The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-10
CRUEL OPPRESSION OF
THE MINE OWNERS
Aged and Crippled EmpIoye of the MarkIeS Evctel
and His Wife Died as Result of Exposure.
Widow and Her Two Sons Worked Thirteen Years to Pay BAG
House Rent and Coal Bill.

OCRANTON. Pa, Dee. s.-Tales Of
eviction from houses owned by G.
B. Markle & Co, the narration of
the death of a wife as a result of an en-
forced removal from her home, and the
story of a mother whose husband was
killed in the Marzie mines, and of how
she and her two boys struggled for
years TO pay the Markles the back rent
and coal bin she owed them. were the
principal features of today's sessions
of the coal strike commission. The tes-
timony as presented by some of the
witnesses whose lives are given UP to
the coal mining industry was at times
pathetic and surprising to the com
miSsioners, who listened 10 il with I'M
divided attention.
Markles Not Represented.
The miners this afternoon concluded
the calling Of witnesses against the
Markle company. which concern and
the conditions surrounding II have been
prominently before the commissioners
since last Saturday In the absence of
Samuel Dickson Of Philadelphia and
George p Bedford of WiIkesbarre, at
torneys for the Markle company, who
are reported to be unavOidably absent.
only a perfunctOry crOss-eXaminatiO
j u
Scranton, VINO is representing another
company before the commission, and
who had been asked to take care of the
interests of C. B. Markle & Co. as best
he could.
Much surprise has been expressed
that the company has not made greater
efforts to refute some of the seemingly
damaging testimony that has been pre-
sented- 1t is expected, however. that
he 1rax~ 10, T1r ,a raT
tOrneys for the large coal companies
have nothing TO say regarding the
character of the testimony being pre-
scented, but those representing the
miners are well pleased. One of the
latter, speaking of today's proceedings.
said:
Miners Are Satisfied.
The independent operators, in their
meeting with the big companies in New
York two weeks ago, when they sue
ceeded in blocking the proposed settle
ment, said the whole matter should go
before the commission, so that the
country at large would know who is
right and thus Vindicate the coal com
panies- We are willing to go ahead
With the proceedings if they are salts
fed with the 'vindication' they are now
getting"
After closing the 8Iarkle case, the
representatives of the miners called
witnesses who had formerly been en-
ployed in the mines of several cOmpa-
MES, to show that a blacklist existed
and that some Of the companies had
broken the agreement which ended the
strike and resulted in the appointment
Of the arbitration commission. 1t is the
intention of the lawyers for the miners
to take up tomorrow the conditions OF
the collieries OF the Lehigh Valley COM
pany and others in the Hazleton region
When the strike commission opened
its session today H c. Reynolds, one
Of the attorneys for the independent
operators, announced the death of DR..
J. n Rice an independent operator,
who was a party to the arbitration
scheme and was prominent in the pres
ent negotiations Chairman Gray eX-
pressed sorrow at the death of DR.. Rice
In a few well chosen words Judge Gray
called attention to the uncertainty OF
life and reminded all who are parties TO /
moment be called to that high tribunal !
which gives exact justice to all
Refused Work and Evicted.
The first witness called was James /
McMonigle. a miner, formerly en- 4
plOyed by the Markle company he said i
the breast he was working in was so !
company officials that he might be /
killed. He was told If he worked any I
other breast he would not be given any 4
cars. He went out on strike and after !
the suspension he was refused work 4
and evieted from his house.
r. D. Gallagher. another Markle (
miner. testified that the company /
charges him 50 cents a gallon for oil 4
that sells in Hazelton, a few miles 1
away, for IS cents, and 90 cents a quiTe /
for blasting paper that can be had for !
Is cents
Chairman Gray asked what the out {
side market price for powder was. Some I
of the independent operators said Sl-25 4
a key, but attorneys for the miners said /
are selling it 10 the miners at $50 a /
key.
Andrew Hannik Hungarian. told 4
how the AIarkles evicted him. He was /
followed by Henry Cole, another Mar i
kIe miner who told how his family, in 4
Guiding his mother-in-law, who was 100 1
years old, were set out on the road /
with their household goods. He gave
a 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, his
hands had been crushed, ribs broken
and skull fractured. The company gave
MIN nothing until after the employees
took up a collection for him. then he
was given $50 after being on the in
jured list for two years. The company
took out of the collection the rent he
owed.
In answer to other questions he said
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 evieting him.
Then followed the most pathetic
story yet told the commission. The