The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1902-12-20
The REIGN OF TERROR.
Charged That the Miners Were
Guilty of Terrible Deeds
While Strike Lasted.
JUDGE GRAY EXPRESSES VIEWS.

u0U0l 0itHt In uLOoLS biLUOs
Non-uniontsts and Members of Their
Families Testify that Houses Were
Fired and Men Were Stabbed,
Beaten and Otherwise mal.rea.ed.
Scranton, Dec. 1s.-The coal strike
commission listened yesterday to
further testimony tending to show
that reign Of terror existed in the
anthracite coal fields during the five
and half months Of the mine work
ers' strike. About a score &C wit
nesses were called during the tso SEES
sions by the attorneys for the non.
union men. They told of serious boy
colts. brutal attacks by crowds OF
men, women and boys. and an attempt
to burn the house of non-union man.
In most instances the witnesses tesd-
fed that the alleged offenders were
members OF the miners union. The
lawyers for the miners objected fire.
quently to the admission of testimony
on hearsay. and sometimes objected
because OF the irrelevance of other
statements.
Not Bound by Strict Rules.
Chairman Gray said the commission
was not bound by any strict rules OF
evidence, but asked counsel to con-
fine themselves in examining wit.
nesses as far as possible to direct evil
dence. He said 1t was difficult. In try
ing to prove that boycotts exist, to
get Information on the subject. The
commission. he said. wanted to know
whether reign OF terror existed In
the anthracite region, and 1t could not
get that information II the strict rules
of evidence were applied. THE cow
ard who will go to the storekeepers."
he said. land tell them not to sell the
necessaTies of life to poor woman,
usually seeks the obscurlty that law
of evidence throws around him. II a
girl Is discharged from her position
in store because she rode in a street
car in inclement weather while a
strike was on, the coward who dis
charged her is coward enough to re-
fuse to testify. He recognized, he
said. WIZ some merchants will not
come forward and tell who forced him
to refuse To sell necessaries of life to
certain bovcotted persons. but If he
Chairman Gray) were -storekeeper
he thought he would risk his all in
order to assist in breaking up the cow
ardly busiress.
Told Of suHerinss.
Each witness called told of the suf-
ferings he OF she had to endure dur
ing the progress of the strike because
he or her relatives were at work. One
man testified that a union man hal
threatened him and later on fired four
shots at him because he would not
stop work. The unionist was sent to
Jail.
A family Of three. father. son and
daughter.in-law, told how the son was
chased from their home in Upper Le-
high in the middle Of the night. and
how the crowd of so or 60 smashed
the furniture and ornaments in the
house and then attempted TO destroy
the home with fire.
Mrs. Kate Mcnamara, of Parsons.
near wilkesbarre, said her husband
was working in the mines and could
not come home for fear of bodily
harm. One night, when she and her
four young children were alone in the
house and in bed. the house was dis
covered on fire. The mother and chill
dren escaped and the place was de-
stroyed. She did not prove that strik-
ers fired the house, but Chairman
Gray said her testimony led to the In
ference that it was most probable
that the fire was Of incendiary origin"
Stabbed Three Times.
August Schuech, of Hazleton. who
worked for the Lehigh Valley COM
pany through the suspension, testi-
fed that he was attacked by a mob
while he and his son were going -
work, and that he was severely in
jured by being nit by rocks. that he
was stabbed three times and had five
ribs broken.
The son of the witness corroborated
the testimony of the father.
Another witness said he was
member OF the union. and while I'M
der physicians care during the
street car strike here last year he
was compelled to ride on car. His
discharge was asked for by the union,
but the mine superintendent refused.
The union men made his occupation
SO unpleasant for him in the mics that
he had to quit. He left the union, AMI
when the strike came on he refused
to leave his work. He moved from
one place to another and finally 10
Gated at Pittston. At that place the
man who owned the house, who was
union miner. ordered him out ans
he had to leave.
Connected Strikers.
These witnesses and others that
were called testified that their wives
were insulted on the streets, the chill
dren were beaten by other children