Evening star., 1929-12-12
SAY DEPUTIES SHOT
At FLEEING CROWD
Witnesses Tell of Clash in
Which Six Textile Work
ers Lost Lives.
nu the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press.
BURNSyILLE, N. c., December Ia
Testimony that deputy sheriffs fired at
textile strikers who were fleeing from
tear gas released by officers was heard
yesterday as the State presented the
first chapters of its story of the early
morning battle at a Marion cotton mill
October Q, in which six were killed or
fatally wounded.
Eight deputy sheriffs are on trial
here on a change of venue from Nc
Dowell County, charged with second
degree murder. G. L. Moody a textile
union member in Marion, testified he
saw the deputies fire into the crowd as
the strikers began running away to es-
cape the binding tear gas. Moody was
one of a number of witnesses who TOOK
the stand to tell of various phases
Of the disorder. for which Deputy Sher-
ifs B. l.. Robbins, Dave jarrett, Jim
Owens, Charles Tate. Taylor Green,
William Twiggs, Robert Ward and w.
A. Fender are on trial
From one of the witnesses for the
State the defense brought the state
ment, under discrimination. that
pistol cartridges were found In the
rockets of Tilden Carver, one of the
men fatally wounded when he was
taken to the Marion General Hospital
for treatment.
Says Pistol Was at Home.
DR.. j. p. Miller, manager of the hos
pital. said a number of cartridges were
found in Carver's pockets. but Carver's
wife, who followed on the stand, said
her husbands pistol was at home on
the dav of the shooting. State wit
nesses had testified that none OF the
strikers at the mill were armed.
VNI1xciRioY deaths
the hospital of Carver, Randolph Hall,
James Roberts, Luther Bryson and
George Jonas He said Jonas had a
handcuff on his left wrist when he
came to the hospital Samuel Vickers,
the sixth striker killed died before he
could be taken to the hospital.
Rom Minish the first witness In the
trial, saw no guns fired, he said, be-
cause few shots had been fired when
he fell unconscious with a bullet wound
through his head
On cross-examination he said he did
not hear Sheriff oscar F. Adkins tell
the strikers they should not keep men
out of the mill who wanted to work.
He said some of the pickets had
"harked" at non-union workers enter
ing the mill "as If they were dogs"
Judge Instructs Jury.
At this juncture Judge G. V. Cowper
of Kinston, presiding at the special
term called by Gov. Gardner, said he
felt the jury should be advised at this
time that 'laboring men have the right
to organize a labor union, that labor
union has the right to peacefully picket
so long as they do not disturb the
peace; they may discuss joining the
union, but they have no right to use
force, intimidation or threats to keep
others from work"
Moody, striker, testified that after
tear gas was released Twiggs. Owens,
Fender and Jarrett shot into the crowd.
He saw no weapon on the strikers,
adding that so or 60 shots coming
from the direction of the officers were
fired" He declared he had not threat
ened any men who wanted to go into
the mill, but had warned his nephews
to stay away because it looked like
trouble was coming"
He said he saw Jones with stick
poised over Sheriff Adkins. The stick
later was introduced in evidence. 1t
contained some lead Mrs. Jones later
testified that the stick was used by her
husband because of an injury to his
hand. She said the stick was orna-
mented with lead and presented to her
husband by friend.