Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-12-09
WORSE CONDITIONS
THAN IN IRELAND
Heartrending Stories Of the lnhu-
manity of the Independent Coal
Operators Toward Their
Employees.
JUDGE GRAY WAS YISIBLY TOUCHED

Scranton, Dec. 9.--Among the wit
nesses examined by the coal strike
commission today was Henry Coll, an
other Markle miner. He gave graph
ic description of how he was injured
many times in the mines. He said one
en- one; he had only one eye, his hands
had been crushed, his ribs broken and
his skull fractured. The company gave
him nothing until after the employees
took up 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. Then followed the most pathetic
story told the commission. The old
miner, decrepit from many injuries,
told how he was evicted. The wife was
sick and her 10O-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 Ea-
zleton, miles away, and placed the IN
in cold, damp, empty house. This
was last month when the atmosphere
was quite cold. His wife became worse
Medical aid was kindly furnished free
by Hazleton doctor, but it did not
help her much. I'VE were greatly wor-
ried because of our having been turned
out of the house and one night" he
said, between sobs, ''she died"
"She died" said Judge Gray, who was
pacing to and fro across the room, as
he quickly turned when he heard the
mans last words.
"Yes, sir, she died, and I buried her
yesterday"
All the commissioners and many OF
those in the court room were much af |
fected by the old miners story. The |,
witness went on to say that he did not |
know whether the centenarian was
alive today or not. She was in a bad
condition, owing to her daughters |
death when he left the house last night. |
No one cared to cross-examine, and
Judge Gray said: THAT is all, Mr.. Coll,
and that's enough"
Other miners were placed on the wit
ness stand who gave testimony to show
that the c. B. Markle Company refused |
to employ them because they belonged |
to the union, had evicted them from |
their homes for tie same cause. that
the docking system was intolerable,
that although the men are getting an
increase of 10 per cent in wages grant
ed as a result of the 1900 strike, it Is
doubtful If they get it, because the men
do not know how the company is fig
uring out that the price of powder
which enters in the computation of the
increase has been raised and the size
Of the mine cars have increased, but
the wages not. Two Hungarian wo-
men were placed on the stand and told
how the Markle Company deducted
house rent from the last wages Of their
husbands, who were killed \ in the
mines, and how the company attempt-
ed to get them to sign a paper which
would absolve the Markles from dam
ages for the death Of the men. The
women also confirmed the story told
by breaker boy that children had to
work without pay until the debt owed
by their dead fathers was paid off. The
Markle Company was not represented
by it's own lawyers before the commits
sion, although 1T had ample notice that
testimony affecting its co1lieries would
be presented. The commissioners We're
much surprised to learn that the 10 per
cent increase granted in 1900 was not
straight out raise in wages, but in-
stead a 2 1-2 per cent increase and
reduction in powder of IL per cent.
The question came in for much dis
cussion because the miners testified
that they are not getting more wages
than they did before 1900. No one in
the court room could give satisfac-
tory explanation.