Trial Alleging Conspiracy by Mill Owners Against Union Begins in Albemarle, N.C., Sept. 27, 1919

From The Daily Times, Wilson, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 27, 1919

Five Defendants Fail to Appear. . . An Effort to Prove Mill Owners Had Formed Conspiracy

Albemarle, Sept. 26—Five of the 27 textile mill operatives charged with rioting and conspiracy to resist the law, were absent and forfeited their bonds when the cases of the 27 were called for hearing before Justice of the Peace Littleton here today. D.E. Porter, another defendant, who was wounded in the disorder at the Wiscassett mill on September 15, was said to be still unable to attend trial. The day was consumed in hearing the State’s evidence against the 21.

Albemarle, Sept. 26—Evidence to prove that the manufacturing interests in Albemarle with their friends are guilty of conspiracy to break the laws of the State of North Carolina almost got into the record of the court today and the battle to keep it out was fiercely waged all day, wordy arguments between the prosecution taking up much time.

The first meeting of the textile operatives in Albemarle for the purpose of hearing a speaker and organizing a union was broken up by a party led by an unknown man who announced himself as the high sheriff of Stanly county and ordered speaker M.G. Ledford to leave the county at once. Backed into a corner by an enraged audience, he pulled a gun on them, which was taken from him. Report at the time had it that he escaped ducking in the nearby creek by giving the Masonic signal of distress. Ledford, being a Mason also, intervened and the man was allowed to leave. The occurred some three months ago.

Today Frank Dunn, witness for the State, admitted on cross-examination that he was present on this occasion and that he saw there Messrs. Joe Cannon, Jap Efird, Titus Efird, Alma Smith, M.L. Rogers, all associated with the mills, and Tom Manness and C.P. McSwain, deputy sheriffs. E.C. Hendricks, an overseer in the Wiscassett mills, was also a reluctant witness to the presence of these people.

Solicitor Brock objected to the introduction of this evidence at this time as not bearing on the case and made the statement that at the proper time he expects to investigate this other fight. Asked when, he replied, “That’s my business,” immediately following with the assurance that he intended no abruptness, only that the State was directing the case. Judge Thomas A. Jones held the belief that since the prosecution is introducing various matters pertaining to the membership and meetings of the labor unions it might also be held that evidence showing that effort was made to prevent the organization of the union by the unlawful breaking up of their first meeting could be considered. Judge Littleton ruled with the prosecution.

A number of witnesses told the story of the deputizing of numbers of men on the day of the shooting by the simple process of the mayor or a policeman or Mr. Jim Lowder, former alderman but present status unfixed in the record, going through the ceremony of creating special police by saying: “I deputize you special officer of the town of Albemarle,” presenting a card bearing: “Special officer appointed Sept. 15, 1919, J.A. Groves, Mayor,” and bestowing as a kind of identifying accolade a bit of blue ribbon for the buttonhole.

Evidence was much the same as in the Ritch Graham cases. Manyi of the same witnesses were introduced and their testimony was the same of the things heard in these meetings. When it came to the point of identifying the defendants of today as being present at the meetings, things rather lagged. Everybody was certain that the president was there, that the vice president was there, that Ritch and Graham were there. When it came to the naming as present the 27 men on trial today it was hard on witnesses who had for the most part stood in the rear of an overcrowded hall.