The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-20
Personal Assaults, Hangings in Effgy
and Other Forms Of Violence Re-
lated on the Witness stand.
Explosions FROM SOCIETIES
AND DISMISSAL FROM POSITIONS
ALSO OUTGROwTH OF STRIKE.
Testimony Before Anthracite Com
missiOn-Many Charges Against
Union Miners.


the number of thirty appeared before the
anthracite coal strike commission to-day
and told stories of alleged boycotts. intimi-
dalton, dynamiting and violence In various
forms during the late strike. Each witness
called was a sufferer in one form or another
at the hands, they alleged, of union men,
Four witnesses said attempts were made to
blow up their houses, one house was badly
damaged, many of the witnesses were
threatened with bodily harm; several were
beaten, one was shot in the leg, every one
stoned, boycotted or hanged in efigy. One
school teacher testified to having lost his
position because his father did not strike.
One man was asked to resign from a
Catholic temperance society, and another
witness was expelled from local lodge Of
the Ancient Order of Hibernians after a
membership of twenty-six or twenty-eight
years because they were classed as unfair
workmen.
Thomas H. Dugan, the man who was re-
quested to give up his membership in the
temperance society, remained at work doing
repair work and acting as a Waterman. he
wept while on the witness stand as he told
of how they ordered him to leave after
many years Of pleasant social relations
with it's members. He was very active in
the society and drilled many of those who
have grown to manhood in the military
branch of the society. He said he had been
stoned and otherwise ill-treated, and added
that good clubbing would not have hurt
half as much as the action of the society
I'm throwing him out of the order. The boys
he had drilled in the society stoned him on
the highway, and when he displayed his
revolver they all dropped fat on the road.
c. S. Darrow, for the miners. asked the
witness if he thought the union taught
them that, to which the witness replied
that he, as captain of the military COM
pany of the society. had taught the boys
the military tactics which they resorted to
when he fiourished his pistol.
REPLY TO CHAIRMAN GRAY.
Chairman Gray asked the witness If he
remained at work so that the pumps could
be kept in good repair to keep the mines
from being destroyed. He said he did.
Mr.. barrow asked him how long he
worked, and examined him in such a way
on this subject as to draw out the remark
from Chairman Gray that men will work
fifteen hours or more to help save a neigh
boris burning house.
James Mitchell was the man who was
expelled from the Hibernian society. He
said he worked during the strike as a re-
pair man, and did not consider it unfair
because he did not mine any coal. He had
been a member of the society twenty-six
or twenty-eight years, and at meeting
one night during the strike the question of
his unfairness came up and the members
present unanimously voted to expel him.
He had been paying dues all these years
as a member in good standing, and further
added that he was now glad he was out
of 1t.
The first witness OF the day was George
w. Bowen, formerly MINER but now a
coal inspector: He was the last witness on
the stand yesterday Counsel for the min
ers learned he had written a book of poetry
about the miners and the strike of 1900. In
cross-examination to-day Mr.. Darrow read
extracts from the volume and asked the
witness many questions to whether he
believed now what he had written two
years ago. The examination lasted three
quarters of an hour and was exceedingly
amusing, but nothing new bearing on the
strike was brought out.
Max Lasar, who did not quit when the
strike began, told of how a man threw a
quart bottle of giant powder, to which a
lighted fuse was attached, into the parlor
of his home. He extinguished the fuse.
The powder was shown TO the commission.
Eugene Deity, who was not a mine work.
er and in no way connected with the strike,
said he was going along a road at night
and was mistaken for nonunion man. He
was so badly beaten that he was laid up
for two months.
BOYS DISCHARGE FORCED.
Thomas Kennedy, fifteen years old, said
he worked in drug store in Carbondale
His father was an engineer in the employ
ment of the Delaware e. Hudson Company.
and did not quit work when the strike
started. The manager of the drug store he
said, was requested by a committee from
the union to discharge him, and rather
than have the store boycotted, the druggist
told the boy to quit. The father corrobo-
rated the story, and added he had to keep
his children from the public schools as they
were being abused.
David E. Loves, foreman working for
the Delaware & Hudson Company, testi-
fled to general conditions in Olyphant and
said the authorities of the borough made no
attempt to keep the peace. Most of them
were mineworkers or relatives of mine
workers.
John Lowandofski. who worked during
the strike for the Delaware, Lackawanna
& Western Company, told of an attempt
being made to blow up his house with dyna-
mite. The explosive and the fuses were
produced before the commission.
Mr.. and Mrs. Peter Cultz, who lived at
Derringer, said their house was attacked
by union men and boys and that much of
the inside and outside parts of the place
were damaged by rocks. some of them
weighing thirty pounds. Photographs
were produced showing the damage done.
Frank Fidau, who was a striker, but
who was hired by coal operator to watch
the home of a nonunion man, was shot in
the leg by other strikers because he would
not stop protecting the mans house. The
nonunion man who lived in the house and
subsequently quit work was next called
and produced a letter written by President
T. d. Nichols. of district No. /, in which
he stated that the witness had quit work
and was a good union man, and that all
union men should treat him I'm a friendly
manner so long as he behaved himself ac-
cordingly."
John Conlin: mine boss and president
of the School Board of Plains, testified
that committee of local union called
on him and asked that school teachers
whose relatives were working in the mines
be not reappointed as teachers.
Frank McCarty, a teacher in Miners
Mills, said he was not re8ppointed and the
only reason given was politics. His father
was mine foreman and was working dur
ing the strike. He knew OF female teacher
whose father did not strike who failed of
reappointment.
All the other witnesses testified to having
been hanged in effigy once or more times
that grocers, butchers. milkmen and ice
men refused TO serve them because they
were afraid their business would be bow
cotted and that they were severely beaten
and socially ostracised.
The commission will meet at O'Clock 70
morrow and adjourn at IL :45 o'clock for the
holidays. Most of the commissioners will
Immediately leave for their homes.
Result Of n Boycott.