The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-11
BY JOHN I. MOUTOUX
Times stan Corresnondent

FRANKFORT, KY, Jan. 11.-At-
tempted bribery by the Black Noun
tain Coal Corporation law" was
charged by Ruby Shadrick, 18-year-
old coal miners daughter, before
the Governors commission inves-
tigating conditions in Harlan county
She was at Evarts and saw jim
Daniels killed, she said. Later she
went to Harlan.
From there I was taken to Black
Mountain camp by George Lee and
George Haywood, the Black Noun
tain law" she testified. Il lived
with the Haywoods. They kept me
there six weeks.
While at Black Mountain they
offered to put me through a nurses
training school if I would testify
against the miners in the Daniels
case. They bought me about $50
worth of clothes.
They also offered my brother as
fine furniture as they could get in
the store at Black Mountain, and
as good job as they had in the
mines, to testify against two men
Bill Green and Williams"
Father, Brother Await Trial
She testified that George Lee,
Eek Cox and Bill Randolph, mine
guards, and E. B. Childers, super
intendent at Black Mountain, called
on her three times and asked me
not to come before this committee"
Her father and brother are now
In jail at Winchester, KY, awaiting
trial next April on murder charges
growing out of the Daniels killing
The name Bill Randolph appears
frequently in the commissions re-
port. He was once a deputy for
Sheriff Blair.
Blair dropped him because "he
was too handy with a pistol" Sew
eral witnesses testified that Ran
dolph had killed three or four men
and wounded others.
He shot man named ChaSteen
in the back, was tried and acquitted.
John B. Gross, Taller and ex-tax
assessor of Harlan county, told the
commission he saw the jury drawn
by the circuit court clerk, and de-
clared that it was drawn to acquit
Randolph-and did so, although
1t was a case Of FLOODED
murder"
All Have Records
The commission asked Sheriff
Blair about Randolph
isn't it your duty to see that the
men you appoint are men of good
character and standing?" he was
asked.
Eyes, sir"
Men that have no criminal rec
ord of any kind?"
mo, no, indeed" Blair replied.
you don't find many men in this
country that don't have a criminal
record"
This man Randolph, didn't he
have a criminal record?"
"He did"
Another frequently mentioned in
the report is Lee Fleenor, still a
deputy. He killed two men and
wounded third at the miners soup
kitchen about a mile above Harlan.
r. L. Howard, farmer and member
of the coroner's jury, reported to
the commission as follows:
Describe Murders
1.-TWO ladies who we're at the solEp
kitchen at the time said about a
minute before the shooting COM
menced Lee Fleenor came to the door
and told them to get the hell out
of there; we are going to blow the
place up
"They said, For Gods sake don't;
there are women and children in
here He said TO hell with the
women and children Then lights of
the car were thrown on two men
standing in the door of the soup
kitchen. Fleenor jumped out OF the
car and ran toward the kitchen
shooting"
The case was presented to the
grand jury, but no indictment was
returned. william A. Brock, COM
monwealth's attorney, said some OF
the main witnesses were absent and
could not appear before the grand
jury, and Circuit Judge D. G. Jones
said the case would be presented to
the next grand jury.
Judges Son Used Gun
jeff Baldwin, brother of one of
the two killed at the soup kitchen,
said he didn't appear before the
grand jury because he was attend
ing the rial of his brother.
jeff was with his brother and
Moore and was wounded. He told
the commission that the son of the
county judge was with Fleenor, and
fired some of the shots.
Are you going before the next
grand jury to testify?"
mo. sir"
why not? Are you afraid?"
It am afraid for one thing" he
replied. Another thing, figure it
wouldn't be any use. because the
county judges boy was in the
shooting. AS long as they have that
bunch of officers and judges it amt
no use"
Next: Radicalism in Harlan
County.