Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-12-11
.BRIBES WERE OFFERED.
Coal Companies Attempted to Buy the
Officials Of Certain Of the
Local Unions.
Sensational Testimony to that Effect
Given at the Hearing Before
Strike Commission.
Mine Workers Who Voted Favorably
Mine Workers Who Voted Favorably
Were to be Paid Several Hun
dred Dollars Each.

session of the anthracite coal strike
commission sensation was caused by
the testimony of John EARLY, check
weighman employed at the Gypsy
Grove collierys of the Erie company,
who was president Of the Gypsy Grove
local. Early said heSwas introduced to
a former mine foreman, Michael
Grimes, in the Lackawanna Valley ho-
tel, Scranton. Early and a miner
named O'Hara, who was also president
OF local union, were each offered ST.
300 to get ten men to pass a resolu-
tion ordering the, men from the two
locals which they represented back
to work. Early's story was as follows:
He met Grimes in the hotel through
another person. In the course of con-
yersation Grimes, asked him how he
stood in politics and said that if he
worked for William Connell for con-
gress he would give him $1,000. This
was on Sept. %.
After Grimes made the $1,000 propo.
sition. continued Early, Grimes said:
How about the strike; don't you think
the men are weakening?" To which
Early. replied that he did think they
were wavering just little. Grimes
then told him that he knew a break
was coming in the ranks Of the men
and that they would be defeated.
Grimes recognized that the men had
grievances and. that they had put up
a good fight and as long as they were
going to be defeated by the operators
Early ought to get something out Of it.
GEimes then made this proposition: If
EARLY could get ten men to have
resolution passed by his local, Grimes
would give nine of them $1OO each, the
tenth man 5000 and Early $2,5O0 and all
expenses necessary to carry out the,
scheme.
He further added that Early need
not apply for work for three months
and that he then would be given fore
mans position. There would be no
trouble in getting mine foreman's
certificate, he said. as the companies
controlled the boards that issued them.
Early's story held the attention, of
the commissioners and the spectators
and after he had concluded none of the
lawyers would cross-examine him.
Other Testimony Of the Day.
The first witness before the strike
commission was Alexander McVicar,
a Delaware and Hudson miner, who
told the same story that dozens of 9TH
ers have told to the effect that he was
not given back his old place in the
mine but was placed at work in more
undesirable part of the colliery.
The miners, through Mr.. Darrow, an
nounced at this point that they are pre-
pared to pile up cumulative evidence
on their claim that members of the
union are being Disseminated against
by the companies, but they did not
wish to take up the time of the COM
mission. Mr.. Darrow asked that in
case the companies, when they present
their side of the controversies, piled
up cumulative evidence on this point.
the union might put on more witnessed
on the same line of evidence.
Mr.. Tor~ey, for the Delaware and
Hudson said that company had
large number of witnesses to testify
on the violence phase of the case
which has direct bearing on the rec
ognition of 4 the union Chairman
Gray, in reply, said that he hoped both
sides would do the best they can not to
produce too much cumulative evidence
and concluded by saying:
think the matters growing out of
the mere exhibition Of feeling will not
have much weight with this commits
sion. "a i
G. w. Phillips, city superintendent
of the public schools of Scranton, was
then called to the witness stand.
perintendent Phillips, in his tes-s
timony, showed that children of mine
workers leave the, schools earlier than
the children Of parents engaged in
other occupations. 5e
John Archibald of Hazleton, who is
1sixty-fye years old and says he has
worked in and about the mines fifty
five years, was called He said that,
some Of the miners employed In the
Lehigh Valley mines, where he worked,
received only 81 q day.
The superinte of schools in
Lackawanna county, J. G.. Taylor. and
Superintendent of Schools NJ w. Cum
mings of the borough of Olyphant told
the commission that 27 1-3 per cent OF
the children in the mining region were
out of school.
HAVANA MAYOR ousTED.
sSenor O'Earrill SUSPENDED for L eatlinu