Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-12
a PATHETIC STORY.

Some of the testimony or miners De-
fore the strike commission is very
touching. That of Henry Coll given on
the 9th. was so full of tragedy that it
surpassed in sorrowful interest all the
tales of fiction. 1t revealed apparently,
on the face of it, the heartlessness OF
a coal company and the helplessness of
its victim. The simple recital affected
members of the court and some of the
spectato to tears. An outline of this
testimony was given in the Tx. yes
terday, but fuller statement is repro
duced to show its full effect--the testf-
mony being against G. B. Markle &
Co.
The story was told by Henry Coll, one
of the evicted miners, who came fresh
from the grave of his wife and went
back to the deathbed of his mother-tn-
law. When he ended Judge Gray, who
had been unable to sit thru all the re-
cital, said:
That's all, and that's enough
Coll is an old miner, who has worked
nineteen years for the Markles. He
told his story simply and directly. His
family was composed of his wife, her
mother. who is over 100 years old. two
adopted children and one son, and they
live in rough four-roomed house. lie
was asked if he had ever been hurt in
the mines.
"Hurted it is" he said. Its well
hurried I was. There is not sound
bone in me body Me skull was frac-
tured nineteen stitches was took IN me
head, all my ribs was stove in, this arm
is crooked and all the fingers of me
hands was broken, and this leg is not as
good az a wooden one. Sure, the only
sound bone is me neck, and that was
hurried once. I lost an eye in the mine
and wear glass one, but can't see
thru it."
For these injuries, he said, the COM
pany gave him nothing, but once his
comrades raised SIT for him, and
Superintendent Smith gave him $50 for
money and kept it to take out his rent
coal and store bill he said, and they did
this during all the time he was hurt.
There was 50 coming to him when he
recovered. He told of the eviction, and
said that the only reason he knew for it
was that he had served on relief COM
mittee during the strike. He had never
quarreled with Mr.. Markle, and had al
ways been good miner.
81 thought it was more Of warning
than anything else when the notice
come to me-" he said, '.but eight days
after the sheriff come and said must
get right out. I begged him to let me
stay until morning. My woman was
sick, and the old mother of hers help
less. He wouldn't give me. no time, and
my things was put out. 1t was wet and
bad weather, and we had to go to Ha-
zleton, ten miles, before we could get a
house. Then we could not get things
in shape. The woman, she had throat
trouble, and it got worse, she catching
more cold. We had to sleep that night
without a fire, and next morning we
| was all sick.
"The woman, she got worse, and then
got doctor. | hadn't any money, SO
hired him by the month. He gave her
! some medicine for her throat. She
didn't improve. Last Friday night she
suddenly called out she was choking,
and before I could get the medicine to
her she was dead"
"You say she died?" asked Judge
Gray, much affected.
Eyes, sir, I'LL buried her yester-
day" said Coll, with a sigh.
] "The mother is now pretty bad" he
went on to explain. "She was took
/ down hard when the woman died. and
on Sunday night the last. rites was said
| for her. She's dying now"
There was no cross examination. The
commissioners, the lawyers and the
spectators shock themselves free from
their emotions, there were whispered
expressions of sympathy, and the next
witness was called.
1t is plain from such testimony, and
It's influence on the commissioners, that
| the finding of that body will favor the
miners as far as 1T is possible to go.