Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12

OF schools of Nantcoke, was called to
| the stand to show that miners children
do not go as high 10 the school grades as
the children OF other parents, which
corroborates testimony given by other
school snperintendents.
1t now begins to look as though the
commission would be able TO conclude
the taking of testimony in three weeks,
not taking into account the Christmas
recess. Attorney Clirence Darrow, Of
counsel for the miners, said to the com
mission that his side would in all probab-
iity finish its direct testimony this
| week. ID. j. Mccarthy, another of the
miners attorneys, said afterwards that
his side is about ready to quit at any
time now when the commissioners indi-
cate that they have had enough Of such
Information as the miners are present
ing.
WEDNESDAYS TESTIMONY.
At the commissions sessions Wednes-
day the miners put two witnesses on the
stand to detail an alleged pot to break
the strike by bribing officers of the local
unions, The first OF the two witnesses
was John Early, Of Dunmore. an en-
ploye of the Pennsylvania Coal Company
and president of local union. He swore
that on September 23, a fellow miner,
John Murphy, told him that Michael
Grimes, an ex-mine foreman and poiti-
cal worker, wanted to see him Early
said he met Grimes, who asked him how
he stood in politics. Early replied that
he had not made up his mind, and Grim
es then took up the subject of the strike
by asking If Early did not think the
mar -, to- 81,
mitted he thought they were weakening
little.
"A break is coming" Grimes is al
legged to have said. "Why can't we
have something out Of it?"
Grimes, it is said, then outlined a
plan. IL was, in effect, that ten men
from the five different local unions in
Dunmore should be bribed to draft and
pass resolutions declaring that it would
be better to call off the strike than
have it break up, for If it broke up the
union would be disrupted
Early said that he pretended to agree
to the plot and inquired what there was
in it. Grimes told him he could get
81, 500 and expenses and any job under
any coal company he might select. He
would also give 800 for each OF the ten
men that might be selected to get the
resolutions before the unions, and an
extra 500 for one Of the ten who would
be picked upon as a sort of first lieu
tenant. p f. O'Hara, president of an
other local union, was chosen first lieu
tenant, and Early agreed to bring him
down the next day.
AS soon as the interview was conclud-
ed, Early fastened to District President
Nichols headquarters and laid bare the
plot. He was advised to keep up his
pretensions and II possible trap Grimes
into disclosing whom he represented
O'Hara was put on the stand after
Early and corroborated him. The com
panies' attorneys did not ask any ques
tions of either witness.
The large coal companies have taken
notice of the testimony which has been
presented against the Coke and Markle
companies During the afternoon ses-
sion David Wilcox, vice president OF the
Delaware and Hudson, and general
counsel for the company, addressed the
commission and protested vigorously
against the commission holding his com
pany responsible for the conditions that
may exist at the Coke or Markle m nes.
He was quickly stopped by Chairman
Gray, who said that the commission did
not Intend to hold any company respon-
sible for whatever special conditions
may exist in other parts of the coal
fields. While none Of the attorneys for
the other coal-carrying roads said any
thing to the commission they stated
privately that Mr.. Wilcox's attitude in
the matter had their Endorsement.
TITLE OF COMMISSION CHANGED.
An interesting discussion in the Unit
ed States senate yesterday over the bill
appropratlng $50, 900 for the Anthracite
Coal Strike Com mission disclosed an alb
sence of disposition to criticise the pres
ident for appointing the commission.
Senator Berry, for example, who wished
to specify the amounts to be paid for
salaries and expenses, remarked that
there was no constitutional authority
for the appointments; but the president.
Berry frankly admitted, had acted in
great emergency In the public interest
The bill was finally passed after being
amended to fix $4,000 as the salary Of
the citizen commissioners with expenses
limited to $40 per day. The name was
changed to the "Anthracite Coal Strike
Arbitration" and the bill then went to