The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-14
THE TERRIBLE SUSPICION

III NY ucbpuLCuCb Ol rTludy evening, was IDD
legitimate consequence of the condition in which
the brettice was found after the fire. That it
was not sooner bruited was due simply to the
fact that the brettice was not especially noticed
by the experienced, intelligent miners going up
and down the shaft until after the dead had been
removed, or If they did notice it they naturally
did not speak of 1t until after the intensity of the
, affair had somewhat relaxed. When the sus-
picion did come it came originally from these
miners, and am frank enough to confess that
had heard it first from person in the interest
of the owners, or had seen any reason to sup
pose that ii had been set afoat in their interest
l should have hesitated to give IL publicity. But
it came in no questionable shape, and was rather
the result of the independent conviction of
miners who have been fighting the owners all
their lives. 1t founded on the pos
sibiity of incendiarism and the impos-
sibility of any other origin of the fire.
But the miners thus believing cannot see
how incendiarism clears the present
mining system of the great peril of working
mines with but one outlet and that incumbered
with infiammable material. Admitting that the
, system is carefully administered, they do not
intend the less to desist from efforts for its abro
cation, because as they believe, the Avondale
disaster was the result of design. The crime
committed by the person firing the shaft was
awful; but they believe the ldches of the owners,
which made the elimination of his crime posi-
BILE, scarcely less criminal
THE TESTIMONY TAKEN.
The evidence elected on Saturday was loaded
with much irrelevant matter, but that of George
Morgan, Anson Dunn, and one or two others
was conclusive on some disputed points. Nor
gan being an inside foreman, and most intelli-
gent and experienced miner, his statements of
fact can be taken without question, and his
opinions are entitled to respect. He swore posi-
lively in common with all other witnesses, that
the fire never was communicated from the fur
mace, but must have commenced near the top
of the shaft. How closely he examined the bret
tice before arriving at this conclusion is seen by
yhe fact that he was able 20 say that below the
mouth of the tunnel the upper edges of the
boards were burned, and the lower intact thus
showing conclusiyely that she fire burned down
and not up. When all the witnesses having any
knowledge of the subject agreed as to where the
fire commenced, only one gave an opinion as to
how it originated but he, in boldly saying it was
set on fire by an incendiary, evidently expressed
the opinion of all
TESTIMONY TO BE TAKEN.
II is not certain that the evidence to come
will bring this matter into bold relief, but it has
taken such firm and exclusive possession OF the
minds of the leading miners that there is great
probability that it will In that case the drift of
the evidence will be to show that the incendiary
could easily have reached the shaft through the
tunnel, and have poured kerosene or some other
iDfammabe substance upon the brettice without
his movements being noticed and by then put
ting train to the oil and firing it, could have
been distant from the scene when the catastro-
phe occurred. Supposing this to have been
done, the terrible rapdty with which the flames
shot upwards through the shaft is fully accounted
for well as the place where the fire undoubt-
edly began but any other hypothesis adopted,
! ana DOtl circumstances remain lneXplCaOle
mysteries. But whether these ideas become
part of the legal record of the case or not they
are now universal, and have already been pub
licly expressed in the Scranton Republican,
which says this morning that "the evidences of
i the most Notwithstanding crime upon record
already far stronger than we could desire them
TO be-"
The most important witnesses yet to be ex-
amned are Benjamin Hughes, general inside
! foreman of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and
Western Company; Henry j. Phillips, mining
| engineer of the same company; Thomas Cor
! son, Thomas Watkins and Rees ID. Evans.
| These gentlemen are all practical miners, whose
positive knowledge is of far more worth than
| any quantity of theorizng. While their testi-
mony will be of great value, it will be of equal
! interest to the general reader.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE RELIEF FUND.
The question as to the proper manner of dis
tributing the fund now being raised for the
widows and orphans of the dead miners is re-
ceiving considerable attention. Some gentlemen
think that when widow marries she should be
cut off from the further benefit of the fund. This
by others Is thought rather cold measure of
charity and humanity, and will hardly be acted
upon. If the money reach, what is here antic-
pated, the sum of quarter of million dollars,
the gentlemen forming the Relief Committee of
Scranton will no doubt invest it in such q way
as TO bring an interest amply sufficient to supply
the current wants of the widows 1t is wisely
deemed njudicious to cut the fund up in shares
and hand over in cash the amount, which will
probably average $1,000, to each claimant in
turn. In such case the widows would become
objects of mercenary attraction to the class OF
laZy loafing miners anxious to marry them for
the sake of living off their money. A secured
fund is decidedly the best idea allowing the
interest for family expenses and reserving the
principal for the education and future main
Ienance of the children. The sub scriptions are
committed to good hands. Mr. r. G. Wad-
hams, president of the committee, Is gentle
man of high character, Justice of the Peace and
Acting Coroner. Mr.. Henderson Gaylord, the
treasurer is as well known for his excellent
qualities as for his wealth. The rest OF the
gentlemen occupy prominent places In the com
munity The amount subscribed in this county
will probably reach $4,000
II Is strange the Delaware Llckawanna, and
Western Railroad Company, who owned the
Avondale mine, have as yet failed TO subscribe
solitary cent to the relief fund. III Is stated the
reason for the delay is that they first wish to
i ascertain how much 1t has cost 10 bury the dead
"A miners, TO purchase collins, employ hearses ana
carriages and incur other incidental expenses
conI ected with the funerals. They estimate
the expenditure at $25OOO, but The amount OF
gratuitous duty performed by the company
Hardly warrants this high figure, unless IN
deed the expense of running Tree trains 10
accommodate the miners relatives and friends
be Included In few days perhaps we shall
have the announcement of $4,000 from tue
Delaware Lackawanna, and western hallroad
The Delaware and Hudson line has subscribed
over $4,000 and the Boston Mining Company
has sent in a round sum TO represent IT, Inc
charity New York has shown Is deeply lelt, anu
her 6igh-spirited magnanimous people are
landed 10 the skies from morning till night.
PhiIadelphia, which certainly should nave Deen
foremost in this work of alleyiating the misery
NJ PENNSYLVANIA people, had TO take example OF
ID Na,y Work as of course, all other cities have.