Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-07
GASTON|A JUROR
BELIEVED IN MOB
Venire Ordered Into Court for
Witness to Point Out
Suspected Man.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CsASTONIA, N. c., November T.
The CASTOR County grand jury, which
two weeks ago refused to indict any OF
nine men held by the coroner in con-
nection with the mob murder of Mrs.
Ella May Virgins, today was ordered
into court for a witness in Judge P. A.
McElroy's inquiry to try to identify a
juror he thought he saw in the mob.
Meanwhile, three persons already
have taken the stand and identified
Horace Wheeler, Loray mill worker, as
the man who fired the shot which killed
Mrs. Ella May Virgins, textile striker
The State today had is other witnesses
ready in its efforts to solve one OF the
acts Of violence resulting from recent
| textile labor disorders in North Carolina
Judge Fender A. McElroy is conduct
| ing the third investigation into thu
| Staying of the fwoman. twenty-five
witnesses have been heard In the pres
ent inquiry.
Wheeler Named as Slayer.
Julian Fowler and Tom Melton
Besemer City mill workers, yesterday
added their testimony to that previousl.
given by B. l.. Case of Mount Holly
who said Wheeler shot the woman
Fowler, Melton and Mrs. Virgins were
Workers Union members who were at
tackled September IA by mob which
sought to prevent their attendance at 8
labor meeting.
A collision followed efforts Of one Of
the mob cars to force the truck from
the read. Mrs. Virgins was killed by q
shot fred just after the wreck.
Most of the Is other men charged
with Wheeler with murder and con.
spiracy to murder in connection witt
the Staying were linked with the moi
! attack by the testimony OF other Wit
nesses. viii Bradley, union member
testified I. NJ. Sosskman, defendant
ordered mob members to cease firing al
| union members who ran after the col.
lision. He also said he saw Jack Carver
defendant, present.
Believe Shots Fired From Truck
From cross examination the defense
apparently was attempting to establish
| the possibility that Mrs. Virgins wa.
killed by shot fired at the mob from
the seat of the truck. Defense attor.
neys asked witnesses If they did mo-
know there was a bullet hole through s
vision glass between the truck driver
! and the truck body.
The glass was broken in the collision
Fowler who Is crippled, said in testi-
flying that his crutch fell through it
A garage man who repaired the trucE
said he threw the broken pieces away
and was unable to produce them ir
court, although ordered to by Judge
McElroy.
Defendants in the case in addition
| to Jack Carver. Sosskman and Wheeler
are Yates Gamble, Fred Morrow, w. M
| Borders, Lowry Davis, o. H. Lunsford
| Troy Jones. Theodore Simms, George
| Fowler, Howard West, Roy Carver w
H. Holbrooks, L. H. Thompson and F
E. Hsney.
The subpoenas for attendance of tn.
| jury tomorrow morning we're ISSUED
after Charles Shope was recalled anC
testified that when in the grand jur,
room he was asked what the men In tn,
mob looked like and that he told thu
man.
You look something like one b
| them" referring TO men in cars follow
ing the truck from Gastonia.
! He said he told Deputy Virgins, whC
| worked up much of the evidence giver
in the hearing, about the incident.
Is Not Sure Of Identity.
Pressed for his reason for not havinl
told this when he testified yesterday
Shope said he was not certain of thu
! identity of the man and did not wan
to testify to anything wrong.
IT told Sheriff Virgins" he said
that I believed there was a nan in TIT
grand jury room who looked like mar
who was in car following the truck"
This happened Immediately after III
had appeared before the grand jury, n
said.