The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-13
PROBING BEGINS IN CHICAGO.
One Man Wanted for Witness Ignores
Subpoena.

CHICAGO, Jan. IL. = The special
grand jury investigating the coal fam
Inc continued today to hear evidence.
twenty-five coal men, some the heads
of wholesale firms and others chiefs in
the councils of corporations operating
mines, presented themselves in answer
to summonses to tell what they may
konW of the ring"
1t is the intention of the grand jury
that none but coal men shall be ex-
anlined, and under States Attorney
Deneen's direction they are being
asked to explain just what are the
aims and objects Of the Illinois Coal
Operators association and why coal
cars stored on railroad tracks just
outside the city limits are not being
ordered into the city and marketed.
1t is said that the investigators have
discovered trains of coal cars side
tracked and placarded with fnstruc-
tions to freight crews to held the con-
signmentS Indefinitely, and that hun
dreds of tons of coal have been taken
from the cars and heaped up along
the tracks. Attorney General Hanlin
declared that the investigation would
not be confined to Chicago, but would
reach out SO to take up the conditions
throughout the state.
S. M. Dalzell of the Spring Valley
Coal company, was the first witness
Brent, secretary of the Illi-
nois Coal Operators association; G. w.
Gilmore, of the Crescent Coal and
Mining company, and George H. Holt,
of the Building Managers association
Evidence is said to have been secured
tending to prove that the operations
Of the alleged conspiring dealers are
planned in secret quarters in a down
town office building, and that daily
conferences were held until the pres
ent investigation began. The manager
Of the building is said to be a pros
pective witness, who, it is believed,
will give the jurors information of
great value. The investigation today
was directed at the workings Of the
Northern Illinois Soft Coal Dealers
association, the Illinois Coal Operators
association and the Indiana Coal Op-
orators association.
A subpoenae duces tecum was is
sued late this afternoon for w. f. Bo-
gle, president, w S. Gilmore, vice
president, and Norman B. Birkland,
secretary treasurer, of the Crescent
Coal and Mining company, demanding
that they produce the contracts and
agreement entered into by the COM
pany with the following mining COM
panies: The Bruileet Creek Coal
company, by Hugh Shirkle, president;
the Wabash Valley Coal and Mining
company, the Coal Bluff Mining COM
pany, the Glen Oak Coal and Mining
company and the Oak Hill Coal and
Mining company.
Hugh Shirkle, of Terre Haute, Ind,
president of the Bruilett Creek Coal
company, was served with a forthwith
subpoena this afternoon while on a
train returning to his home, but re-
fused to recognize the authority of the
Cook county officials and declined to
return to Chicago and appear before
the grand jury as a witness. 1t is said
Mr.. Shirkle was out of the jurisdiction
of the court before the subpoena had
been issued. The jurors were of the
opinion that Mr.. Shirkle had some
knowledge of the alleged coal COM
bine.
Two degrees below zero was the Of
fetal temperature for Chicago and vi
cinity today, accompanied by a brisk
southwest wind. Much suffering among
the poor, who have with difficulty en-
dured the moderate weather since the
| coal famine became acute has been
reported, and about dozen deaths
have been caused by the cold. The
mayor has taken steps to provide q
fund for the relief of the suffering
among the destitute. w. H. Wahl
killed himself with laudanum because
unable to secure food and fuel for his
family.
in the solution of the coal problem.
An ordinance was passed making the
forestalling of fuel supplies a misde-
| meanor, punishable with a fine Of 5000
| for each ofrense. AS an emergency
| matter the measure was rushed
| through under suspension of the rules
| After ten days 1t goes into effect.