Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-01-22
The Miners HEAR CHARGES
Miners Convention Listens to State
ment Made Against the National
..g@ Officers. '
Complainant is a Woman Who Says
Officers Sought to Protect De-
faulting Treasurer.
Officers Say the Charges Made are the
Outgrowth of Spite on
Woman's Part.

Indianapolis, Jan. 22.-Charges
against President Mitchell, Secretary
Wilson and the executive board of the
United Mine Workers of Ar@erica, was
the. order of business before the con-
vention during the morning and the
unexpected announcement that the
charges would be taken up caused a
furry of excitement in the convention.
President Mitchell, in a voice full of
emotion, addressing the convention,
said:
'The election of officers was to have
been the first thing on the programme
but have to say with deep feeling
and regret that charges have been
made by Miss Mollie Meredith, a for
mer, :emp1oye of the national Office, af-
fecting myself as president of the ma
tional body, against your national Sec
retary, Mr.. Wilson, and also against
the national executive board. The
time has come for the election of ma
tional officers, but I am unwilling to
have this proceed until these charges
have been heard. I therefore ask the
convention to hear these charges and
ask William D. Van Horn of Indiana
to take the chair while the charges
are being heard"
There was much suppressed excite
ment throughout the convention as it.
awaited the hearing OF the charges.
President Mitchell took a seat back
upon the stage.
The reading of the charges present
ed an unusual scene in miners con-
vention. Miss Meredith is a tall bru-
nette. slender and good looking. She
was dressed in black and wore large
Gainsborough hat with ostrich plumes
dropping over her forehead. When
she began reading there were cries of
louder" from the rear parts of the
hall. One delegate moved that Reese
read the statement for the young we-
man, but she insisted on reading the
charges and raising her voice, read in
| clear tone:
Insists on Reading 1t Herself.
Miners, wish to read it myself,
and then, if it, has not been heard.
some one else may read it,"
Acting President Van Horn said:
miss Meredith will read this herself,
then if it has rot been heard it will be
read by some one who can make yoI
hear. Go on, Mollie."
Miss Meredith went on and finished
her statement.
The charges concern the shortage
of 7ormer Secretary-Treasurer Pearce
and allege that President Mitchell and
give out all the facts concerning
Dr. 1%S@ hat
fully lied" to the miners committee a
year ago. An investigation of the
books is demanded to see how much
Pearce's shortage was. It is inti-
mated that both Mitchell and Wilson
sought to protect Pearce. Miss Mere
dith charges that Pearce frequently
presented bills for double the amount
of purchases. She also says that
Pearce's extra money" amounted to
$4,000 year, while Mitchell and Will
son reported that he had taken only
$780, Miss Meredith also says that
Mitchell allowed Pearce to go away as
a "sick man" and send in his resigna-
tion from French Lick Springs.
At the conclusion of Miss Meredith S
statement Secretary-Tre Wilson
arose and spoke at length. He denied
the truth of the statement and said
it was the outgrowth Of spite. Miss
| Meredith was recently let out as an
assistant secretary. She is the young
woman to whom gold medal was pre-
sented for discovering the Pearce
shortage. f-.
When the convention reassembled
Mr.. Mitchell addressed the delegates,
denying the stories contained in Miss
| Meredith's statement. The conven-
tion appeared to be with the president
as his remarks were frequently inter-
rupted by applause.