O. G. Griffith testimony
(transcriber may have made spelling and punctuation changes)
O. G. Griffith.
Direct Examination. By Mr. Belcher.
Q: What is your name?
A: O. G. Griffith.
Q: Have you been sworn?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Where do you live?
A: At Hernshaw on Main Street, Kanawha County, this state.
Q: Where were you living in the month of August, '21?
A: At Hernshaw on Main Street.
Q: Did you see this armed assembly on Len's Creek during the month of August, 1921?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: How many men assembled on Len's Creek from Marmet would you say?
A: I would not hardly know how to say.
Q: Give the jury some estimate of the number gathered in there.
A: Four or five thousand or maybe more or maybe less.
Q: How long did they camp on Len's Creek?
A: I could not answer that question correctly.
Q: Was it more than one day?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Was it several days?
A: Yes, sir, several days.
Q: How did these men come in there?
A: How do you mean, how did they travel?
Q: Yes.
A: Some afoot and some in automobiles.
Q: What if anything were they carrying?
A: Some had guns, some revolvers and some nothing.
Q: About what proportion carried guns?
A: I could not say. There was a good many guns.
A: All kinds I think.
Q: What do you mean by all kinds?
A: Twenty-twos, double barreled shot guns, single barrel shotguns, rifles and revolvers.
Q: Any high-power rifles?
A: Yes, sir, I seen some.
Q: Were you at the camp at Len's creek on August the 24th, when Mother Jones made her speech there?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Were Frank Keeney, Fred Mooney and William Blizzard there on that occasion?
A: Well, I don't know. I don't know Mr. Keeney or Mr. Blizzard. There was some parties there that they said was them.
Q: What did you hear Mother Jones say during her speech?
A: I cannot tell you all she said, she was opposed to the drive and tried to get the boys to go back.
Q: What was the result of her speech advising these men to go back?
A: They seemed to be a division. Some wanted to go back and some didn't.
Q: Was a vote taken as to whether or not they would go back?
A: If there was I don't know it.
Q: After Mother Jones had advised these men to go back, what happened?
A: How do you mean?
Q: Did you see anyone else there that opposed the action of Mother Jones telling these men to go back?
A: Yes, sir I heard men opposing it.
Q: Did you find out at that time who these men were?
A: No, I did know any of them?
Q: Were you told by any one in the crowd who these persons were?
Objection.
Sustained.
Q: What did this person who opposed the men going back say?
A: Well, I don't know that I heard but one man say much and I don't know who he was.
Objection.
Overruled.
Q: What did you hear this man say that opposed Mother Jones' speech to these men going home?
A: I heard several men say that Mother Jones was a fake and that the telegram that she had there was a fake, and that they were going on the march.
Q: Now repeat the exact language there if you can?
A: I never heard but one man make a speech he called his men together by numbers and made a little speech to them and said it was a fake telegram and that they were going on.
Q: Did they say where they were going at that time?
A: I don't recollect that they did.
Q: Now, after this man said that it was a fake telegram what was done?
A: One of the locals as I judged it to be formed in line and started up the creek.
Q: Away from Marmet?
A: Yes, up Len's Creek.
Q: That was in the direction of Boone County?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Did these men who started on a march at that time have arms?
A: Yes, sir, some of them were armed.
Q: Did you see a guard line thrown out there or hear anything said about not letting anyone leave the camp?
A: I found a guard line as I went back.
Q: Where was it?
A: It was below, down the creek two or three hundred yards.
Q: Below where the speech was made?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What was this guard line doing as you went back?
A: They was stopping anyone from passing without you seen a Committee, I believe that was the way of it.
Q: Were these men armed?
A: Yes, sir. Now, I don't know that they all were, some of them had arms.
Q: Was any one allowed to go through those guard lines carrying a guns?
Objection.
Sustained.
Q: Did these guards take any arms from persons who desired to go out?
A: I didn't see them take any, but it was supposed they did.
Objection.
Sustained.
Q: Tell what the orders were?
A: That no one was to go through the guard line armed.
Q: Did you have a gun?
A: No, sir.
Q: Do you know to what local union of the mine workers these persons belonged that started on the march after this man said "we are going on?"
A: No, I don't only what I heard.
Q: Did you get any information on the ground at that time?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What was the local?
A: It was the Wet Branch Local.
Q: That is on Cabin Creek?
A: Yes, sir, about two miles or a little over, up Cabin Creek.
Q: What time did you leave the camp that day?
A: After the speaking was over, I left it as quickly as I could get away.
Q: In which direction did you go?
A: Down the creek home.
Q: How far below the camp do you live?
A: A little over half a mile.
Q: How many guard lines did you encounter going down the creek?
A: Only one.
Q: What was the extent of that guard line?
A: I believe there was some parties stopped me just fifty or sixty yards below there and asked some questions, I don't know whether that was a line.
Q: What statement was made to you by the parties stopping you?
A: They asked me who I was, where I was going and what my business was.
Q: Were you asked to what local you belonged?
A: No.
Q: That was a public highway leading down Len's Creek?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: And there was also a railroad track there?
A: It was above the railroad, probably half a mile.
Q: You stated to the jury that you were held up and told to see the committee before you would be permitted to go out. Do you know to what committee they had reference?
A: I won't state really whether it was a committee, but they told me a certain I would have to see and I seen him and he passed me through.
Q: Were Mr. Keeney and Mr. Mooney leaving the camp at that time?
A: No, sir.
Q: You say you had to see one person, who was the person you saw to get out?
A: I was told by one of the guards that there was a certain person, some other parties were waiting to get out and were taking the time up and I had to wait.
Q: When you waited until they got through, did you then see him?
A: Yes, I seen him and he told them to pass me.
Q: Do you know the name of that party?
A: I do not.