The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-11
WANTED TO BRIBE
MINERS SAY MONEY WAS OFFERED
THEM To BREAK THE STRIKE.
WOULD HAVE MEANT $500
TO EACH OF TWO LOCAL PREsI-
DENTS III THEY HAD AGREED.

Their Influence Was Wanted to
Make Their Unions Go Back TO
Work-Certain Number of Men in
Each Union Were to Have Been
Paid to Induce This MOYe-story
of How an Agent Approached the
Miners - Commission Greatly In
terested in These Disclosures.
Scranton. Pa, Dec. 10.-The most in
teresting, If not important, testimony
brought out at to-day's session of
the Coal Strike Commission was to the
effect that an alleged attempt was
made by a former mine foreman to
bribe two presidents of local unions
of miners to have ten men in each
local union use their influence to have
a resolution passed sending the men
to work, thus making a serious break
In the solid ranks of the strikers. Each
of the presidents was to receive $1,000
and a good position as mine foreman,
and each of the ten men was to get
from 800 to 5000. The name of no COM
pany was mentioned in connection with
the bribery scheme, and none of the
lawyers cross-examined the witness.
The large coal companies have taken
notice of the testimony which has been
presented against the Coke and Markle
mines. During the afternoon session
David Wilcox. vice president of the
Delaware and Hudson and general
counsel for the company, addressed
the commission and protested vigor-
ously against the commission holding
his company responsible for conditions
that may exist at the Coke or Markle
mines. He was quickly stopped by
Chairman Gray, who said that the
commission did not intend to hold any
company responsible for whatever
special condition may exist In other
parts of the coal fields.
Figures ON the Pay of Miners.
A large amount of technical testi-
mony was heard on various phases of
the questions at issue. Two check
weighmen produced figures which tend
ded to show that at two Delaware ana
Hudson collieries the miners produced
1I6,S39 tons of coal more than they
were paid for. The miners must bring
up 3.136 pounds of coal and dirt TO
make ton Of 2.240 pounds of pure coal,
and the union claims that the COM
pany gets more than 2,240 pounds OF
coal out OF each miners" ton of 3,136,
and produced official figures to prove
1t.
The Delaware and Hudson company
presented its figures to the commission
today. they being the first fortified
statistics to be handed In. They show
the average earnings of the miner Of
"A IL. te.kN<
err $449.47. When Mr.. Mitchell was On
the stand he said that 5000 should be
the minimum of American living
wages.
EarIy's story of Attempted Bribing.
John Early, a check weighman en-
ployed at the Gypsy Grove colliery of
the Erie company, who was president
of the Gypsy Grove local union, told
of the alleged attempt to bride. Mr..
Early said he was introduced to
former mine foreman named Michael
Grimes, in Scranton. Early and min
er named O'Hara, who was also presi-
dent of a local union, were each Of
fered $500 to get ten men to pass a
resolution ordering the men from the
two locals which they represented back
to work Early said Grimes first Of
fered him $1,000 to work for William
Connell for Congress. Grimes then
MADE THIS proposition:
If Early could get ten men to have
a resolution passed by his local. Grimes
would give nine of them 500, the tenth
man 5000 and Early $500 and all ex-
penses necessary to carry out the
scheme. He further added that Early
need not apply for work for three
months, and that he would then be
given foremans position.
Later on, during the conversation.
(trfnanc n ff1andad his farnrozftfAr. f,xys
fering to give two of the ten men 5000
each and at the same time offered
Early $40 for current expenses. Early
refused the money, and told Grimes he
would see him later. Early reported
the matter to District President Mich
oils of the miners union, and it was
decided to see how far the bribery
scheme would be carried
Took N Friend Along.
Another meeting was arranged, and
as Grimes had spoken of having APP
preached p. F. O'Hara, the latter went
along. The same proposition was made
to O'Hara. The same night there was
to be a joint meeting of all the locals
in the vicinity of Dunmore, and Grimes
wanted them to pass the resolution
that night, but the two presidents
could not see their way clear to do ii.
Grimes then proposed that they size
up the men in the meeting, get thirty
of them interested. and If the resolu-
ton was passed. the thirty would each
receive 5000 President Nichols, he
said, then gave out public statement,
which intimated bribery was being re-
sorted to in order to break the strike,
and the whole thing fell through.
Grimes wanted Early to help him out
of the fix. but Early would have moth
ing to do with him.
The 5tory held the attention of the
commissioners and the spectators.
Later Mr.. O'Hara went on the stand
and corrohora fed FarIvie starry