The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-01-13
TREATMENT OF
COAL MINERS
Testimony Before the Strike Arbitra.
ton Commission.

Coll is aged and bent. His face and
falling coal.
az worked for Markle G. Co. for nine
teen years he said, and lived in one
Of the company houses until a few days
ago, when was evicted. My family
consists of my wife, my two adopted
children, my own son, and my mother
in-law, who is said to be one hundred
and two years old, and who has been
blind many years
Were you ever hurt in the mines?'
asked Mr.. Darrow.
Hurt? said the old man. 4 haven't
a whole bone in my body. My skull
was fractured, an eye put out, and one
leg is as bad as a wooden one
"Coll, who is fifty-seven years of age,
tried to say this cheerfully, but his
voice broke.
"Once 1 was hurt so badly that
was laid up for a time. The other min
ers contributed money, and Mr.. Smith,
the Superintendent, gave $50. The mon
ey was all turned over to the company
store and kept there to pay for my rent
and groceries All charges against me
were deducted from the collection
"'You say you adopted two children?
YES; one OF them was the child Of
miner who died on the same day that
the mother was buried. He left two
children. James Gallagher took one
and took the other. We could not see
the little ones starve.'
Bishop Spalding turned suddenly in
his chair and hid his face as Coll told
this.
AFTER the strike l got no work. I
had never hurt any one, but I was on
relief committee and one Of my sons
was president of the local.
Where Is your son now|
I'm an asylum. He got melancholy
and had to be sent there
"'when did you first know that you
were to be evicted?'
"'Well. had a six-days' notice. but I
could not believe that that would be
enforced, for had been there so long
and owed rent only during the strike;
but one day Sheriff Jacobs came and
told me that / would have to get out.
told him my wife was sick with tom
silitis and 1t would be dangerous for
her to leave the house. / asked him
for one days time. He said he would
see Mr. Markle. and started up the
road. / saw him stop and speak to Mr.
Markle, and then he returned and said:
you cannot have five minutes now.
Then the deputies pushed in the front
door and took everything out.
my people We're carried out. Ny
old blind mother-in-law was carried
down stairs and taken to house two
blocks away. My wife went out In the
rain and tried to gather the household
goods and pack them into barrels. IL
was raining and | was sure she would
get worse. but had 10 go to Hazieton
and find home for them. i FOUND
house, such as II was, and ! got my
family into II, but my wife got worse
81 didn't have money for doctor
and she wouldn't go 10 the Miners
Hospital. She got so bad that ] nnally
ARRANGED for "a doctor My wife anu
were 10 see him, for We didn't nave
enough money "a ask him Ia eall'
gave him "A dollar on account, but hs
gave Il back 10 me, She grew worse
and worse, and the other night sh'
woke mo up and said I'm choking
J / gave her some medicine, but sh'
, sprang 90 my arms, and while J looked
J she died
! "colrs voice Was ohoksd In sobs
Judge oray had been paeins w ans
down as the man told his story tn
, f1udge turned sharply,
} "'Dleif he asked
"lYes, alsa, said con, y buried bel
I yesterday
'rhs Old man's hsaa s'eepss s1.s ~