Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-12-11
BRIBES TO BREAK STRIKE
Witnesses Tell of Thousands offered for
Resolution to Resume.
FIGURES SHOW WAGES PAID
Delaware & Hudson Swear TO Paying
Miners over six Hundred and La
bOrers More Than Four Hum
dred Dollars Yearly.

the coal strike commission today was to
the effect that a former mine foreman at
tempted to bribe two presidents Of miners
local unions to get ten men to pass a reso-
luton ordering the men back to work.
Each president was to receive S2,500 and a
good position as mine foreman and each Of
the ten men from 500 to 5000. The name
OF no company was mentioned In connec-
tion with the scheme and none of the law
yers cross-examined the witness.
The large coal companies took notice Of
the testimony presented against the Coxes
and Markles, when David Wilcox, first
vice president OF the Delaware Hudson,
protested against the commission blaming
his company for conditions that exist at
other mines. He was quickly stopped by
! the chairman, who said the commission
| did not intend to hold any company respon-
sible for whatever special conditions might
exist in other parts of the coal fields.
| Two check watchmen produced figures
! tending to show that at two Delaware G.
! Hudson collieries the miners produced 49,,
S39 tons of coal more than they were paid
| for The miners had to bring up 3,136
pounds to make a ton of 2,240 pounds of
pure coal and the union claimed that the
company got more than 2,24O pounds of coal
| out OF each miners" ton and produced off,
cial figures to prove it.
| The Delaware G. Hudson presented its
figures today, thus being the first to offer
certified statistics. They show the average
earnings Of each miner in 1901 to have been
$622.6S, and Of his laborer $449.4.
Oner Cumulative Evidence.
The miners announced that they were
prepared to pile up cumulative evidence on
their claim that members OF the union were
| ad at bv
panies, but they did not wish to take up
the time Of the commission. Mr.. Dar-
row asked that in case the companies, when
they present their side of the controversy,
piled up cumulative evidence on this point
that the unfOn might call more witnesses
on the same line of evidence.
Mr.. Terry, for the Delaware & Hudson,
said that company had a large number of
witnesses to testify to violence practiced by
, the union, a subject which had direct bear
ing on the recognition of the union.
The chairman, in reply, said he hoped
both sides would do the best they could not
, to produce too much cumulative evidence
| and concluded by saying:
II think that matters growing out of the
mere exhibition of feeling will not have
much weight with this commission"
C. w. Philips, city superintendent Of ths
He testified that children Of the mine work
: ers left school earlier than children of par
!, ents engaged in other occupations.
John Archibald Of Hazleton, who is 81
!. years OF age and who had worked in anC
7 7 about mines for ifty-hve years, said som'
: Of the miners employed in the Lehigh Valle!
. mines received only 81 day.
: After the superintendent of schools II
Lackawanna county, ]. G. Taylor. an
Superintendent of Schools NJ. w. Cum
mings Of the borough OF Oliphant had toll
the commission that 27h per cent Of tn
children in the mining region were ou
of school, a sensation was caused by tn
testimony of John Early. a check weigh
: man, employed at the Gypsy Grove col
; liery OF the Erie company, who was presi
= dent of the Gypsy Grove local" Earl
u said he was introduced to a former min
u foreman named Michael Grimes, at tn
Lackawanna Valley hotel, Scranton.
e Early and a miner named O'Hara, VIII
!, was also president of a local union, wer
Il each offered $4,000 to get ten men to pas
a resolution ordering the men from tn
- two locals they represented back to worl
Ie story of Attempted Bribery.
'e He met Grimes in hotel through anothe
person. In the course of conversatio
=, Grimes asked him how he stood in politics
] Early replied that he had not made up hi
mind and Grimes said that being presiden
ID OF a local union he had much inhuenc
among his friends in Dunmore an
that II he worked for William Connell 70
congress he would give him $1,000 Thi
was on September 23.
: After making this proposition. Crime
nl asked:
r How about the strike? Don't you thin
~ the men are weakening?" To which Earl
" replied that he did think they we're waveI
"a ing Just a little. Grimes then told hi
AZ that he knew a break was coming in tn
ranks OF the men and that they would I
oi defeated. Grimes recognized that the me
1e had grievances and that they had put up
% good fight, and as long as they were goiI
u to be defeated by the operators Early ougl
to get something out Of 1t. Grimes the
q made this proposition:
- "If Early could get ten men to have
resolution passed by his local Grimes wou
- give nine of them 500 each. the tenth ma
5000 and Early $500 and all expense
necessary to carry out the scheme. +
further added that Early need not apply 4
work for three months and that he wou
~ then be given a foremanship.
al During the three months his expens
eu were to be paid and there would be
vi trouble In getting a mine foreman's ce
tihcate, as the mines controlled the boa
that issued them.
NJ Later in the conversation Grim
os amended his proposition by offering to q
cd two Of the ten men $500 each and at 4
VIC same time offered Early 500 for cure
expenses. Early refused the money a.
- told Grimes he would see him later. ]
D reported the matter to District Preside
Nicolls OF the Miners union and 1t "
IL decided to see how far the bribery scheI
would be carried
Proposition IL Repeated.
Another meeting was arranged and
lth Grimes had spoken OF having approach
he o'Hara, the latter went along. The sal
ew proposition was made to OHara. T
same night there was to be a joint met
ma ing OF all the locals in the vicinity OF Du
m more and Grimes wanted them to pass {
nes resolution that night. but the two pre-
on dents could not see their way clear to do
ads Grimes then proposed that they size
the men in the meeting, get thirty Of thu
interested and II the resolution was pass