The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-09

bond for a lady named Wakefield
(He referred to B. B. Golden, a de-
tense attorney in all of the mine
war cases, and Mrs. Jessie Wake
field, of the International Labor De-
fense) Il did so. In less than ten
minutes friend warned me / had
better leave town. I went to
Middlesboro. That night my house
was burned. No investigation was
made.
Insurance Cancelled
"The next week a store building I
owned and which WAS being used
as soup kitchen was blown up. 1
collected insurance OH the house,
but not on the store, although it
had been insured, too. The agent
said / wasn't entitled to any, and
Cancelled the insurance on all nv
other property"
Middleton is a member of the
school board at Evarts. He told the
commission that one night at a
meeting of the board, billiard Mid
dleton, Evarts policeman, came in
with gun and two pistols and said
he was going to arrest him.
HE raised his gun to shoot ans
] knocked it down." he said. we
took his arms, arrested him, and
took him to Harlan. In the court
room at Harlan, the officer. with
three deputies beside him, jumped
on me and hit me in the face"
Why don't you go before the
grand iury?" one of the commits
sioners asked.
Il don't think 1t would be worth
while" he replied.
"Whyq"
He came up here and abused an
other fellow. A warrant was taken
out, placed in the sheriffs hand, but
no arrest was made"
Brutalities Related
The farmer told of a Negro who
was thrown in jail and a pail of cold
water was thrown on him; of an
other who was chained to a, Wheel
barrow; of others who we've locked
up and chains put around their
necks.
Middleton's testimony caused the
commission to comment:
This mans testimony Che ap-
pears fine type of Kentucky
mountain mani discloses conditions
almost toe horrible for belief; yet
the facts he testifies to are borne
out and substantiated by other ap-
parently credible witnesses who
testified before this commission.
Here is work for a grand jury not
afraid of coal operators, miners. or
the law that is now in power in
Harlan"
Another farmer, 66-year-old
Elijah Fields, told the commission
this story:
John Middleton came to nv
house one evening. He was in
drunken condition. He got into nv
bed with his shoes on. He got out
his pistol. He was a bad man when
drunk. He has killed two or three
fellows.
I went to town to tell Murl Mid
dleton (Evarts policeman to come
down to get him oNt. Instead. he
cursed me, kicked me. broke several
of my ribs with a pistol, and put me
in Jail.
Sheriff Is Eyasive
billiard Middleton (another
policeman said: You go in jail
or I will shoot your damned brains
out He and N1dlrl Middleton put
me in by taking my legs and jerk
ing me around inside the Jail. He
said, damn you,. 1 will kill YOU. and
they jabbed in my ribs with a pistol
and broke my ribs"
Fields was charged with being
drunk but the city judge dismissed
the case.
This should be submitted to the
grand jury" the commission said in
Its report to the Governor.
The commissioners asked Sheriff
Blair about the Elijah Fields case
Q-Have YOU heard of that Incl
dent?
Ayes, SIR.
Q-Did you render any service
you could to see that the matter
was investigated?
A-And presented to the court.
The commission added this nota-
ton to Sheriff Blairs deposition:
This man is a smart witness who
knows how to parry questions with