The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-12-26
COAL OPERATORS BEGIN.
Testimony for Their Side of Con-
troversy Opened UP Before
Anthracite Commission.
RONUAION LABORERS ON THE STAND.
Lawyers Try to Prove That Reign Of
Terror Existed in the Coal Fields
During Anthracite Coal Strike
Stories of Alleged BoycOtts and In
tlmidatiOn.

Scranton, Pa, Dec. IS. = The an
thracite coal operators opened their
side of the controversy with the
mine workers Wednesday before the
strike commission, and the attorneys
who are on record before the COM
mission as representing the non-
union men, who have been admitted
to the arbitration scheme, began call.
ing witnesses. The sessions were
probably the liveliest yet held by the
commission. At the morning session
the miners lawyers challenged the
fairness of certain wage statements
handed to the commission by the
Pennsylvania Coal company, and in
the afternoon Lawyer Darrow had
"a spirited discussion with Chairman
Gray as to,whether or not the miners
hadra right to know who is paying
the lawyers representing the nom
uniens. men before 1.-The commission.
Mr. barrow asserted they were EN-.
: ployed by the. coal operators. Pre-
.ceding this Simon p. Wolverton.
counsel for the Reading company,
who delivered the opening address on
behalf of all the large coal compa-
MES, made the point in his address
that ethe recognition of the union is
not. an. issue before the commission,
MSlich;, brought out a protest from
Mr.. .Darrow. The latter. claimed that
IF it were hot, then the operators
should be forbidden from presenting
testimony that tended to show the
union was responsible for all the al
legged violence committed during the
strike.
Say Reign of Terror Existed.
Scranton, Pa, Dec. 19.-The coal
strike commission listened Thursday
to further testimony tending to show
that a reign of terror existed in the
anthracite coal fields during the 5R
months of the mine workers strike.
About score of witnesses were
called during the two sessions by the
attorneys for the nonunion men.
They told of serious boycotts, bru-
tai attacks by crowds of men, worn
en- and boys, and an attempt to burn
the house of nonunion man. In
most instances the witnesses testi-
fed that the alleged offenders were
members of the miners union. The
lawyers for the miners objected fire.
quently to the admission of testi-
mony or hearsay and sometimes OBJ
jected because of irreleyancy of GER
tain other statements
Chairman Gray said the commission
was not bound by any strict rules
of evidence, but asked counsel to con-
fine themselves in examining wit
nesses as for as possible to direct
evidence. He said it was too difficult,
in trying to prove that boycotts ex-
list, to get information on the subject.
The commission, he said, wanted to
know whether a reign of terror ex-
listed in the anthracite region, and it
could not get that information if the
strict rules of evidence were applied.
1.-The coward who will go to the
storekeepers," he said, land tell them
not to sell the necessaries of life TO
a poor woman, usually seeks the OBJ
scurity that the law of evidence
throws around him. If a girl is dis
charged from her position in store.
because she rode in a street car in
inclement weather, while a street car
strike was on, the coward who dis
charged her is coward enough to re-
fuse to testify" He recognized, he
said, why some merchants will not
come forward and tell who forced
him to refuse to sell necessaries of
life to certain boycotted persons, but
if he Chairman Gray were store
keeper, he thought he would risk his
all in order to assist in breaking up
the cowardly business.
Life, Made Miserable.
Scranton, Pa, Dec. 20.-Nonunion
men, some Of their relatives and 9TH
ers to the number of 80, appeared be-
fore the coal strike commission and
told their stories of alleged boycotts,
intimidations, dynamiting and vio-
lence in various forms, during the late
strike. Each witness called was a
sufferer in one form or another at the
Adhus, tHey alleged, OF union men.
-Four witnesses said attempts were
made to blow up their houses, one
house was badly damaged, many of
the witnesses were threatened with
bodily harm; several were beaten, one
was shot in the leg, every one stoned,
boycotted or hung in effigy. One
school teacher testified having lost his
position because his father did not
strike. One man was asked to resign
from a Catholic temperance society,
and another witness was expelled
from local lodge of the Ancient Or
der of Hibernians, after membership
of &c or 20 years, because they were
classed as unfair workmen.