Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-07
BEFORE COAL COURT
Twenty-two Witnesses Testi- N fy Tn Philadelphia.
MITCHELL AS CROSS EXAMINER.
1xen Who Remained at Work During the Strike Tell of suRerIngs and Persecut1on-scrnn Sher-
 aff on the stand.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 7.--Twenty- two men, all but one of whom were employed in and about the coal mines, appeared before the anthracite coal strike commission at it's first session in this city and recited the oft told tales of persecution they and others underwent during the late coal strike because they chose to work rather than ooin the strikers. The single exception was Charles H. Schadt of Scranton, the sheriff of Lackawanna county, and his presence, on the stand under the cross examination of President John Mitchell of the miners union proved to be the principal feature of the days proceedings. The sheriff in direct examination said among other things that he issued 8 proclamation shortly after the strike Nas inaugurated calling upon all per in the county to keep the peace; t it was difficult to get men to act deputy Rhefiffs; that in most eases ere there was trouble it was usually when he or his men arrived; that attempted to keep the peace in all iIblSS duV tliut JIt pC-
 me so numerous and serious that he
 d to call on the governor for ops. He had appealed to MT. Mitch
 whom he knew quite well, to assist
 keeping the peace, md the miners sident promised to do so.
 heriff Schadt was then turned over he miners for cross examination. To
 surprise of most persons MT. Mitch
 took up the examination. It is not
 own whether he decided to do so be-
 srlse his principal attorney, O. s. Dar-
 row of Chicago, had not arrived from the west or whether it was because MT. 4 Mitchell was personally well acquaint- I ed with the sheriff. It was the first time that MT. Mitchell had attempted cross examination to any extent.
 q rlIn answer to the questions of the SZnine workers leader the Lackawanna gacounty sheriff said he had employed 4 about forty or fifty deputy sheriffs and 4 admitted that they were paid by the $ coal companies. Led by MT. Mitchell, < he said he could not say that general I state of lawlessness existed in the coun- < ty, but in answer to another query said H there was reign of terror in existence
 in some localities.
 Among other things he said that as a
 rule crowds dispersed when he ordered
 them so to do and that striking mine S workers whom he knew obeyed his or
 ders the same as other persons. He
 also admitted that the second contin- I gent of troops sent into his county was S ordered there without his request.
 This appeared to satisfy President
 Mitchell, and General Wilson took the 2 witness in hand and asked him why
 the county did not pay the deputy sher-
 ifs2 The sheriff replied that the com
 panies had made the request for pro < lection and counsel for the witness ex-
 plained that it was the law of Pennsyl-
 vania that the company asking for A protection should pay for it. This ex- 2 planation rather surprised Chairman 4 Gray, who, as he strengthened himself
 up in his chair, said: T am not famil- Z far with such an un-American law.
 When the county or the state relin- z huishes the duty of maintaining and z protecting life and property and keep
 ling the peace, then they are open to
 criticism"
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