New-York tribune., 1902-10-13
THE GUARD INEFFECTUAL.
INTIMIDATION OF WORKERS GOES ON
DESPITE SOLDIERS PRESENCE.
IBY TELEGRAPH To THE rnrRuxE.I

| ell at headquarters here to-day said that he
! knew OF no conference or meeting this week
| which he was to attend either in New-Yorl or
Washington, but il is believed there is a move on
| foot 70 bring about another conference through
| che influence of Senators Quay and Penrose
| Louis N Hammerlng. who negotiated the sew
I eral meetings In which Senators Quay and Pen
rose and Governor Stone took part had a long
/ conference with President Mitchell to-day and
| then left town. He would not say where he was
going, and Mr.. Mitchell would not talk of hts
visit He said: The only meeting 1 know OF
pertaining TO the strike is meeting of the oper-
ators to be held in New-York on Tuesday"
He was asked IL there was any possibility Of
the union accepting the offer of the soft coal
miners OF the West to declare a symuathy
strike.
The convention at INDIANAPOLIS declared
against such strfke' he replied
rs there plan for you to call another con-
vention?' he was asked
Il do not care TO answer that question" he
replied
1t is not expected that such convention Win
be called. owing to President Mitchell's decided
stand against breaking contracts and his nu-
merous statements that he would not coun-
tenance any violation of the agreement
OF the possibility OF the operators opening a
| number OF new collieries during this week. Mr.
Mitchell said:
The operators are saying that they Will GER
| tainly. What else can they say? But they are not
going TO succeed. and I think they know IL now
Our men firm and determined and are not
going back 70 work until they get what thew
demand There are reports that at the meet
ings OF locals last Wednesday some men were
coerced into voting to continue the strike This
is not so. Each man free TO vote as hs
chose and invited some non-union
men TO the meetings. The men do not want to
return 10 work. and the Developments OF the
week will prove it,"
PROSPECTS NOT BRIGHT.
The prospect that work will be resumed gem
orally at the collieries this week is not bright
The operators will try to start a number OF
mines. but the fact is that the soldiers have NOT
| instilled that confidence in protection in the
minds Of the workers which leaves them free
/ 10 return 10 work without fear of violence to
\ themselves and their families. The strike Lead
ers are using every endeavor TO strengthen the
ranks. The operators say that in the districts
/ where there are signs OF weakening more strike
relief is given than in other districts 10 keep the
men firm.
! The operators have tried to get the regiments
TO guard not only the collieres but the villages
Of the workers and their houses. In cases where
/ there Is evidence of danger this is DONE but in
many others no such effort is made and the in
timidatton Of workers and stonng of houses
continues. officials of the Delaware Lacka-
wanna and Western Company. which has more
| mines and washeries working than other com
pany, complain that this intimidation is keeping
from their collieries many men who want to
work. and that in places il is growing worse.
Il am firmly convinced" said the superintend-
ent OF Of the largest companies that a
| great many men who want to work are being
held back by this talk OF settlement These ru-
mors and alleged semi-oficial announcements
that the operators about to recede from
| their position the veriest balderdash and only
serve TO buoy the strikers up received authen-
] tic information from headquarters this after
noon that the attitude OF the presidents is the
same to-day as ii has been since the strike be-
gan. and that they viii grant concessions to
the United Mine Workers II they have to keep
up the fight all winter"
General Manager J. R. Dryden OF the Ontario
and Westerns coal department said that the
families of men employed at several OF the
mines under his control. we're still being perse-
cuted- -Four men, he said. with gunnysacks over
their faces invaded the home OF a non-union
workman In North Scranton recently and threat
ened his wife with personal violence il she did
not persuade her husband TO stop working. In
another case woman living at ThrOOp
warned TO send favorable reply before to-
morrow night 20 a committee which waited
her with request that she insist her hus-
bands quitting work.
L
so fearful are the families of many of our
men who both working and living at our
mines that we have been obliged 10 station men
at their homes 70 guard them at night" said
Mr.. Dryden. should this condition of affairs
continue may find IL necessary to ask for
military protection for them"
officials of the several coal companies have
decided to begin an active crusade against the
picking OF coal from the dumps. This has been
previously attempted in sporadic cases. but a
general movement against offenders in this par
ticular will begin at once. Not only will the
persons directly engaged In picking the coal be
arrested. but the persons buying it from them
will be taken into custody as well on the charge
of receiving stolen goods.
Flags were at haIfmast in every regiment Of
the division to-day. owing 70 the death of Colo
mel Theodore F. Hoffman of the Sth Regiment
last night. Hls loss is deeply mOurned as he
was one OF the most popular of the States off,
GERS. The body will be taken 10 Pottsville to-
morrow by eight nOn-commissioned officers
The funeral Tuesday viii be attended b,-
Lieutenant Colonel Hutchinson and his starr ana
as many line officers of the Sth possible. Cen
eral Goblin and stan, Major General Miller and
staff and battalion of the "a Regiment a
memorial service was held the camD this
afternoon.
Colonel Hoffman was a veteran OF the Civil
War. When only fifteen years old he volun-
teered in the lst Minnesota Regiment and was
hOnOrably discharged at AppOmattOX He had
been associated with the National Guard OF
Sth Regiment and shortly afterward pro-
NOTED to be captain Of Company F. His eff
cheney in that capacity soOn led to his promo
tiOn 10 major. and not long after that he was
made lieutenant colonel OF the regiment Dur
ing his whole career he had the affection and
respect of all the men under his command of