Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-11-18
MITCHELL ON STAND
Gross Examination of Miners
Leader Continued,
THE STRIKE INVESTIGATION DRAGS.
Counsel For the Erie, Wayne Mac
Veagh, Spends a Day In Firing
Questions without Mate
rial Results.

rial Results.
SCRANTON, Pa, Nov. 1S.-In the
presence of as many persons as could
be jammed into the superior court
room Wayne MacVeagh for the Erie
company and John Mitchell for the
miners continued their brilliant battle
OF cross examination before the an
thracite coal commission. The two
men, the one in his thirties and the
other in his seventies, were followed
with intense interest by both the COM
missioners and the crowd throughout
the day, and the contest was not ended.
The fourth demand of the union,
which calls for yearly trade agree
ment and which means straight out
recognition of the union, was the bone
Of contention, and although four hours
were taken up in a discussion Of the
question. not much material progress
was made. Wayne MacVeagh, skilled
in the art of cross examination, at
tempted to show tie utter irresponsi-
bility of the unic-l and it's unfitness to
make contracts which it could not live
up to. His princiIsi argument was the
alleged boycott, md he often hard
pressed the miners president for an
answer. The latter. however, slowly
and deliberately gave his replies, but
they did not always satisfy his inquisi-
tor. Mr.. MacVeagn in the presence of
the assemblage expressed his admira
ton of the ability of the witness, and
on one occasion, when Mr.. Mitchell
parted a question regarding the boy
cotting of coal and iron policeman by
a hotel keeper, the distinguished attor-
ney threw up his hands, laughed and
said, MIR. Mitchell, you are the best
witness for yourself that ever con-
fronted''
Mr.. MacVeagh weighed heavily on
what he said was a reign of terror in
the anthracite region during the period
of the strike. He read list of four
teen names Of men who We're killed
during that time and also submitted in
evidence about seventy-fve printed
pages of alleged violence, boycott and
intimidation and with the assistance
of stacks of other documents main
tanned that it would be utterly imprac-
ticaDIe for the coal companies he rep
resents to enter into agreements with
an organization that could not control
its own men.
Mr.. Mitchell stoutly maintained that
the discipline in the organization is as
good as it possibly could be where
1AT coo men were involved. He claimed
that the strikers We're not entirely re-
sponsible for the Gcts of lawlessness
that were committed. He regretted
that members of the union had in some
instances violated the law even after
they had been warned TO refrain.
In answer to questions he said that
where there is reign of terror-and he
had no information that such was the
case during the late strike-co conditions
arise that are .'intolerable' or .'unfor-
tunate." Replying to specific instances
pointed out to him by Mr.. MacNeagh
where men had been deferred from go
ing to work through fear of personal
harm or social ostracism for themselves
and families, Mr. Mitchell said that in
some cases men may have been de-
tered, but denied the assertion that
such alleged acts prevented the mines
from being operated.
The miners president, no matter how
skillfully he was questioned, could not
be dragged into a fat admission that
he, as president of the union, approved
of the boycotts complained of by the
companies.
In the course of the forenoon session
Mr. MacVeagh examined Mr.. Mitchell
regarding the eight hour demand and
referred to the fact that Abraham Lin
coin, James A. Garfield and William
Mckinley worked more than eight
hours a day and were thus enabled to
climb the ladder to the presidency. Mr..
MacVeagh grew eloquent in the course
of putting one of his questions to Mr..
Mitchell regarding the martyred presi-
dents and added, Il only mention these
because they are the three victims of
the spirit of anarchy. which is the
curse of this country today, and the
only serious curse affecting it."
The miners president quick as a
Hash came back with the inquiry,
ssTrade unions are not held responsible
for it, are theyy to which Mr.. Mac
Qeagh quickly responded that they
were not and supplemented this with
the remark that labor unions are most
admirable.
The investigation is dragging too
slowly to suit the commissioners, and it
is likely the commission will ask both
sides to agree upon some arrangement
for expediting the investigation. Mr.
Mitchell has now been on the stand for
three days and has been examined by
the attorneys q only two companies.
The second attorney, Mr.. MacVeagh, is
not yet through with him. The law
yers for the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western or the Philadelphia and
Reading company will next take Mr..
Mitchell in hand unless the programme
l. changed
Edward Has Another Royal Guest.
LONDON, Nov. 18.-The king of Por-
4ugal has arrived at Windsor from
France to pay visit to the king ana
queen of England King Edward who
had come directly from Sandringhafn.
met him at the station. The two mon
archs embraced one another most cor
daily and then drose off to the castle,
accompanied by the cheers of the
-, ~, cro7 41.a rfr,