Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-22
TORREY CALLED DOWN
He Had Accused Mitchell of
Falsifying.
DARROWREPLIEDHOTLY
DECLARED OPERATORS DELIBER-
ATELY FALSIFIED TO PRESIDENT
Counsel for Miners Said He Will Show
Who is Responsible for
Coal Famine.
DARR0WREPLIEDH HOTLY

PHILADELPHIA, January 22.-Thomas
Thomas, a district superintendent OF the
Lehigh Valley Coal Company. was the first
witness called before the coal strike COM
mission today. Mr.. Thomas stated that
prior to the strike of 1900 the company
had no difficulty In getting the contract
miners to produce extra cars of coal when
necessary to meet the demand. After the
strike. he said. the company was unable to
get the men to load more than certain
number of cars each day.
r. s. Mercur, a district superintendent Of
the Lehigh Valley company. who was on
the witness stand yesterday, was recalled
for cross-examination. Mr.. Mercur said
that in very cold weather the production Of
coal is sometimes seriously curtailed be-
cause Of the shutdown of the breakers. He
thought ten hours a day was not too long
for miner to stay in the mines.
The witness said he is short OF outside
laborers at Centralia, and could put some
at work II he could get them. The rate of
pay is $1.45 a day.
Water in Packer Shafts.
In reply to Commissioner Parker, Mr..
Mercur said as a result of the late strike
No. Packer shaft, one lift in No.
Packer one lift in No. Packer and one
lift in No. 4 Packer are still under water.
thus preventing the employment of about
GOO men and boys.
During the cross-examination of Superin-
tendent Mercur representatives Of the
miners informed the commission that in
cases where contract miners bid for work
the contract Is given to the lowest bidder.
In one instance Saloonkecper who was
not employed in the mines was awarded a
contract to cut coal. He never entered the
mine. but had other men do the work for
him.
Fred NJ. Chase, chief accountant OF the
Lehigh Valley Coal Company was recalled
and denied that he or any of his assistants
had taken certain pages from the wage
statements submitted by the company.
Superintendent Mercur was recalled and
asked by the miners counsel to give the
names of the miners who had told the
witness that no coal famine existed. giving
this as their excuse for refusing to cut
more coal. Mr.. Mercur refused on the
ground that the union would make trouble
commission to have Mr.. Mercur's state
ment stricken from the records. but Chair
man Gray refused to do So
Mitchell's Statements Challenged.
Counsel Torrey of the Delaware and Hud-
son company challenged Mr.. Mitche!l's
statement that 5000 miners were idle in the
anthracite region. He had Investigated the
statement and said Mr.. Mitchell could not
produce 10 per cent of the number. and that
his remarks were irresponsible because they
could not be based on facts.
Mr.. Darrow, counsel for the miners. said
If Mitchels statements were irresponsible.
1t was due to his association with Baer
and Markle" These men, counsel said,
made statements to the President Of the
United States that were absolutely false
extremely and inexcusably false" Contin-
uing, he said that before the commission
adjourns he would "show that the compa-
nies, and not the miners, are guilty of re-
stricting the output. If / don't" he ex-
claimed, II will go back to Chicago and
ask the commission to find against u.s.
This ended the discussion. and the Lehigh
Valley rested it's case. The Lehigh and
Wilkesbarre company. which is controlled
by the Central Railroad of New Jersey, then
presented its case. A preliminary state
ment was made by A. H McClintock. coun-
sci for the company.
A recess was then taken.