The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-02-18
A Preliminary
"Hearing''
BY ANN BARTON.
Written in the Pinevile County Jam
NIIE were inside the cnIIrtrnnn1 before WE rAah

WE were ulSlQe the courtroom DeIOre we ES64a
" lied we had come to the hearing.
The hearing had been postponed three times
because the miners came each time in thous
sands to demand our release, and was set for
Saturday They told us it only for a con-
ference with our attorneys they wanted us al
the courthouse on Friday. When we entered
the court they took us into the courtroom where
the judge was sitting on the bench the Counts
Attorney was ready, where all the enemies %
the strike operators, thugs, Red Cross leaders
were
The miners who tried to get into the eourSu
room were not admitted. They did not know Of
the hearing Only few we're in town. thoss
who having made the long trek stayed in town
through Friday. The conference" was orw
hearing-a hearing staged by the enemies OF the
strike
The county attorney repeatedly interrupted
proceedings. Patterson, attorney for the big
coal companies, stood up uninterfered with and
made speeches in court. The operators and
their obedient friends in the court room stamped
their feet and applauded. Attorney Smith got
Off cheap oratory against the union and the
defendants
When Allan Taub arose to be recognized as
the attorney Of the International Labor Defense
Smith asked him, do you believe in god?" ale
the s~a Taub was not on the witness stand
This blatant attempt to pervert the real issues
OF the case was SO obvious that Patterson more
subtle and ceverer representative of the coal
operators to save the face of the court aroga
and said he did not believe there was any
reason why Taub should not be permitted to
assist in the defense
The court agreed, although Smith had raised
many objections Taub's credentials-why did
he come down on case of just this kind. etc.
The attorneys for the ten raised the point that
trial. Smith said without hesitation, that the
plan was to inform the miners the trial would
be Saturday and then hold it Friday.
Workers peered into the court through the
open windows. The judge ordered them shut.
Smith, forced by circumstance to explain the
case being set for Friday said:
''Ihese miners, not of Bell County (511 alone
came from Left Fork Straight Creek. Bell
County, stirred by agitators might riot-might
cause blcodshed-and," Che said dramatically.
aware OF the coal operator audience) zone drou
OF Kentucky blood is worth more than the blood
OF all the Reds in the world"
The coal operators applauded The thugs an,
plauded. Mrs. Hutchins, head of the Red Cross.
VINO Will not give miners relief before first re-
, ceiV1ng the operators approval-applauded.
Patterson again arose and without irte-r7r.
tlon made speech to save the face of the
court the judge affirming his stand
wei" the judge finally said 'the hearing is
postponed until Tuesday, 10 a. m" And "ius-
tice" had had its say for the day
The attacks of County Attorney Smith wene
SO vicious because he knows the coal operators
stand firmly back of him. His attacks are des-
perate ones because he knows how solidly ths
miners are behind the National Miners Union
To paralyze the relief distributions. to disors
gan1ze the strike was the plan OF the operators
to be fulfilled by the arrest of the organizers
and workers OF the strike. At one swoop thew
hoped to send the miners back into the mines
at the conditions set by the operators-worse
starvation conditions than the miners have ever
experienced before.
Every action-the arrests-the subseouent
holding of the arrested for days without hear.
1ng-the attempt to rush through the hearinS
the hearing itseH-speak for the fact that the
operators will use every method at their disposal
to attempt to- force the miners to submit IN the
operators intentions to work the miners to thu
bone and shed Kentucky blood" drop by dron
through "flux" and starvation.
All throughout the country workers mush
quickly rally. The Kentucky and Tenness.e
miners do not stand alone. The plans of tbs
coal operators and County Attorney Smith musk
be smashed! This be done by rushing striks
relief funds to the Workers International Relief
10 West 2lst Street, New York City, N Y and
food and clothing to the Workers International
Relief warehouse las Pine Street. Pineville, Ky,