The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-02-17
A N FOREIGNER
PROP ACANDA AIDS
C A N C
Continued from page II.

in opening the final argument for the
defense dealt only with the evidence
produced by the prosecution thru
witness he examined the prosecution
evidence and showed that upon that
basis the defendants should be re
leased.
Prosecution Evidence Weak.
The evidence of the prosecution is
as follows:
Regarding Henry Corbishley seven
prosecution witnesses said nothing
against him. Only two said that he
had been in the fight around Cobb.
One said he had seen him with
chair in his hand. Four others said
they had heard him shout something
but all one of them had different
versions of the words shouted
In rebuttal Henry Corbishley pro
duced witnesses to prove that he was
not in the hall when the fight took
place. Besides this Lon Fox who
stated that he was standing close to
Cobb during the fight could not say
that Henry Corbishey had struck
Cobb.
Karadich Wrong Man.
Eleven witnesses said nothing against
Mike Karadich One claimed he saw
him with a chair, and only Cobb and
Jess Alexander said he had struck
Cobb. Karadich brot witnesses to
prove that he had never been known
as mike Krodich" the name under
which he was indicted.
Six witnesses said nothing against
Stanley Paurez, while eight claimed
that he had shouted something in
foreign language at the end of the
meeting. The frame-up was that
Paurez had precipitated the attack on
Cobb when he shouted something in
foreign language. Since Paurez is
a Lithuanian and the audience was
overwhelmingly Slav the problem
arises how he could have conveyed
anything to them in Lithuanian.
Only five of the fourteen prosecu-
tion witnesses said anything against
Steve Meanovich, while nine of them
had nothing to say against him.
Cobb stated that Frank Corbishley
was at the meeting and that he saw
the print of a gun under his shirt.
One other witness claimed that Frank
Corbishley had shouted threats
against Cobb. On this evidence he
was convicted
Ignatz Simich struck Cobb, said six
witnesses, while eight said nothing
against him.
Eight Witnesses VS.. Two.
Against Martin Simich eleven prose
cution witnesses said nothing Two
claimed that he had kicked Cobb, and
Cobb himself claimed he was struck
by Simich. Against these three wit
nesses eight witnesses took the stand
and proved that Martin Simich was at
home all the night of the meeting.
But these eight witnesses were the
especial butt of the ridicule of the
prosecution attorneys because they
were foreigners.
said anything against Eddie Maleski.
These eight miners were found
guilty on the basis of the evidence as
outlined above. The testimony of the
forty-two defense witnesses may as
well-never have been given so far as
the jury was concerned because most
of them were foreign-born. Cobb,
who claims that the first blow that
struck him dazed him, is also the one
man for the prosecution that claims
to have seen and heard everything
that went on. He alone was cool
headed and calm while at the same
time he claims that twenty-six men
afterwards reduced to thirteen)
were trying to murder him.
beyond Reasonable Doubt"
In spite of the lack of conclusive
'evidence against the accused the jury
decided that eight of them were
guilty as charged beyond reasonable
doubt. It is quite evident that the
jury responded to the appeals of the
prosecution directed to rousing their
prejudice against foreigners.
The defense made a motion for
new trial as soon as the verdict was
read. Argument for the new trial
will be heard on March 20.
Miners Rally to Defense.
The first round of this fight has
gone to the Fox-Cobb machine in the
miners union. They have succeeded
in securing a conviction against the
progressive leaders of the Zeigler To-
cal. But the sentiment of the miners
around Zeigler, West Frankfort and
other towns shows that the miners
are behind the convicted rank and
filers. Now that 1t is quite apparent
that the eight convicted are in dan
ger Of going to the penitentiary, the
miners are rallying around them to
aid in the defense.
~