The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-11-19
INQUIRIES MADE BY
THE COMMISSIONERS
Continued from Page 1.)

pany, who continued the cross-exami
nation until few minutes before 1880
the recess hour, when W. w. Ross, rep
resenting the Delaware, Lackawannt
and Western company, took 1t up. MIR
Mitchell was still under -eXamina
tion by Mr.. Ross when adjournment
was had for the day. Today, a. II. Nc
Clntock, representing the Lehigh anf
Wilkes Barre Coal company; John u
Kerr, representing the ontario anc
Western company. and Simon =. VOL
verton, representing the Philadelphia
and Reading company. will take turns
at questioning Mr.. Mitchell. 1t Is ex'
pected, however, they will not examine
him at any great length and that he
will be relieved from the witness stand
this afternoon. Judge Gray mildly sug'
gested yesterday morning that inc
cross examination of Mr. Mitchell was
becoming rather protracted.
The crowd in attendance at yester'
days sessions was again as big as the
court room would accommodate. More
ladies were in attendance than on any
previous day. Four patrolmen. in charge
of Captain Williams were at the door
to prevent q repetition of the incident
4
rushed" the tipstaves and forced It's
way into the room and later, in another
attempt at rushing" pushed Il mar
clear through the long glass panel ol
the door.
Those having business inside or pres
ent by special invitation We're admitted
through the Judges doorway. Others
were compelled to line up in two rows
,,1< 1,1 nd .pi
their turn to get in. After the room
was filled. no one was allowed to enter
until some one else had come out tc
make room for him. Many miners were
among the spectators and laughed with
great heartiness when Mitchell made
some witty remark. Once there was
some mild handclapping in applause OF
Mitchell making telling answer. but
II was so subdued it attracted no at
tention from the commissioners.
Bishop an Onlooker.
Bishop Hoban was an onlooker dur.
ing the morning session. He sat on the
platform to the right of the commits
sioners on one of the chairs reserved for
distinguished visitors.
The general trend of the examination
was practically similar to that of the
preceding days. although the attorneys
following Mr.. MacVeagh were not as
ready as he to provoke discussions
with the witness, confning themselves
more particularly to the question and
answer method of developing the infor-
nation they would put before the COM
mission.
Mr. MacVeagh again dealt very gen.
orally with the recognition question
emphasizing the ill-effects on a COM
munity following in the wake of VIC.
lcnce such as prevailed during the
strike. and the moral, if not legal
wrong of preventing a man from sell
ing his labor where, when and how he
chooses, or limiting the amount of work
he shall be permitted to do. Mr.. Gowan
and Mr.. Ross confined themselves
mainly to consideration of the ques-
tions at issue as affecting their own res
spective companies properties.
At the opening of the morning session
Mr. 1enahan presented his power of at
torney to represent the non-union men.
1t was paper containing the names
of over 1000 non-unionists. requesting
Mr.. Lenahan and Mr.. O'Brien to repre-
sent them. For reasons, which he said
it was not necessary to mention at that
time, he would request the commission
not to disclose the names until they
proceed to take testimony to sustain
the averments of the statement filed
the night before with the recorder
You can hand what you call your
authority, or power of attorney from
these two thousand of your clients
more or less, to the recorder" said
Judge Gray, but it will not go further
until the commission takes further
steps about it. We do not keep any
thing that belongs to this record from
the public. but you may if you choose
hand in the papers and we will con-
slider the matter, although it will not
be part Of the record, or be filed in any
official sense upon which any argument
can be made that you are Il party to
this proceeding. If you wish to do so,
YOU may hand to the assistant recorder
the names that you speak Of
Then the cross-eXamination of Mr.
Mitchell by Mr.. MacVeagh was re-
sumed. Referring to the list of strike
"outrages,' enumerated at Monday
afternoons session. Mr.. MacVeagh
asked the witness to give his opinion
of their reflex influences on the men
committing them, which he said he
hoped to be able to prove We're mem
bers of the miners union.
After remilrking that he did not
propose to assume that the statement
of these outragcs as presented was
true, Nh Mitchell said he believed the
number of church -goers in the anthra-
cite region was comparatively as large
as in any other community. When
MI MacNeagh insisted upon having q
response to his question, the witness
said he would agree the influence was
not for good.
Proceeding. Mr. Mitchell stated that
he knew from his newspaper friends"
that the list of "outragcs' had been
compiled by II New York Sun corres-
pondent who was bitterly hostile to
union labor, ana who having no new
story to write about the strikers, went
over the files of the sun and made up
the list from his own previous des-
patches.
Growing Spirit of Lawlessness.
What I am trying to show" said Mr.
MacVeagh, us that there is growing
spirit OF violence and disregard of law in
your organization; that its members are
becoming more and more reckless of re-
straint, and impatient of it, and that your
influence over them is insufficient to keep
them law-abidlnG and peaccable as you
have described them to be. So that, If a
community-that was my questlon-is
aroused to a great pitch of excitement
and Violence and murders are committed
In consequence OF the assertion of your
right to deny other men the right to labor
for their living, then l say the conso-
quences are upon your head whether your
men committed the murders, or some
body else, and whether your motives arc
good or bad; the consequences remain.
We'll, Mr., MacVeagh." said Mr.. Mitch
ell, 'as to the fear that my influence is
not sufficient 20 deter men from the COM