Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-27

1t must be exasperating to a paper to
have nearly every charge it makes dur
ing a campaign disproved by good and
sufficient evidence. Many people have
already come forward and refuted these
charges, but now another man enters the
field n voluntarily makes an affida-
Wit that there is no truth in the story Of
MCGOWAN, and consequently no founda-
ton for the cowardly and unjust method
of assault.
Alvin p. Westbrook is the man who
adds to the proof that MCGOWAN will
never wear wings unless he keeps his
mouth closed and repents. He couldn't
repent unless he kept his mouth closed
tina is obvious. Westbrook was a miner
at the Castle smelter and in a position to
know whereof he speaks. His affidavit,
which follows, speaks for itself:
The State of Montana,
County Of Silver Bow.
Alvin p. Westbrook being first duly
| sworn, On his oath deposes and says:
I have read the charges contained in
the Helena Independent of October "a,
1900, and the Butte Daily Miner of
the same date, including a letter of
October rs, 1892, signed by George
MCGOWAN, and accusing the Hon. David
E. Folsom, republican candidate for
governor, Of conduct unfair to labor,
and known of my own knowledge that
said charges and all Of them are abso-
lutely untrue and false.
I am a miner, now employed and
living in Butte, Mont, and at the time
mentioned in said McGowan's letter
and said charges Of the Independent
and Miner, was working as a miner for
the Cumberland Mining company at
Castle, Mont, the same company
charged by said MCGOWAN as being un-
fair to labor, and receiving therefor
the sum Of $3.50 per day. The time
of the occurrence referred to in said
letter and charges vas February, 1901.
David E. Folsom had been general
manager of said company for some
time prior to said occurrence, but about
16 months prior thereto and in October,
1889, resigned said position and there
after, and during the time of said &C.
currence, had nothing to do with the
management of affairs of said COM
pany, and I am informed and believe
hat said Folsom disposed Of all his
holdings of stock in said company at
the time he resigned his position az
general manager Of said company, and
never thereafter had any interest
therein.
Said Cumberland Mining company
never at any time paid miners less
than $3.50 per day.
The facts and circumstances re-
ferred to by said MCGOWAN in said let
ter, and with which, as above set forth,
David E. Folsom had nothing whatever
to do, are as follows: Len Lewis was
at that time general manager Of the
company and Bernard Mcdonald was
superintendent thereof. During the
winter Of 1891, and about January or
February Of that year, and while the
snow was still on the ground, there
were at the town of Castle a large num-
Der Of unemployed men, who, in order
to obtain relief from their distress,
asked said Lewis and Mcdonald to
give them employment in grading for
a new smelter, which was then con-
templated by said company, Offering to
do the work at $3.50 per day. Lewis
and Mcdonald consented, but after
working four or Ave days the men went
back on their agreement and demanded
So per day, which was refused. There
after said Lewis and Mcdonald had
difficulties with said men, which it is
useless for me to enlarge upon here,
because David E. FOLSOM was not at
Castle at any time during the trouble
and had nothing whatever to do with
it. The work in question was not un-
foreground work, but simply surface
grading.
The Miners union of Castle refused
to have anything to do with the afore-
said disagreement between Lewis and
Mcdonald and these men.
In the fal of 1892, I, together with
Fred Whitehead, secretary Of the Castle
Labor union, searched the records and
membership roll of said union and dis
covered that said MCGOWAN was never
at any time a member Of said Castle
Labor union; and at the same time I,
together with George Creeger, secre-
tary of the Castle Miners union,
searched the records and membership
rolls Of said union and discovered that
said MCGOWAN was never a member Of
the Castle Miners union.