Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-05-22
TOWN IS UNMOVED
BY HARLAN FIGHT.
London, KY, Goes Its Own
Way as Outsiders Battle
in Labor Case.
BY the Associated Press.

LONDON, NY, May Ll.-1HlS Iedt
little city in the green foothills OF
the Cumberlands-scene of the Gov
ernment's attempt to back up the
Wagner Labor Act by criminal statutes
was on the Nations front pages this
week and will be for several weeks.
But the solid citizens of the town,
nudged off into spare bedrooms by
visiting lawyers, prospective jurors,
witnesses and newspaper writer's by
the score, eyed the trial with COM
paratively scant concern as the tedious
process of selecting jury went all
week, and the Government made
ready to start its evidence after two
alternate jurors are seated Monday.
The Band Festival today was Of
almost equal concern. Musicians from
10 high schools and one college came
to town for the festival. Flags and
bunting draping the store fronts were
for them, not for the trial of county
coal operators, coal companies and
present and past peace officers of Har-
Ian County, charged with terrorlzing
the Harlan coal fields to prevent
union organization.
Is Mountain Town.
London is a mountain town, but its
people want the world to know they
dom spend their time making noun
tain dew" carrying squirrel rifles and
lodging ''revenuers.
C;,,ic Looetorc mould ,;I,o ,;c;+;,o va
porters to tell the world about Lon
dons library cone Of the best in this
section"D Sue Bennett Junior Col
leee, which is housing half of the
Governments $50 witnesses, and the
city's friendliness
London, with a population of 1000
Civic boosters call it $500 and claim
nearly half of them are members of
Sunday schools) has two weekly news
papers. The editor of one, a young at
torney, devoted his front page to the
trial this week. The editor of the
other was less interested.
Our people don't care much what
goes on up there" he said Just
the fact that the trial is being held
is all they care about Now if you
could mention the band festival we're
having
On the third floor of the well-kept
Federal Building is the oval-shaped
courtroom, where black-robed Judge
H. Church Ford presides over the
trial Of 20 Harlan coal corporations,
% officers of the companies and %
law officer defendants.
Use Of Force Charged.
The Government charges the opera
tors arranged with company-paid dep
uty sheriffs appointed by former
Sheriff Theodore r. Middleton to keep
miners from joining the United Mine
Workers of America-by force, when
necessary.
The case is important to the Gov
eminent. II the 81 defendants are
found guilty. the Department of JUS
tice will have found teeth for the
National Labor Relations Act. An
1870 statute guaranteeing to United
States citizens their rights has been
invoked as a basis for trial since the
National Labor Act has no criminal
section.
The composite operator defendant
Is conservatively dressed. He watches
the proceedings closely. He says little
He sits side by side with the peace
icer-defendant He laughs occa-
sionally. His eyes do not have trou-
bled look. He averaged perhaps IS
years Of age.
The composite deputy sheriff-de-
fendant is in his mid-30s. He wears
a neatly pressed suit, but pays
little attention to color ensembles.
One ex-deputy, Ben Untbank described
by Civil Liberties Committee witness
last year as the operators head road
KillerD, wears a blue suit and vivid
green socks. Through big. round spec
tacles he calmly watches the proceed
ings. his hands folded over an ample
beltline.
Ex-Sheriff Icily Aloof.
Theodore Middleton-who went out
of Office as Harlan sheriff the first of
the years meticulous in dress, icily
ahof. His short-cropped hair is gray
ing. He Is World War veteran.
Nineteen attorneys form an arc about
the defense table. There are seven,
eight, on the Government
side of the court.
The prosecution is headed by Assist
ant United States Attorney General
Brien Mcmahon of Washington.
is In charge of the criminal
Of the Department of Justice.
He is tall, stocky. black haired. He
sleeps and eats" the Harlan case.
The defense's chief is Charles I.
Dawson Of Louisville. Before quitting
the Federal district bench, Dawson, q
held several New Deal
laws unconstitutional He has gray,
bristly hair and a booming voice. He
dresses in gray and wears a floppy
panama. He speaks rapidly, but there
is trace of drawl even in his clipped
sentences.
Presiding Judge Ford is precise. inn
patient at times, quick to override or
sustain an objection. He is a Roose-
welt appointee. He dresses conserva-
lively, and has CHEEKY greeting for
on the street.
Mexico Is the leading world pro-
Queer Of silver and in the last five CEN
turtles has yelled about $500, DOC, 900
ounces Of silver, more than 80 per cent
Of world production during that period.