The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-10
EVICTIONS
 FROM HOMES More of Methods of the
 MarkleS. WIDOWS LONG STRUGGLE
Husband Killed and She
 Slaved for the Company.
Attorneys for the Independents Alb. sent from the Inquiry and No Attempt is Made to Combat
 Damaging Testimony.

Scranton, Pa, Dec. 9.-Tales of eviction from uuuseS oWHeu by U. b. MafKle ot Co.,, the nara tion of the death of wife as result of al enforced removal from her home and the story or mother WnoSe nuEOdnd was kiied in the Markie hines, cI now sne and her two boys st.ugglel years to pay the Markles the uack rent ana coal ohl she owed them. were the principal features of today 5 session of Ine coal strIKe commission.
 The testimony as presented by some of the witnesses wnose lives are given up to the coal mining industry was at times pathetic and surprising to the com missioners who listened to 1t with undi- vided attention.
 The miners this afternoon concluded the calling of witnesses against the Mar kle Company, which concern and other conditions surrounding it have been prominently before the commissioners since last Saturday.
 In the absence of Samuel Dickson of Philadelphia and George R. Bedford of Wilkesbarre, attorneys for the Markie Company, who are reported to be un- avoidably absent, there was d perfunctory cross examination which was carried by by J. II. Torrey. who is representing an other company before the commission and who had been asked to take care of the interests of G. B. Markle X Co. as best he could. There has been considerable surprise expressed that the company has not made greater efforts to refute some of the seemingly damaging testi- mony that has been presented. It is ex- pected, however, that the company will do so later.
 Operators Lawyers Silent.
 The attorneys for the large companies have nothing to say regarding the char acter of the testimony being presented but those representing the miners are well pleased.
 After closing the Mqrlle case the rep resentatives of the miners called wit nesses who had formerly been employed in the mines of several companies to show that a blacklist exists and that some of the companies had broken the agreement which ended the strike and resulted In the appointment of the anthra- cite commission.
 It is the intention of the lawyers for the miners to take up tomorrow the con- ditions of the collieries of the Lehigh Valley Company and others in the Ha- Zleton region.
 National Board Member Gallag gher at the afternoon session, explained the pow der question as best he could. saying that miners employed by the Markle Company do not get the 10 per cent increase be- cause of the particular way the company has of figuring the increase in wages agreed upon at the end of the 1900 strike. The witness presented several of his own wage statements which showed that some thing had been deducted for a priest. When asked what this meant, he said he did not know. It was taken off his earnings ever since he went into the mines and he simply dismissed 1t because he did not object to the assessments.
 Beaten by the Boss.
 An 1S-year-old Hungarian slate picker employed by the Markle Company said that before the strike he received S5 cents, now he received 75 cents day. The company never notified him Of the reduction and he still does the same work. He says the breaker boss who stands over the pickers, often clubbed him, kick ed him and swore at him for not picking slate faster.
 Mrs. Kate Burns of Jeddo was then called to the stand and told a story of l!cw she and her two boys worked thir teen years to pay of en accumulated house rent and coal bill due to Markle Company, the narration of which deeply interested the commissioners.
 She was examined by Lawyer Darrow, and in answer to his questions. she said her husband was an engineer inside tie Markle mines The husband was killed underground. leaving her with four chill dren, the oldest of which was a boy of eight years The company never offered her a penny but the employees gave her about $1sO to defray the funeral ex- pense
 After her husband had been killed. she fa,, tY1fA one oontairing only two. one above the other, and for the next six years she struggled as best she could to get along. She took in washing scrubbed for the neighbors and once Tn a while she was given work cleaning the offices of the Markle Company. During these six years she said she kept her children at school. and as soon as the eldest child was II years old, she sent him to the mines to help earn the daily bread.
 At the end of the first month the lad brought home his wage statement. show ing that the mother owed 1896 for back rent. The boys wages for the month had been taken off the bill. and he came home pty-handed. She submitted to this and in the course of time her next boy was old enough to help earn a living, : and he, too, vas sent to the coliery. Like the older brother. the second boy recelv- ed no pay. his earnings being deducted for rent.
 Received No Money.
 Tears were by this time gathering in | the Witness's eyes. and when she added | that the morev she earned for cleaning 1 the Markle office was never given herr l but kept by the company for rent, the l looked at one another in | surprise She said it took the three of | them thirteen years to make up the debt, | the mothers earnings from neighbors | being the principal contribution toward | the maintenance of the family. The debt | was cleared in August. During the six | years from the time her husband was l killed until the time the first boy went | to work, the company never asked her | for rent. This concluded the mine workers case 1 against G. B. Markle & Co.,, except that | Mir. Darrow read and placed upon the | records of the commission John Markles '