Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-11

Prominent Independent Coal
Operator Placed on Stand
by Mine Workers
WAS AN UNWILLING WITNESS
But His Testimony Was Highly Inter
estins and Showed Up the Inner
Workings Of the Coal Trust opsr-
ators Evidently Badly Scared bx
crawford's Testimony.

Scranton, Pa, Dec. 1.-THE lawyers
for the miners sprung a surprise on the
coal companies at the beginning OF
today's proceedings by calling to the
witness stand J. L. Crawford, prom
Iinent independent operator. president
of the Peoples Goal Company, which
operates the oxford colliery at Scran-
ton.
..When did you ship coal last ?. asked
Darrow.
Yesterday"
what are you getting for it ~
| II don't know exactly"
| "Can you come near it
| II can, If want to.
| Don't you want to-"
mo Sir"
| "You are a party to this commission
and went to New York to see the coal
presidents?"
| .Yes Sir"
.sThen you refuse to give this com
mission that information"
Il don't think I am compelled g
| tell"
(which road do you sell to?"
| Delaware. Lackawanna and Vest
ern.'
"whet do you get for it?''
/ "About 65 per cent of what the
Lackawanna gets for it."
At this point the attorneys for the
operators objected to the inquiry pre-
ceeding further along the lines Of what
the company's profits were Darrow
said he called the witness to show that {
1.-THE coal companies were able to pay
! the advance in wages asked for
Wayne MacVeagh, in his cross sex
animation of Mitchell he said, intimat-
ed the increase, If granted would uiti-
mately be placed on the bowed backs
Iof the poor" and he wanted to show the
icompanies were well able to give the
ineeessel asked for without putting i
on the poor. Darrow then continued
his examination.
How many tons do you produce
day?"
Nine hundred to 1000 TONS
"And you don't know how much you
get for it?''
Il can give an estimate
We'll, what is it?"
About $500 ton.
Crawford said during the latter part
| of the strike his colliery was in opera
tion and he got $50 a ton for his coal.
Chairman Gray here stopped the ex-1
emination,sa saying the exceptionally high
prices during the strike were not peril
nent to the inquiry.
The miners called several witnesses,
who told of conditions at the collieries
of the Pardee Company in the Hazelton
region. One witness was boy, who
said he lost leg in the mines. and re-
ceived nothing for its loss. but instead,
when he returnd to work. tn company
took off his wages his fathers debt.
Darrow here announced that the
miners expect to close their case this
! week, and he gave notice for the othr
side to be ready.
The companies, at this, said they de-
sired a recess for short time after the
miners close, to complete preparation Of
| their case Chairman Gray said he
/ hoped there would be no Interruption.
/ Three witnesses employed in the
mines of the Delaware. Lackawanna &
Western were called to testify to the
size of the cars at the conlpany's COLI
neries. They claimed their size was In
creased without CORES ponding I'M
crease in pay. The company maintained
| the car grievance was adjusted, but
| this the men deny. Rev. ]. J. O'Donnell,
priest of Oliphant, testified that the
mine workers of his town, generally
speaking were law-abiding and that
/ there was very little violence. He SYM
pathized with the men. because he be-
lieved their cause was just and they
had done everything honorable to avoid
G, ctrika rs