J. C. Grymes
(transcriber may have made spelling and punctuation changes)
Witness: J. C. GRYMES,
Direction Examination
By Mr. Ossenton
Q: Have you been sworn as a witness?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Tell the jury your name.
A: J. C. Grymes
Q: How old are you, Mr. Grymes?
A: 61.
Q: Where do you reside?
A: In Wake Forest, Ka[n]awha County, near Cabin Creek.
Q: About how far is Wake Forest from Marmet?
A: About 20 miles I would say approximately.
Q: What business were you engaged in last August and September?
A: Mining Coal.
Q: What is the name of the company?
A: Wake Forest Mining Co.
Q: What connection have you with that company?
A: General manager and president.
Q: Do you recall the assembling of miners in or near Marmet last August? Do you recall that occasion?
A: Yes, I recall it from hearsay and from the newspapers.
Q: Did you have an opportunity to pass Marmet during the assembling?
A: Yes.
Q: Can you recall the day or dates you passed Marmet?
A: I cannot.
Q: How did you travel going down to Cabin Creek Junction on the occasions you passed Marmet?
A: By trains to the Junction, then by street cars from the Junction into Charleston.
Q: Do you recall seeing men at or near your place during the time the men were assembling at Marmet?
A: Oh, a number of men passed our place.
Q: Armed or otherwise?
A: Mostly armed, but some were not.
Q: In what direction were they going with reference to Cabin Creek Junction?
A: Usually in the direction of Cabin Creek Junction.
Q: How were they travelling?
A: By foot, train and automobiles.
Q: Did you see any armed men at or near your store?
A: Constantly armed men were passing our store by automobiles and train.
Q: Just tell the jury what occurred during that time.
A: Well we were held up on two or three occasions and our store and house entered.
Q: Tell of the first occasion what happened.
A: On the night of the 23rd, or the evening, possibly half passed seven or eight o'clock were told a bunch of armed men would raid our store for arms. Our store had closed for the day, I called out store man and told him and he asked what we were to do -
Q: Just tell the jury what occurred between you and the men in the store.
A: The men went down to get in the store, I did not go down, I was sitting right across at my house, between half past twelve and one o'clock, a car stopped, and these men came into the yard and went to the store man's house and told him to come down and open the store they wanted to get his guns. He came out and went down with them, I did not go out, there was nothing I could do, but I sat at my window until they drove off and I went back to bed.
Q: How many armed men were in that party on that occasion?
A: It was night, Mr. Ossenton, and I could not see for our yard is full of trees, I could hear the talk, I heard them call the store man, but I could not see them.
Q: Tell them about the second occasion.
A: On the next night, about 10:30 I had just gotten in bed, I heard a car stop again - an automobile I refer to - some men came in my yard and on the porch and knocked on the door. I got up and come down to the front door, the door had glass in it, there were two men in front of the door, both masked, with guns pointed at me, one on each side. I opened the door and asked what they wanted to hold me up for, they said they wanted guns. I told them they had no grievance against us and asked why they wanted to hold me up, they said "We are at war, we want your guns." I said, "I will go and find them." They said they wanted to go to the third floor - they knew the law of the house by some way, so we went to the third floor and we had one rifle which they got and came down and went through the individual bed rooms. We had no arms there except one 32 - Smith & Weston [sic] which they took, when they left they said good night and departed, and I went back to bed. They drove off.
Q: How many men were in that party?
A: Six men were in the house as I recall and various men were scattered through the yard.
Q: Those men were all armed?
A: Yes, all armed.
Q: What kind of arms?
A: The men that were in the house had pistols, those outside had guns.
Q: Did you recognize any of these men?
A: I did not.
Q: Tell about the other occasion?
A: On the next night I would say about 10 o'clock I had not gone to bed, for we never knew what to expect, I was sitting on my porch and cars drove up again and stopped. Two men came into my yard, they were not masked, and said they wanted to go down and open up the store and get guns. I said, "You were at the store night before last and at my house last night and got everything we had." One of them said, "We were not in the party night before last or last night, you have got to go down, so, I went down and open up the store and they went in. They did not find anything in the way of arms of course and possibly not over 10 minutes they left, the fellow in charge said, "This fellow is telling it straight, there is nothing here we might just as soon go." We said good night to one another and I went back to bed.
Q: Did they obtain any goods or property on either occasion, if so what would be about the value?
A: On the first night they helped themselves to shoes and things of that sort the estimated memorandum made up by the store man is $90.00. That memorandum was made by my store man, I was not at the store that night.
Q: Did they get anything at your house besides the pistol?
A: Nothing but the rifle and pistol, that was all we had in the way of arms.
Q: I will ask you to tell the jury, Mr. Grymes, whether or not you heard these men say about where they were going and what was their purpose?
A: These particular men did not.
Q: Did any of the men you saw armed going through Cabin Creek Junction say anything about where they were going?
A: I don't think so, I heard the expressions of my own men as to what they were going to do.
Q: Did you have a local union of miners at your place?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you know whether or not any of your men went to Marmet or joined in the march?
A: Practically all of them, about 90%.
Q: Was your mine running at that place at the time the march started?
A: About one or two days a week, we lost as I remember about two days by the men being away.
Q: How long were the men away at the plant?
A: They were coming and going one or two weeks from the first of the march until the thing was over.
Q: Did you see any of your men after they left?
A: Yes.
Q: Thell [sic] the jury whether or not they were armed?
A: Most of them were, yes.
Q: What was the character of the arms?
A: Most of them had rifles, I am not familiar with fire arms. I know a 30-30.
Q: Tell the jury whether the men that left your place belonged to the union?
A: Yes, they did
Q: I believe you said you heard your men say something about their purpose.
A: I asked my men what they were going to do and where they were going. They said, "We are going to Mingo by way of Logan," and in one particular case they said they were going to take breakfast in Logan on a certain morning during the march.
Q: Did they say anything further about Mingo?
A: No, they did not that I can recall.
Motion to strike out the testimony of this witness.
Over ruled.
Exception.
Cross Examination waived.