The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-05
Witness Says They Were Afraid
10 Report Unhealthy Places
AN INTERESTING SESSION
Father Hussle, a Catholic Priest, Says
Some of the Miners Families
Are Almost Destltute-Bare-
ly Able to Exist on Wages.

Scranton. Pa, December AT today's
/ sessions of the anthracite strike commits
sion, the representatives Of the mine
workers continued to call witnesses,
mostly practical miners, who told their
story Of conditions as they existed in
the Hazleton or middle coal fields. Some
of the witnesses testified that they were
not given their old places, and MAIN
tanned that men prominent in the union
+ in the various localities during the strike
were Disseminated against.
The commission has decided to invite
the mine inspectors to appear before
them. because the miners assert that the
workmen fear to inform the mine inspec-
tors OF dangerous or unhealthy places
in the mines because the inspectors are
usually accompanied by some represent
tative of the company, who may cause
the mans dismissal.
This is a new point before the COM
! mission Rumors of possible negotia-
I tions looking to settlement outside the
commission, continue to be heard. Law
: yersi admit they have heard such rumors
+ but say they know nothing about a pos
sble settlement. Whatever is done will
be first decided upon in New York. Sew
eral attorneys. among them w. w. Ross
of the Delaware, Lackawanna and West
ern company, have returned to the
metropolis. Whether or not it is in con-
neotion with peace negotiations cannot
be learned here. The opinion still pre-
walls here that the operators and the
miners will agree on most points before
the commission concludes its hearings.
Hazleton Miner Recalled.
w. c. Dettrey, a miner for the Halle
ton region. and president of his local
union, who was on the stand yesterday,
was recalled at the opening Of the after
noen session. He presented some corre-
spondence that passed between himself
and the Coke company with reference
to the employment of $50 men who struck
and were not given back their old places.
Some of these men were subsequently
taken back. The witness testified that
the mine foreman read him a letter In
which President Dettrey was informed
that the other men would not be taken
back until after the strike commission
. shall have made its award II She award,
he said the letter stated is against the
msn, none of the United Mine Workers
will be taken back
jackson Ansbach of the Hazleton union
was an interesting witness because he is
the first fireman to appear before the
commission. He said he received $l.57
for a day OF twelve hours and his assist
ant $1.26 On every other Sunday when
he and His assistant shifted from day to
night work. they were compelled to work
tventy-four hours straight without re-
lief. This statement caused buzz
through the courtroom and every com
missioner Strengthened up and became
more interested He said he was off duty
one day every two weeks, thus working
six days one week and eight days the fol-
lowing week.
"Supposing you should fall asleep when
YOU work in the long shift Of twenty-four
hours; what would happan?' asked Mr..
Darrow.
We'll" he replied, IF slept long
enough the fans would stop gas would
accumulate IN the mines. and If an ex-
plosion took place some men might be
killed, that's ALL"
Catholic Priest Called.
The Rev. James V. Hussie, rector of
st. Gabriel's Roman Catholic church,
Hazleton, and the dean of lower Luzerne
county, was the next witness
Father Hussie stated that he had an in
innate knowledge of the conditions In
tor of the parish there. Drinking among
the miners, he said, was at a minimum
during the strike When asked to ex-
plain the general conditions as he found
trem Father Hussie said he had lived in
the coal region practically all his life.
IRE conditions in this region" he said,
''aTe deplorable. The mine workers are
rarely able to exist I say this without
eny coloring knowing that I am under
oath. 1 have been in their homes. They
are not homes, but merely habitation.
a resting place. They are frugal. con-
sentative, reasonable and God-fearIng
We have eight Catholic churches in
Ha2leton and they are crowded every
Sunday with worshipers, and this is tha
case of the other churches who are on
posed to ours" W
continuing, Father Hussie said that this
| was the condition on before the strike and
during the suspension the mine workers
and their families were more ninched.
tnat tney We're most economical in many
things and barely existed. Families can
not be kept together he said. The bows
| are sent into the mines almost as soon
| as they are able TO toddle out and the
| girls are sent to the mills In the small
towns in the vicinity or drift to the large
cities. He related instances of poverty
and said that 1t took one man six years
| to pay off a funeral debt of $780,
Newspaper Reports Exaggerated.
| On cross-examinatin Father Hussie said
the newspaper reports of violence in the
Hazelton RECON were exaggerated,
Andrew Mattey, who was on the stand
i at the morning session was recalled to
/ give more information regarding the al
! legged Importation of Slavonians to the
/ Coke mines. He told how he had been
paid to go to Hazleton and meet the
green horns" who had been Shipped"
| by his mother from Europe at his re-
! quest and at the behest of a foreman en-
ployed at the mines. Judge Gray, evil
IDENTIFY thinking that the alien laws were
being violated. BECAME greatly interested,
and leaning toward the witness, he said:
when was this?"
Seventeen years ago." replied the Hun
garian.
"Oh," said the Judge, as he leaned back
In his chair, and a wave of laughter
swept over the court room.
A check docking boss. employed by the
miners, a timekeeper and an engineer EN-
ployed at collieries IL the upper Goa
fields, were next called and testified thai
they were unable to get their old place.
back after the strike was declared off.
A question was raised by counsel To-
the operators as to whether or not tn
Susquehanna company was a party t
the arbitration scheme, and after let
ter of Isaac Wistar, of Philadelphia
vice president of the company had beel
read by the commissioners to the effec
that the company would abide by tn
award of the commissioners, IL the me-
would also abide by 1t. John Price,