A. R. Browning
(transcriber may have made spelling and punctuation changes)
Witness - A. R. Browning
DIRECT EXAMINATION
by Mr. Osenton
Q: You have been sworn as a witness in this case, have you not?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Tell the jury name?
A: A. R. Browning.
Q: What is your age Mr. Browning?
A: 65 years.
Q: Where do you reside?
A: At Danville, W. Va. now.
Q: That is in Boone County?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Where did you reside in the later part of August and early part of September 1921.
A: At Blair, W. Va.
Q: What business were you in at that time?
A: The mercantile business.
Q: Running a general store?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Where was your store situated with reference to the depot at Blair?
A: About seventy-five yards below.
Q: Where was your place of business with reference to the County road? that leads from Blair to Logan Court House?
A: Up the road towards the depot the road was perhaps two or three rods beyond the depot.
Q: Have you ever traveled the public road from Blair to Logan Court House?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Tell the jury what Creek that road follows/
A: Well the Creek that the road goes up we know by the name of Whites Trace.
Q: Is there a mountain between the waters of Coal River on the Blair side and the waters of Guyan River?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: In going from Blair to Logan Court House would you cross the mountain known as Blair mountain?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What Creek does it follow?
A: Dingee [Dingess] Run.
Q: Is there more than one fork?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Which of the forks does the road follow, do you know the name of it?
A: I don't know as I know it anyway only as the road fork.
Q: Do you know whether it was called Georges Creek or not?
A: There is a fork in town on out a piece and we call that Georges Creek, and I don't know which one of the forks is meant.
Q: Do you know where the mining town of Ethel is?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What road do you take from Ethel to Logan Court House?
A: The Dingess Run Road.
Q: How far is it traveling that road from Blair to Ethel?
A: From Blair to Ethel well we call it six miles.
Q: How far is it from Ethel to Logan Court House, the County Seat of Logan County?
A: We call that six miles.
Q: What is the distance from Blair to the top of Blair mountain going toward Logan Court House?
A: Somewhere about one and a half miles would be my judgment.
Q: How long had you been in business prior to August of last year at Blair?
A: In the neighborhood of seven years there.
Q: Did you see any armed men of miners come into the town of Blair in the later part of August?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Do you recall the day of the month that they first came to Blair?
A: The day of the month.
Q: Yes, sir?
A: Well they were coming in there a number of days.
Q: Can you recall the day of the month you saw the first armed men come in, or the day of the week?
A: I don't think I can.
Q: How long did the armed men stay in the neighborhood before they left, if they did leave?
A: For several days. But as to the number of days I would be unable to say.
Q: Did you notice or observe how they came to Blair?
A: I seen them coming, getting off of flat cars and sometimes men came in automobile cars.
Q: From what direction did these men come on the train?
A: The train was running up the Creek.
Q: About how many men would you say during the time this force was in about Blair did you see, give your best judgment?
A: Well to the best of my judgment two or three thousand men.
Q: What kind of character of arms did these men have?
A: Different character of arms.
Q: Describe them/
A: High power rifles, shot guns, and pistols, all that I seen.
Q: Did you observe where they had headquarters, if they did have headquarters, after they assembled at Blair?
A: Well there seemed to be a large number across the Creek down the bottom, but I was not over there.
Q: Do you know whether or not there is a school house near there?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Did you see any supplies brought to these men after they arrived at Blair? and if so, how did they bring them?
A: I don't know that I observed any supplies.
Q: Do you know where they ate and slept?
A: No, sir.
Q: While they were there tell the jury whether or not any of these men were in your store?
A: Yes, sir many of them were in my store.
Q: Tell the jury what they did, if anything?
A: On the 29th, if I am not mistaken in the date, and I don't think I am, one man came with a bunch of men and a gun in his hand and demanded of me to open my store, said there was some men that wanted some overalls and shoes and just have them, and didn't have any money. I was sitting a few feet from my door and I got up and opened the door and about that time he repeated it again and I walked in and went around the counter and laid some overalls on the counter. He walked in with his gun and told me the men needed some overalls and shoes and didn't have any money, and repeated it again on that occasion, and I let them have all they called for and listed up a bill after they had gotten them. I asked them who to charge them to and they told me to charge them to the United Mine Workers of America, which I did. On the following day another man sent for me, or a man told me he did, and I went down and asked him what he wanted and he told me that he wanted me to open the store that they wanted overalls and shoes, and I opened the door. This time there was a considerable number of men standing there in front of my store.
Q: Were they armed or not.
A: Yes, sir. I opened the store and went in and they followed me and just crowded around behind the counted and helped themselves.
