The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-07-30
WITNESSES IN
STRIKE DEATH
FEAR VIOLENCE:
Gastonia IN. C.) Group,
Indicted for Staying, Ask
Venue Change.
INTIMIDATION ALLEGED
Court Battle Wages On:
Prosecution Claims
Killer Known.
BIZ United Prose

| On I utICN fffSF
GASTONIA, N. c., July 3d.
Charges that attempts had been
made to inti1nidate defense wit
resses in the trial of sixteen per-
sons for conspiracy TO murder in
the death of Chief of Police o. r.
Aderholt OF Gastonia we're made TO-
day by defense counsel as arguments
seeking a change Of venue were con-
| tinued.
The attorneys asserted that a
committee Of 100" from the Man.
vile JenckeS mill. one of those af-
fected by the textile strike last June,
visited the strikers tent city Mon
Gay night and threatened witnesses
residing there. The committee from
the mill fired some shots into camp,
counsel said.
The defense also offered an afd-
davit from Violet Hampton, a
striker, which said she knew the
man who fired the shot which killed
Aderholt the night of June 7, but
vas afraid to testify because she
had been warned by several per-
sons she would spend the rest of
her life in jail If she appeared in
court.
Cousel Alleges Assault
Another affidavit. asserting that
Tom Jinison of defense counsel,
had been assaulted and called vile
name on the main street of Gas
tonia. also was read.
F.. Frank Flowers began reading
the aff1davits in the place Of j. D.
Mccall, who was sick.
Having assured himself he had
saved his sister, Miss Amy Sohech-
ter, one of the defendants, from the
electric chair, since Solicitor J. G.
Carpenters announcement Monday
he would seek no first degree mur-
der verdictS against women defend
ants. Attorney Frank Schechter an
nounced his withdrawal from de-
fense counsel. He returned to New
York.
The sixteen defendants we're
cheerful when they came into court
quarter of an hour before the ses-
sion started today waving greetings
to friends.
Judge M. F.. Barnhill blusl1ed
deep red when an affidavit from a
bal Der named Barnhill vas read.
Court was adjourned shortly after
noon until 2:3o p. m.
Attorneys for both sides worked
far into Monday night reaping a
harvest of hundreds of affidayits In
support of their arguments. At de-
tense headquarters more than a
score of stenographers we're kept
busy taking dispositions from citi-
zens brought In by strikers from the
tent colony in an effort by counsel
for the defendants to show that It
is impossible for the accused to re-
ceive fair trial here.
Across the street at the headquar-
ters of the prosecution, in the Of
fees of Major A. J. Bulwinkle, MINI
eographed affidavits were stacked in
huge bundles. filled in by al who
could be reached.
Say Prejudice Dissipated
Aff1davits of the prosecution pur-
port to show that any prejudice that
may have been in the county imne-
diately after the death of Aderholt,
June Z, has been diSsipated, that the
defendants will be able to get a fair
trial, and that the members of de-
fense counsel will be able to go and
come without molestation.
Judge M. v. Bar11hill, although
refraining from making any state
ment regarding a possible change in
the scene of the trial. did say, how
ever, that he would like to try the
case.
In the event the motion for a
change of venue is granted 1t will
be necessary to take the case to
Micklenburg county, as any other
move would take It out of the
judges district.
The grand jury which Monday
returned sixteen indictments Of con-
spiracy to murder, today was ex-
pected to dispose of the cases Of
seven other defendants who have
heey, raIaoead ~, S75n hail esch