The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-12-17
Ea ATTEMPTED 70 BUY union lAIAERs.
Coal Strike Commission Learns of
One Effort Made by Opera
fors TO End Strike.
OFFICERS OF UNION GOULD NOT BE
CORRUPTED.

Scranton, Pa, December 10.-The
most Interesting, if not Important,
testimony brought out at today's ses-
ssions Of the coal strike commission was
To TIE effect that an alleged attempt
was made By former mine foreman to
bribe two presidents of local unions of
the miners to have ten men in each
local use their influence to have a re-
solution passed sending the men to
work, thus making serious break In
the solid ranks of the strikers. Each
of the presidents was 20 receiye $500
and good position as mine foreman,
and each of the ten men we're to get
from slO0 to 800 each. The name of
no company was mentioned in con-
nection with the bribery scheme and
none of the lawyers cross-examined
the witness.
The large coal companies have taken
notice OF the testimony which has been
presented against the Coke and Markle
Companies. During the afternoon ses-
sion David Wilcox, vice president OF
the Delaware and Hudson, and general
counsel for the company, addressed the
commission, and protested vigorously
against the commission holding his
company response ble for conditions that
mayexist at the Coke or Markle mines.
He was quickly stopped by Chairman
Gray, who said that the commission
did not intend to hold any company
responsible for whatever special con-
SdiIions may exist in other parts OF
the coal fields.
a large amount of technical testi-
mcny was heard on various phases OF
the questions at issue. Two check
.weighmen produced figures which
tended to show that at two Delaware
and Hudson colleries the miners
produced 1853 tons of coal more
than they were paid for. The miners
must bring up 8, 1876 pounds of coal
and dirt to make a ton of 2, ,240 pounds
of pure coal, and the union claims
that the company gets more than 2,240
pounds Of coal ont Of each miners
ton, of 3,136 pounds and produced
official figures to prove it.
81 The Delaware and Hudson Com
.pany presented It's figures to the com
mission today, they being the first Ger
tiled statistics to be handed In.
They show the average earnings of
the miner IN 1901 to have been S622.6 68
and his laborer ss44449. a. When Mr.
Mitchell was on the stand he said
that $500 should be the mi mininsuaa OF
80
So John Early, check weigh
man employed at the Gypsy
Cove colieTy, of the Erie Com
spany, was president of the Gypsy
Grove local, told the story of the
alleged attempt, to, bribe. Early
said be was introduced to a former
mine foreman named Michael Grimes,
in Scranton. Early and miner
named 0sHara, who was also president
Of a local union, were each offered
50, 500 to get ten men to pass resolu-
ton ordering the men for the two locals
which they represented back to work
Early said Crimes first offered him
81, 600 to work for William Connell for
Congress. Grimes then made this
proposition
If Early could get ten men to have
"a resolution passed by his local Crimes
wculd give nine OF them Sl0O eaca,
the tenth man $500 and Early 81, 900,
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 foreman's position. Later
on, during the conversation. Grimes
amended his proposition by Offering
to give two of the ten men, $3.50
each and at the same time offered
Early $40 for current expenses. Early
refused the money and told Grimes
he would see him later. Early reported
the matter to District President
Nichols, Of the Miners Union, and
it was decided to see how far the
bribery scheme would be carried.
Another meeting was arranged, and
as Grimes had spoken of having ap-
preached 2. E. O'Hara, the latter
went along. The same proposition was
made to O,Hara. The same night
there was to be joint meeting of all
the locals in the vicinity of Dunmore,
and Grimes wanted them to pass the
resolution that night, but the two
presidents could not see theic way
clear to do it. Grimes then proposed
that they size up the men in the
meeting, get thirty Of them interest.
| ed, and if the resolution was passed
the thirty would each receive S2OC
President Nichols, he said, then gave
out public statement, which intimateo
that a bribery was being resorted to
in order to break the strike, and the
.pboIo +bino, foil fbrouo,,
Grimes wanted Early to help him
out Of the fix, but Early would have
nothing to do with him. The story
had the attention of the commissioners
and the spectators. Later O'Hars
went on the stand and corroborateo
Early's story.
Knoxville, Tenn, December Al
engineers of the Southern Railway
system have been granted an increase
of wages. The increase is from the
pay which the engineers have been re-
] ceirino To what is known as STANDARD