The Van Buren press., 1902-12-13
An ATTEMPTED BRIBERY.
A Sensation Sprung Before the
Strike Commission at
Scranton. Pa.
ATTEMPT TO BUY LOCAL PRESIDENTS.
John Early, a Checkweig hman,
Says That Michael Grimes, a Mine
Foreman, Tried to Bribe Him and
+. +. O'Hara with $4,000 Each to
Break the Strike,

Scranton, Pa, Dec. 11.-A sensation
was caused, Wednesday afternoon, by
the testimony before the strike com
mission of John Early, check
weighman employed at the Gypsy
Grove colliery of the Erie company,
who was president of the Gypsy
Grove local" Early said he was in
troduced to former mine foreman
named Michael Grimes, in the Lacka-
wanna Valley hotel, Scranton. Early
and a miner named O'Harra, who was
also president of local union, were
each offered $500 to get ten men to
pass a resolution ordering the men
from the two locals they represented
back to work.
Early's story was as follows:
He met Grimes in the hotel through
another person, In the course of
conversation Grimes asked him how
he stood in politics. Early replied
that he had not made up his mind,
and Grimes said that, being president
of local union he had good deal
Of influence among his friends in
Dunmore, and that if he worked for
VIM. Connell for congress he would
give him $1,000. This was on Septem-
Der 25.
After Grimes made the $1,000 prop
osition, Early continued, Grimes said:
"How about the strike? Don't you
think the men are weakeningP" to
which Early replied he did think they
were wavering just a little. Grimes
then told him that he knew break
was coming in the ranks of the men,
and that they would be defeated.
Grimes recognized that the men had
grievances and that they had put up
good fight, and that so long as they
were going to be defeated by the op.
orators Early ought to get something
out Of it.
Grimes then made this proposition;
If Early could get ten men to have
a resolution passed by his local,
Grimes would give nine Of them 800
each, the tenth man 5000, and Early
$500 and all expenses necessary to
carry out the scheme, He further
added that Early need not apply for
work for three months, an3 that he
then would be given a foreman's po-
siton. During the three months his
expenses were to be paid, and there
would be no trouble in getting mine
foreman's certificate, as the compa-
MES controlled the boards that issued
them.
Later on during the conversation
Grimes amended his proposition by
Offering to give two Of the ten men
5000 each, and at the same time Of
fered Early $40 for current expenses
Early refused the money, and told
Grimes he would see him later, Early
reported the matter to District Presl-
dent Nichols, Of the miners union,
and II 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 p. T., O'Ilara, the latter
went along. The same proposition
was made TO O'llara, The same night
there was TO be Joint meeting of all
the locals In the vicinity OF Dun
moore, and Grimes wanted them to
pass the resolution that night, but
the two presidents could not see their
way clear TO do II.
Grimes then proposed that they size
up the men in the meeting, get 80 OF
them interested, and II the resolution
was passed the 80 would each receive
5000, Early went on to say that the
ministers OF the vicinity were to be
approached, but they were not TO get
as much for the miners for breaking
the strike. President Nichols, he
said, then gave out public statement
in which he ntimated bribery was
being rcsorted to in order to break
the strike, and the whole thing fell
through,
Crimes wanted Early to help him
on, OF the Ak, but Early would have
nothing TO do with him, The story
held the attention OF the commission
ers and spectators, and after Early
had concluded, none OF tho lawyers