Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-09
MITCHELL AROUSED.
Takes Exception to Remarks of Judge
 Gray.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 9.-The prir cipal feature of the proceedings before the coal strike commission yesterday was the exception taken by President Mitchell to remark made by ChairA man Gray that he would like to see the miners union come up out of the mire that is around the baser parts of it into the sunlight. The miners president said the union should not be indicted unless connection could be shown be- tween it and acts of lawlessness. The head of the commission replied that he did not wish to indict the organization, but hoped it would disentangle itself entirely from the violence and lawless- ness committed during the strike. The incident came suddenly while wit ness was on the stand, and caused quite stir among the lawyers on both sides of the controversy. Outside of this the entire day was taken up in hearing the stories of ronunion men or their relatives of alleged persecu- tions during the period of the strike
 The Mitchell incident was brought about by Commissioner Parker. Am thony Ferguson of Mahanoy City, out side foreman at the North Mahanoy colliery of the Philadelphia and Read ing Coal and Iron company testified that he was beaten while on his way to work, that he recognized two of his assailants as union men and that they were prosecuted and convicted MT. Parker asked the witness if the men were expelled from the union for what they had done but the foreman did not know. MT. Mitchell has stated on the witness stand that all members of the union found guilty of crime are ex- pelled from the union. Noting the in terest the commission took in Mr. Park CTS question, the lawyers for the non union men called on Terence Ginley. a member of the executive bonrd of the union in the district where the as sault was committed, for the informa tion desired. Ginley said he did not know whether the local union to which the men belonged took any action, and he went on to give long explanation of how the local unions and individual strikers used every means to disperse crowds and help maintain the peace. The action taken by the local unions, he said, was principally advisory. He told of the attempts made to keep the peace at Shenandoah before the big riot there and added that there had been no disturbance until the Coal and Iron police were sent to the place. s Chairman Gray then asked:
 .'So you wait for conviction by the civil authorities before disciplining your men. Do you think you have ef- fective discipline unless you make in l vestigations yourself and bring the l men up and punish them in some way? {? ask you as member of the order and as man who would be glad to see your order come up out of the mire i and the clouds that are around the baser parts of it into the sunlight and into the air of free government and a l free country"
 If it is proved that our men have committed acts of violence, there is no l question about our disciplining them" replied the witness.
 Then followed discussion over the Shenandoah riot and the killing of a man, and in reply to Mir. MitchelPs re- mark that it was not the miners who did it Chairman Gray said:
 sBut there was crowd, and as yet | have heard no evidence of a dis ciplining voice in that mob. No man there said, Shame on the cowardsv ?
 MT. Darrow-You must not expect the railroad company to furnish that. I The witness said the union would prove that union men tried to prevent the riots, to which Judge Gray replied he hoped so.
 There was further discussion on this subject, and then MT. Mitchell arose and said to Chairman Gray:
 .T do not know whether quite un- derstood you in expressing yourself to the witness as to your solicitude for the organization that it should rise above the mire or that part of it should rise above the mire."
 Chairman Gray--P Perhaps may have been misunderstood. 1t was not an un- | friendly wish that was expressed. I said I hoped it would lift itself out of the mire and of the conditions created by these things which have been testi- fed to around it's baser parts"
 MT. Mitchell in reply said that while | the mmlSSlOu IS SUiLS lo uSteTfulUe all the questions that are being pre- sented here there is greater jury pass I ing upon the attitude of the strikers.
 JAS to the action of your organization and the position of the coal operators ' he said, "there Is no doubt in my mind | that many of the witnesses are brought here and do not come as witnesses or 1 i,inarily do to testify against the l strikers and indirectly against the l United Mine Workers. It does seem I to me until there is some connection | shown between the United Mine Work CTS of America and acts of lawlessnesa
 the organization should not be placed l under any indictment at all.
 Chairman Gray said that he did not 1 wish MT. Mitchell to understand that l anything he said indicted the organiza- l ton.
 Jackson's Victory Celebrated. BALTIMORE, Jan. 9.-The Mary land Society of the War of 1872 held a reception and banquet last night in | celebration of the anniversary of the