASTROP, La, Jan. 19.---A black hooded band still is operating in