The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-26
ACTIONS OF MOB
 UPON FATAL NIGHT TOLD BY WITNESS.
Defense Attorney Attacks Le- gaIity of Probe Conducted by State-EVidence Will
 Go to Grand Jury
By Associated r.ress

DAD lROR, La, Jan. z0.-lne open hearing conducted here by the state of Louisiana into the opera tions of masked men in the parish, which Attorney General A. V. Coco has characterized as "the Warehouse atrocities" ended today after hav- ing been in session continuously since January 5. Scores of wit nesses testified concerning flog- gings, deportations, circulation of warnings by a vigilance commit tee," kidnapings and the spiriting away of Watt Daniel and T. F. Richard on August "A, no news of whom was found until their bodies floated to the surface from the depths of Lake La Fourche on De- cember 22.
 Last Seen Alive
 The entire hearing revolved around the disappearance of Daniel ard Richard and virtually every witness was questioned as to his or her knowledge surrounding the elrcum- stances of their Kidnapping.
 Until today, no witness had tes- tified who had knowledge of the movements of the kidnapers after they were seen at Collinston, eight miles east of here, the night of August 24, when the hooded captors released three other men taken with Daniel and Richard and obtained a supply of gasoline for their cars
 Leon Jones of Mozelle, Miss. the only witness at the concluding ses- sion, testified that his car was dis abled on the highway about three quarters of a mile from Lake La fourche, sometime in August" and that during the night one small touring car and small truck con- taining masked men and two others who appeared to be prisoners, passed him bound toward the lake. Some time later the cars returned from the lake and he said there seemed to be no prisoners.
 Placed in Truck
 It has been established that Daniel and Richard were placed Tn a small truck at the scene of the Kidnapping and they were in the truck when the cavalcade stopped at Collinston. Jones, however. could not say wheth- CT it was the night of August 24
 
 ing car near the lake.
 The hearing adjourned at 1925 o'clock this forenoon, but a few min utes prior to that time Attorney General Coco made statement to the court declaring that evidence had been developed sufficient to show the Ku Klux klan responsible for lawlessness in the parish.
 Judge William Barnette. counsel for the only men, who, expecting they will be defendants. have re- tained legal aid. attacked in a lengthy formal statement of the legality of the opening hearing and the char acter of testimony adduced.
 Judge Resents Statement
 Judge Fred NJ. Odom, who presid- ed at the hearing. immediately be- tore adjournment took exception to certain statements of Judge Bar nette, declaring they were reflec- tions upon the court and that he ex- pected to issue a formal statement upon the subject.
 Judge Barnette. in brief verbal statement in reply, declared no re- fleetion whatever upon the court was intended
 Evidence developed at the hear ing will not be placed before the grand jury until all the testimony taken here has been transcribed and briefed. It has been stated by an associate of the attorney general that the brief cannot be prepared within less than three weeks after the work of transcribing has been completed while it is believed. it will require from four to six weeks. Attorney General Coco will place before the jury only the brief. and a copy of the transcript, and will. have none of the witnesses on hand unless the jury requests that they be sum- moned. It was stated that nothing concerning the decisions of the jury would be made public until it made it's report to the court.
 New Grand Jury
 Six months term of the present grand jury expires the first Monday in March ard 1t is hardly likely that the case will be presented to that body. The new jury is to be selected and organized that day and it is re- garded as highly probable that the first work It will have will be the investigation of charges filed by the attorney general.
 The attorney general has stated on several occasions that none of the prospective defendants would be ar rested until after the grand jury re- port. Dr. B. NJ McKoin, former mayor of Mer Rouge, and T. Jeff Burnett, former Warehouse deputy sheriff, however. already have been charged with murder in connection with the death of Daniel and Richard and both are at liberty under $5,000 bail
 It has been declared by the at torney general that the state would geek the indictment of between 25 and 50 persons on charges ranging from murder to assault and battery it has been stated off cially. will figure prominently in the case when it is brought to the atten- ton of the grand jury and other all legged acts of the hooded bands are covered by law enacted at a special session of the legislature in 1870.
 Special Law Invoked
 Section oi this act provides that whoever shall conspire with an other person. or persons. to commit pr procure the commission of murder. perjury and numerous other crimes, ,hali be imprisoned, upon conviction.