The Monticellonian., 1902-11-20
A TH|NIY vE|LED THREAT.
Wayne MscVeagh Loses His Poise in His Cross-Examination
 of John Mitchell.
HE INITIATES 4 FORETASTE OF HELL.
Mr. MncVengh, Representing the Erie Company, Finds a Witness He Gan Not Rattle, nnd Shows Hts Chagrin Fly the Matter and Man. ner of His Questions.


 Scranton, Pa, Nov. 18.-President Mitchell of the miners union, re- sumed the stand, Monday, upon the eonvening of the coal strike commis- sion, and his cross-examination by Wayne MacVeagh, which was begun on Saturday, was continued. Mir. Mac Neagh represents the Erie Co.,, which operates the mines under the names of the Pennsylvania Coal Co.,, and the Hillside Iron Go.
 Mr. Mitchell, who has been on the stand since Friday morning. brought with him number of documents and books which he frequently referred to in order to refresh his memory.
 Mir. MacNeagh began his examina- tion by reading from newspaper clip- pings of the methods of labor or- ganization known as the Operative Plasterers' Association of New York, against the employers.
 Do you approve or do you heartily disapprove of these methodist MT. MacNeagh asked.
 ''I should say that my union has no such rules," was Mr. Mitchell's re- sponse.
 Mir. MacVeagh repeated his question: and Mr Mitchell said: Il can only say that in the absence of knowledge as to the causes which made them adopt such resolutions,I am not competent to pass upon the fairness of unfairness of them. On the surface, and with the information you convey to me, 1 should say they are unfair"
 Mir. MacNeagh referred to the sub ject of placing the responsibility for the increased price of coal and in- quired:
 ''Eo you still feel at liberty to say that it is none of your business what additional cost the people will have to pay for their coal if that additional cost is the immediate result of your demands?'
 "I have not said at any time it was none of our business" replied Mr. Mitchell. T have stated it was be- yond our control. That we have abso- lutely nothing to do with the selling price of coal"
 Wont your men have to work five years to make up the loss they sus- tained during the striker" MT. Mac Veagh asked.
 Not by any means" was the posi- tive answer of Mir. Mitchell.
 MT. Mitchell, do you think you have the right to ask for an increase in wages which, if granted, would in crease the cost of living to hundreds of thousands of poor?"
 The miners representative replied that there are 5O0,000 persons in the anthracite fields who are starving and it is their fundamental right to ask for living wages in return for their labor
 The examination for a few minutes became very spirited on this phase of the consequence of the strike, and then Mr. MacVeagh turned to the matter of protecting the properties during the strike.
 Replying to questions by Mr. Mac Neagh on the right of private parties 10 protect their property, Mr. Mitchell said that the provision in the min CTS constitution against pickets grew out of the Homestead strike, when number of private detectives were employed as guards, most of whom, he declared, had been re- cruited from the slums of Philadelphia and other large cities. Mr. Mitchell insisted that the city, county and state authorities were competent to handle the matter.
 Raising his voice to pitch, and speaking with great fervor, Mir. Mac Neagh asked the witness:
 Don't you know as well as you know your name is John Mitchell. that in spite of the authorities of this city of this county and of this state, this whole region has been treated for five months to veritable foretaste of hell?"
 Mrs. Mitchell calmly replied: "r don't know anything of the kind.''
 Well, you will before we are through with you" was Mir. Mac- Neagh's retort.
 Commissioner Watkins here took hand in the examination and it was brought out that none of the pickets tHI pt0Std DS tHe lPdHS HepIeSeHleu by Mir MacNeagh had been recruited outside the community.
 Mir. MacNeagh then read Gov. Stones proclamation calling out the troops, in which the governor said there was a reign of terror in the re- zion. Mir. Mitchell denied the correct ness of the governors assertion.
 The eight-hour day question was taken up, and in reply to query as to whether he had a right to limit mans labor to eight hours a day, NIT. Mitchell replied: We favor maxi mum of eight hours sand moment later. in answer to a similar question said: We will accept whatever award the commission makes and that award will have precedence over the laws of the union.'
 Then Mr. MacVeagh said: "Abra- ham Lincoln was splitting rails and he didn't limit himself to eight hours, and you demand it not only for the men in the mines but for all the men above ground as well. He was doing infinitely harder work than nine tenths of our men employed in the mines above ground. So was Garfeldss