Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-12-11
Coal Strike Board Listens to Some
Pathetic Testimony.
ONE MINERS EXPERIENCE.
Aarkle Man Tells OF the Death ef
His Wife and Illness Of Her
Centenarian Mother Follow.
lag Eviction From HsMe. |

IL W. 1SCy IOiuS OuS VI Tic dLLOIuCy0
for the independent operators, an.
nounced the death Of DR.. J. N. Rice, an
independent operator, who was party
to the arbitration scheme and was
prominent in the present negotiations.
Chairman Gray, for the commission,
expressed sorrow at the death Of DR..
Rice. In Y few well chosen words Judge
Gray called attention to the uncer-
tainty of life and reminded all who
are parties to the controversy that they
may at any moment be called to that
high tribunal which gives exact JUS
tice to all.
The first witness called was James
McGonigle. miner formerly employed
by Markle Il Co. He said the breast
he was working in was SO dangerous
that he complained to the company Of
ficials that he might be killed. He was
told If he worked any other breast he
would not be given any cars. He went
out OH strike. and after the suspension
he was refused work and evicted from
his house.
~ ne NitiiN oiiotuCt hiAiC
er. testified that the company charges
him with 35 cents gallon for oil that
sells in Hazleton. a few miles away,
for 10 cents, and 80 cents quire for
blasting paper that can be had for Is
cents. Chairman Gray asked what the
outside market price for powder was.
Some of the Independent operators said
Enrr .,tk 60, tho
miners said 80 to 50 cents keg. The
companies are selling it to the miners
at $3.50 a keg.
Andrew Hannik Hungarian, told
how the Markles evicted him. He was
followed by Henry Coll, another Mar
kle miner. who told how his family i'll
Guiding his mothcr-n-aw. who was 4
hundred years old. were set out OIL the
road with their household goods. He
gave graphic description of how he
was injured many times in the mines.
He said one of his legs was no better
than a wooden one. he had only one
eye, and his hands have been crushed,
ribs broken and skull fractured. The
company gave him nothing until after
the employees took up a collection for
him: then he was given $50 after being
on the injured list for two years. The
company took out of the collection the
rent he owed
In answer to other questions lie said
that he was one of the thirteen evicted
by the Markle company. The only rent
he owed was for the months during the
strike. The company gave no reason
for evictng him. Then followed tire
most pathetic story yet told the COM
The old miner, decrepit from
many injuries. told under the examina-
ton how the evictiOns were carried on.
His story ran:
Death Follows Eviction.
The wife was sick and her 1OO-year-
old mother was blind and unable to
walk. The day on which they were
thrown out" was rainy. He took them
as best he could to HaZleton, seven
miles away and placed them in cold,
damp. empty house. This was last
when the atmosphere on the
mountain was quite cold. His
wife became worse. Medical aid was
kindly furnished free by Hazeton
doctor, but it did not help her much.
1--WE were greatly worried because of
our having been turned out of our
house. and one night" the witness said
between sobs ''she died"
"She died." exclaimed Judge Gray,
who was pacing to and fro across the
Dom and quickly turned when he
heard the mans last words
Eyes. sir; she died. and 1 buried her
All the commissioners and many Of
hose in the courtroom We're much af-
'ected by the old miners story. The
witness went OIL to say that he did not
Know whether the centenarian was,
live today or not.
''She was in bad condition owing to.
Ter daughters death when l left home
asst night" said he.
No one arose to cross examine him,
md Judge Gray said:
Two more witnesses told of how they
we're refused work by the Markle CON-
ANY, and then j. B. Gallagher, ma
iOnal board member of the United
fine Workers of America for the Ha-
Teton district, took the stand and told
t conditions as he found them at the
mines of the Markle company. The
ir I'M some of the gangways, he said,
vas so bad that miners lamps would
ot burn. If he had drill hole start.
d and the lamp went out, he would
Ontinue the work in the dark until
is condition became so weakened by
he air that he had to get out. So far
s he could remember. not one man
vho was on any of the Markle griev-
nee committee is now working for
hat company.
Gallagher then proceeded to the trou-
les at the Markle mines after the re-
ent strike was over, when the men re-
used to go to work because John Mar.
IL iunnOuod rtniva rorditionQ