Brown Galford

 

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  Jury Selection Challenges: The sources mention difficulties in securing a jury for trials related to the mine conflicts. In the case of John Collins, who was charged with a felony stemming from a shooting at Mohawk, McDowell County, "It took some time to secure a jury". This suggests that finding impartial jurors in the midst of the conflicts was a challenge.
• Mingo County Jury from Monroe: A jury from Monroe County was called to try a case in Mingo County involving Reese Chambers and Fred Burgraff, who were indicted for murder. The original jury failed to agree and was discharged, so a second jury from Monroe County was called to try the case.
• Acquittal in McDowell County: A McDowell County jury found three men not guilty in the killing of Sid Hatfield and Ed Chambers. This acquittal was in the same courthouse where Hatfield and Chambers were killed. This indicates that juries in the area were not always finding defendants guilty in cases related to the mine conflicts.
• Second Trial in Randolph County: A case against Brown Galford, accused of killing George W. Duncan, was moved to Randolph County after a mistrial in Pocahontas County. The Randolph County jury also failed to reach a verdict. The retrial and change of venue illustrates the challenges of finding an unbiased jury in the region.
• Not Guilty Verdict in Mingo: In another case, a jury in Mingo County returned a verdict of "Not Guilty" in a case that had been going on since January 26th. The source states, "we said there was no doubt about the guilt of the men but we did not believe that any jury in that section would find them guilty".
• Grand Jury Indictments: A special grand jury in Logan County indicted C. Frank Keeney, Fred Mooney, and others on charges of first-degree murder related to recent disorders. Around 200 more individuals were indicted on other charges, including aiding insurrection and pistol toting. This shows that the grand jury system was actively involved in prosecuting individuals involved in the mine-related conflicts.
• Red Men Act: The murder indictment against Jim Hayes was "based on an alleged violation of the Red Man act". The grand jury held that there was a conspiracy to inflict bodily harm, and as a result John Gore had been killed. This highlights how legal structures were used in response to the violence.

In summary, while the sources don't offer an example of a Pocahontas County jury directly involved in mine war cases, they do indicate that juries in the surrounding areas were deeply involved in the trials related to the conflicts, and that the outcomes of these trials were often complex and controversial. The challenges in securing unbiased jurors and the variety of verdicts point to the difficult social and legal environment surrounding the mine wars.