The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-10
PATHETIC STORIES
BY The MINERS
The Commissioners Were V.sib,y
Moved by the Recita|s.
YEARS TO PAY BACK RENT
\ Woman Tells of the Struggles of Her
self ard Her Children-An Evicted
Mans Wife Dies from Expo
sure-Hs Mother III.
YEARS TO PAY BACK RENT
\ Woman Tells of The Struggles of Her.
(By Associated Press.)

SCRANTON, PA. Dec. 9.-Tales OF
ey.ctions from houses owned by G. B.
Marble, the narratio.s Of death of a
from her home, and the story OF z moth
or, whose husband was killed in tile
Marl1lc mines, of how she and her two
boys struggled years to pay the Marbles
the back rent and coal bill she owed
them, were the principal features Of
to-days sessions of the Coal Strike
Comm. ssion. The testimony as present.
ed by some OF the witnesse, whose lives
are given up to the coal mining indus
try, was at times pathetic and sur2ris-
ing to the commissioners. who listened
to it with undivided attention.
After Closing the Markle case the re-
p. .;senta Eves Of the miners called wit
l.esses who had formerly been employed
in the ,ni1oes Of several companies to
show that blacklist exists and that
some Of the companies had brohen the
agreement which ended the strike ana
resulted in the appointment of the Ar
DitTauoa Com Nilsson. it Is the inten-
don Of the lawyers for the miners to
take up to-morio w the conditions at the
coll.eries OF the Lehiyh Valley Company
and others in the Hazleton region.
a PATHETIC STORY.
Henry llcCol. a Mar!1le miner, told
how his family was evicted. Tile
wife was SICK and her one-hun
ired-vear-od mother was blind and
unab-e 70 walk. The day on which
they were thrown OUT was rainy. He
TOOK them as best he could to Hazeitor,
seven miles away. and placed them in 4
cold. damp, empty house. This was last
month, when the atmosphere on the
Ha3elton mountain was quite cold. His
wife became worse. Medical aid was
sind ' furnished free by Hazctcn doc
tor but it CID not help her much.
We were greatly worried because Of
our having been turned out Of our house,
and one night" the witness said, between
sobs, she died.
she died. exclaimed Judge Gray. who
was pacing to and fro across the room,
who quickly turned when he heard the
mans last words.
Yes, sir. she died and buried her
yesterday
Ali the commissioners. and many OF
those il the courtroom We're much at
fected by the Old miners story.
The witness went on to say that lie did
not know whether the ceatenaran was
alive to-day or net. "Sfe was in q bad con-
dition owing to her daughters death,
when I left home last night" said he.
10 one cared to cross-exa11ire him, and
Judge Gray said: THAT is all, Mir. Nc
Coli. and that's enough
IN BAD CONDITION.
Two more witnesses told Of how they
were refused work by :;2s 2:erkle Com
Goa pt Ma tim
Board member Of the United Mine Work
ers OF America, for the Eazelton Dis
trict, took the stand and told OF coudi-
tons as he found them at the mines OF
the Markle company. The air in some Of
the gangways, he said was SO bad that
miners lamps would not burn. II he had
a drill hole started and the lamp went
out he would continue TO work in the
da.k until his condition s,-c.:::e SO weak
eret1 by the air that he had to get out
So far as he could remember, not one
man who was on any Of the Marklc
grievance committees is now working for
that company.
Gallagher explained the troubles at the
Nlark!e mines after the recent strike was
over. when the men refused to go to WORK
because John MaTkie imposed certain
conditions.
A WOMAN.s STRUGGLES.
Mrs. Kate Burns, of Jeddo. told a
eto,-- Of how she and her two boys
worked thirteen. years to pay OF an &C
c,irru!ated house rent and coal bill due
10 the Markle Company, the narration
OF which deeply interested the commits
sio.ers. She was examined by Lawyer
barrow, and in answer to Ills questions
she said her husband was an engineer
inside The Narl1'e mines. The husband
was killed under ground leaving Ter
vii, four children. the eldest Of which
was a bog of eight years. The COM
many never offered her 2 penny. but
the employees gave her about $3.50 TO ie-
frav the tu7era! expenses. After her
husba;,a had baen killed she moved
from her four-roorn house into one con-
tanning two, ore room above the ctht:.
and the next six years she struggled
as best she could ito get along. She
took in washing. scrubbed for the neigh
to-s. and once IN = while she was sivels
work cleaning the Offices Of the Marble
Company.
WAGES FOR BACK RENT.
When the eldest child was fourteen
wears Cd she sent him to the mines.
At the end of the drst month the lad
brought home his wage statement, snow
ing that the mother owed $3.50 ior pac's
rent The boys wages LOT the hao1iSH
had been taken off the bill and he came
home empty-harded. In the course OF
time her next boy was old enough TO
earn a living. AID he, too. was sent 10
the colliery. Like the older brother, the
second boy received no pay. his earn
i,gs being deducted for rent. Ine
mother on the witness stand, was os
this tire yelling UP, and when she add
~ that the money she earned for clean
ing the Maclzle Offices was never given
her. but kept by the company for rent.
the commissioners looked at one an