Evening journal., 1902-12-10
MOTHER TOLD
TOUCHING STORY
Miners Widow and Boys
Worked Months to Pay of
Debts to Markle
CRILDREN'S WAGES WERE WITHHELD
Mine Workers Produced Damaging
Testimony Before Strike Commission
Against the company-sreaker Boys
Kicked and clubbed.


Against the company-sreaker Boys
Kicked and clubbed.
Scranton, Pa, Dec. 10.-Tales of evic-
tions from houses owned by G. b. Mar
kle & Company. the narration Of the
death of a wife as a result of an en-
forced removal from her home, and the
story OF a mother whose husband was
killed in the Markle mines. of how she
and her two boys struggled years TO
pay the Markles the back rent and
coal bill she owed them, were the
principal features Of yesterdays ses-
sion of the coal strike commission.
The testimony as presented by some Of
the witnesses whose lives are given up
to the coal mining industry was at
times pathetic and surprising to the
commissioners, who listened to II with
undivided attention. The miners yes
terday afternoon concluded the calling
Of witnesses against the Markle con-
Germ, and other conditions surrounding
It have been prominently before the
commissioners since last Saturday
There las been considerable sur
prise expressed that the company has
not made greater efforts to refute
some Of the damaging testimony that
has been presented. 1t is expected,
however, that the company will do so
later. The attorneys for the large coal
companies have nothing to say regard
ing the character Of the testimony be-
Ing presented, but those representing
the miners are well pleased One OF
the latter, speaking of yesterdays pro-
ceedings said: "The independent OPP
orators in their meeting with the big
companies in New York two weeks
ago, when they succeeded in blocking
the proposed settlement, said thewhole
matter should go before the commits
sion so that the country at large would
know who is right and thus vindicate
the coal companies. We are willing to
go ahead with the proceedings If they
are satisfied with the 'vindication'
they are now getting"
An 1S-year-old Hungarian slate
picker, employed by the Marlzle COM
pany at the afternoon session said that
before the strike he received SO cents;
now he received only rs cents a day.
The company never notified him OF the
reduction, and he still does the same
work. He said the breaker boss, who
stands over the pickers, often dubbed
him, kicked 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
how she and her two boys worked 13
years TO pay OF an accumulated
house rent and coal bill due the Mar
kle 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 the
Markle mines The husband was killed
underground. leaving her with four
children, the Oldest Of which was a
boy Of years. The company never
offered her a penny but the employees
gave her about $3.50 to defray the fu-
neral expenses. After her husband
had been killed she moved from her
kour-room house into one containing
Dnly two, one above the other and for
lhe next six years she struggled as
best she could to get along. She took
In washing, scrubbed for the neighbors
and once in awhile she was given work
rleaning the Offices Of the Marlle COM
pany. During these six years she said
she kept her children at school. and as
the Oldest child was IA 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 state
ment, showing that the mother owed
1886 for back rent. The boys wages
Tor the month had been taken OF the
bill and he came home empty-handed.
She submitted TO this, and in the course
Of time her neA, boy was old enough
TO help earn living and he. too. wns
sent to the oolliery Like the older
brother, the second boy received no
pay, his earnings being deducted for
rent The mother on the witness
stand was by this time yelling up. and
when she added that the money she
earned for cleaning the Markle Office
was never given her but kept by tho
company for rent, the commissioners
looked at one another in surprise. She
said it took the three OF them 18 years
TO make up the debt, the mothers
earning from neighbors being the prin-
cipal contribution toward the mainte-
nance Of the family. Debt was cleared
last August In the six years from the
time her husband was killed until tb<
time when the first boy went to W. -
the company never asked her To- ~ont
The representatives Of tb, r,,na-- 80.
then called witnesses who } "a eo,.,,,s-
~ been employed in the .miBes of ssr
eral companies to show Thar MAJ,
list exists and that some of the con,oa-
nies had broken t|ye agreement vrbsoh VIII
ended the strike and resulted in ,ha
appointment Of the arbifrafioa !" oon, ,ne
mission. Today the conditions at ~
eolleries Of the Lehigh Valley Conansny ~ my
and others in the Hazlefon -oo,i~-, 49,,