Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-01
TEXAS TROOPS PUT |
LID ON AT BORGER'
Soldiers Relieve Fears of
Long List of Witnesses,
Now Expected to Talk.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BORGER, Tex, October Relieved
by the presence of 100 soldiers adj
ministering martial law Of any fear
which might have locked their lips, a
long list of witnesses was under sub
poena to appear today before military
court of inquiry which Is investigating
lawlessness in this turbulent oil-boom
town.
The court Of inquiry was established
yesterday few hours after Brig. Gen.
Jacob Wolters led his troops into town,
proclaimed martial law and took over
the duties of all city and county peace
officers.
Scope of the investigation was not
outlined. but it is expected it will be
continued until the National Guard
officers sitting as members of the court
have sifted every angle of Borger's
crime. and charges that there has been
an Official conspiracy to protect crime,
in an effort to explain the assassina-
ton here September Is Of District At
torney John A. Holmes.
Court Hides Workings.
From noon until far into the night,
the court questioned residents Of Berger
yesterday, but no inkling Of its line of
procedure was revealed. It Is expected
the findings Of the court and names of
witnesses will be kept secret until
placed before q grand jury October II.
State rangers investigating Holmes
assassination have indicated that wit
nesses were afraid to talk before mar
tial law was declared, and that one
witness was threatened with death by
q policeman. Mayor Glenn Pace Of
Berger was arrested Sunday and
charged with sending a witness out Of
town. With all civil peace officers
ousted during the period Of military
control, investigators hoped they would
be able to get much more complete
testimony from timid witnesses.
The change from civil TO martial law
was made without confusion and there
was no semblance Of violence. Few
arrests were made and most Of these
were for intoxication. Clint Melhol-
land. a policeman. and Sam Jones, a
constable. were held for investiga-
ton" All peace officers were disarmed
as they were ousted.
Grand Jury List Plays Part.
Although nothing was said about the
progress Of the court Of inquiry, Gen.
VOTERS told reporters, some hours after
the questioning OF witnesses started,
that grand jury list stolen from the
county clerk probably would figure in
the solution Of the assassination.
The county clerks list has disap-
peared and officers believe it was stolen
by criminals interested in the delibera-
lions of the grand jury, when they OBJ
tanned the list and discovered that law
abiding citizens were to make up the
grand jury.
Although there was no suggestion
that there would be trouble the SOL
diers were well prepared for it. In
addition to the rifles which they carry.
the force had 20 12-gauge, Sawed-off
shotgunS and the usual cavalry side
arms. except that no sabers were worn.
Mrs. Ona Bryan, county clerk. will
call the men who were named on the
grand jury list to sit as a grand jury
october IA, and the findings and evil
dence Of the military court probably
will be presented at that time. Mrs.
Bryan is the wife of Burt Bryan. county
jailer. who resigned when Sheriff Joe
Ownbey was replaced by q Texas
ranger.
Gen. Wolters said that the investi-
gators had decided that Holmes alone
knew whom he contemplated prosecut-
ing and what he intended to prosecute
them for. The fact that this informa-
ton went to the grave with him has
made the task Of the investigators dou-
bly, hard, since they must call many
witnesses blindly. hoping for some in
dication as to the battle Holmes was
waging and the identity of his adj
versaries.