Q: Have you ever been paid for the shoes and overalls they got on either of these occasions by the United Mine Workers or anyone else?
A: No, sir.
Q: About how many pair of shoes would you say they took, or have you a memorandum that you can refer to?
A: I have a memorandum but I haven't it with me. All the shoes from the boxes that were left behind the counted. I made a memorandum of the shoes and clothing and dresses and waists.
Q: What kind of waists?
A: There were various kinds of waists.
Q: Name some of them?
A: Georgette.
Q: Ladies shirt waists?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What kind of dresses?
A: One silk dress that I know was gone, and several suits of clothes, and a good many odd pants and what overalls and overall jackets that I had and about all of the mens shoes that I had.
Q: Did you carry tobacco and cigars in your store at that time?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What about that?
A: Well there were a considerable amount of tobacco, cigarettes, and cigars. Some men threw them out of the window at the back of the store.
Q: Did you have any caps?
A: Yes, sir I had mens caps, they were all taken.
Q: Can you give the jury your best judgement as to the value of all the goods taken from you on the two occasions referred to.
A: Well now in addition to the bill I made out, in behind the counter there was more than a barrel full of empty shoe boxes that were tramped upon and I couldn't get any account of.
Objection.
Overruled.
Q: I am asking you without going into further detail about the aggregate value of the goods that were taken from you on those two occasions?
A: Well, between $1200.00 and $2000.00.
Q: From your store could you hear, and did you hear any of the shots on Blair Mountain?
A: Yes, sir I could hear the shots.
Q: How long did that shooting continue after these armed men came into Blair with reference to the time the Federal troops came in?
A: To be positive as to the length of time it continued up to the Federal Troops arrived I am unable to say, it was for some days but I am not prepared to say how many.
Q: Did you see any killed or wounded, members of the Miners army at any time while they were there?
A: I seen one man that brought to the doctor's office and died while in the office.
Q: Was he a white or colored man?
A: He was a colored man.
Q: Did you see any others?
A: I seen two men that were brought to the doctor's office and taken in there that were wounded.
Q: Were they white or colored?
A: They were white.
Q: Do you know what nationality the white men were?
A: One I understood to be an Italian and the other was American born.
Q: Do you know or did you at any time know a man by the name of Velasco Carpenter?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Did you learn or hear of the killing of John Gore?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Did you hear any shot that morning before you heard report of Gore's death?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: From what direction did you hear these shots with reference to the road that leads across Blair mountain?
A: It was back that way.
Q: Did you see Belasco Carpenter a short time after you heard the shots?
A: I seen him in the warm part of the day before I had eat dinner.
Q: From did you learn that John Gore and others had been shot?
A: Well I heard it before I seen Mr. Carpenter, but he was the first man that told me any details in reference to it.
Q: Tell the jury what Belasco Carpenter said to you upon that occasion with reference to the killing of John Gore if anything?
Objection.
Sustained.
Q: At the time you talked to Belasco Carpenter tell the jury whether or not the shooting on Blair mountain was still going on?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: How long did it continue on that occasion after you talked to Belasco Carpenter?
A: Several days.
Q: How many days would you say it was after you talked to Belasc[o] Carpenter before the Federal troops came in?
A: Well, two, three or four days
Q: I now ask you to state what Belasco Carpenter said to you upon that occasion?
Objection.
Sustained.
CROSS EXAMINATION
by Mr. Townsend.
Q: You say you heard of the killing of John Gore?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What day of the week was that?
A: I am not positive.
Q: Give the best of your recollection about it.
A: Possibly Wednesday.
Q: Can you fix the day of the month?
A: No, sir, I cannot.
Q: Now, Mr. Browning, maybe we can refresh your recollection. You say it was on a Wednesday?
A: Well, I didn't say positive.
Q: To the best of your recollection?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: You are reasonably certain of that?
A: Well, that is really my opinion, but I can't be positive
Q: To the best of your knowledge it was on Wednesday?
A: Wednesday or Thursday is my judgment.
Q: Which was it to the best of your judgment?
A: I am unable to say.
Q: You say it was Wednesd[a]y or Thursday?
A: That is my judgment.
Q: How would you say about it being Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday?
A: I give you the best of my judgment. At that time, I was not well and this was a heavy thing on me, and I would not be able to give you better than that. That is the best of my judgment, sir.
Q: Can you say whether this was in August or September?
A: Well, now it was about the last of August or first of September, but to be positive I could not say.
Q: How far did you say it was from where you were to where the firing was?
A: To the best of my judgement 1-1/2 to 2 miles.