The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-05

pmpIONe OF 'ONc ITOS. " W, WHS tie
next Witness. He told that his wages
ranged from $50 for two weeks to sl5
less than nothing This last condition.
1t was explained. resulted from sub
| fractions for powder. etc, while he was
cutting coal which could not be loaded
within the same two weeks that 1t was
cut
! Rather Homebody.
| He worked twenty-five years for the
Coxes. and never in that time was out
of Luzerne county except to take q run
down to- Allentown during the strike.
He was never able to save any money.
! He told that II was his invariable en-
| perence that when he went to boss
to make a complaint he was told that
If he didn't like it he could get out
Practically similar testimony was
given by John Farrerl, an Italian. who
came from the Alps. and who has been
working for Coke Bros. & Co. FOR
| twelve years. He Is vice president or
| the local ana Is one of the men turned
out of the company houses and refused
unemployment at the end of the strike
because of his connection with the
union.
He was told il was because lie
CHASED men from work. that he would
not be re-employed.
Judge Gray asked him ii it was true
he had chased men away from work
The witness said he had only "advised'
them to stay home.
| Just before the strike, the witness
said, he had a good place and could
earn $l.90 a day if Re worked hard. He
started saving aRtle something for
| L. - At In
ming of the last strike had amassed $50.
III telling Of the extent to which
dockage is carried, he stated that once
he sent out fourteen cars and they
were condemned. He had to "pick"
| them over and was docked rs per cent.
at that. President Crawford, of the
Peoples Coal company, asked the wit
ness how many cars he filled from the
fourteen when they were picked" over.
The witness said twelve. "Then you
sent out two cars of dirt?" said MIR.
| Crawford. The witness did not reply.
Timothy Maloney, secretary of the
Oneida local. was the next witness. He
is also one of the men turned out of
company house and refused re-employ-
ment. He was working as footman
| at the Oneida for ten years prior to the
had to quit work in the mines three
years ago on account of asthma.
| The witness identified notice posted
by Coke Bros & Co., in the latter part
Of last September. in which warning
was given that discharge would be the
penalty on any employe who "by in
| timidatior or moral persuasion" at
tempted to induce any other employe to
join or leave any society or union, or
refused to work with any fellow-la borer
because of his not being a member of
any society or union. The notice was
| offered in evidence.
Lenahan Takes Hand.
The witness was then cross-eNamined
by John T. Lenahan, representing the
non-union men. Mr.. Lenahan brought
out the fact that employees OF the Coke
Bros. e. Co. railroad had been attacked
by mobs during the strike, and then
asked the witness il he did not lead
these mobs on two different occasions.
The witness denied the allegation con-
tanned in Mr.. Lenahan's question, and
further denied having participated in
any strike violence.
Attorney II. G. Reynolds brought
from the witness an admission that he
left his job two days before the strike
was declared. and that when he was
dispossessed of the company house he
was owing four months rent. Mr.. Dar-
row brought out that the notice order
ing him to quit the company house con-
tanned no demand for or mention of
rent. and that it was not infrepuent
for him to be in arrears.
Hugh Boyle, Il miners laborer. OF
Nuremberg, employed by Coke Bros. &
Co., corrODorated the preceding wit
nesses on matters pertaining to general
conditions and told. besides, that as
labore; for a miner he was paid $l.94
while as Il laborer for the company he
would be paid only $l22.
The testimony of the morning session
closed with this witness.
The first witness of the afternoon was
w, II. Dettrey, board member of the
IIaZelton district, who was on the stand
the day before. He was recalled to be
examined more particularly regarding
the strike ut the Coke Bros. & Co. coll
leres.
When tie strike at these collieries
ended last week it WAS agreed that the
company should not re-employ men
who had been displaced by the intro
duction of machinery or those under
indictment or arrest for crime. The list
of men the company put in these two
excepted classes numbered 439. The
witness testified that he carefully OK
amined the list and found only
eighteen who We're ever under arrest
Tor crime 1t was not until the COM
pany cut the list down TO 1G9 that the
strike was finally ended
Ihe witness was then roSS-eSamined
by John 7, I.enahnn. Mr.. Lenahan
brought out the fact that there is a
Central Labor union in Hazelton, with
which the miners are allied: that its
official organ Is the Trades Jvnionist:
that the editors of the paper have been
held under $4,000 bail each for libelling
Superintendent Smith of Coke Bros &
Co.. and that articles from Freeland ana
Drifting abusing Superintendent Smith
appeared IN this paper.
He Did Not Know.
The witness averred that he did not |
know that there We're many strikers |
engaged in violence who were not ar
rested, or that twenty-five of the strik- |
ers from the Coke mines We're arrestd |
IN Wilkes Barre.
Jackson -Anspach of Rock Glen, n |
fireman at one of the Coke breakers. |
told that he worked twelve hours a day |
ana twenty-four hours at a stretch |
every other Sunday. when changing
shifts. This condition prevails all |
through that region, Sometimes ne can |
get off for a few hours to go 10 church. |
The pay Of fireman Is $l57 a day. A |
question from Commissioner Parker |