New-York tribune., 1903-01-10
GEN. GOBIN ON STlND.
He Describes La7ciess Conditions
.Juder GRAY ILL.,

PbiIadeinhia Jan 9-Aftef occupying elshl
days during which they called about one nun
dred and fifty witnesses the non-unioa men VINO
are 2; party to the arbitration agreement cioseu
their case to-day before the Coal Strike COM
mission The coal companies will open their
case Tomorrow appearing, to the plans OF the
operators in the order of the geographical STU
alton of their mines. Fhe delaware anu Huu
son company. whose collieries are furthest north
will first present it's witnesses, and the Phaoei-
phia and Reading Coal and Iron COMPANY
which is in the southern part of the fields, VIII
be the last
The principal witness before the commission
to-day was Brigadier General j. P. >. Goblin. OF
the National Guard of Pennsylvania He COM
manded the Third Brigade while the troops were
on duty in the coal fields. From his observa-
tions and from reports made to him by his OIL
GERS it was his opinion. he said, that an ex-
cited state of lawlessness' existed In the re-
gions that disturbances numerous that
the presence of the troops was absolutely neces-
sary to preserve law and order and that it was
difficult to maintain the law even with all the
troops in the State in the disturbed territory
General Goblin had several tits with Clarence
S. Darrow counsel for the miners but they did
not reach serious point.
The witness said that when he first went into
the coal regions with his men, as a result or
riot at Shenandoah, he was unable to get We
hicles to carry his supplies. teamsters refusing
to furnish them. In Shenandoah and in the
Panther Creek Valley there was no civil au-
thority at times. Committees of the union as
sured him that the striking miners would give
him all the assistance they could, but, so FAR
as General Goblin could remember, they never
gave him help. nor did he ask them for aid
After his entire brigade was called out, the
penera1 Ga i'll be situation became extremely
rious in several parts of the strike territory.
and he informed the Governor that he feared
he could not cope with it If it grew worse
The shoot to kill' order issued by General
Goblin, after his soldiers had been attacked by
stones. was touched by Mr.. Darrow. The
general said that it meant every word IT saio
and that the issuance of the order had most
salutary effect on the communities which ms
soldiers covered. 1t had such good erect
that it was not necessary to fire one shot me
order, he added, did not mean to Shoot WoiileH
and children.
Just before the cross examination ended Mr.
Darrow wanted to know if General Gopln ever
met certain coal opera tors. Commissioner w at
kins asked the object of the question. Mr. OAR
row replied, ITO show that his relations with
the coal companies were much more friehoIS
to the operators than to the workers
That is not true" replied the 9eneral, ana
the discussion was stopped there
Among the witnesses to-day were two VINO
testified to certain statements made by William
H. Dettrey. who yesterday at Hazleton.
elected president of District No. OF the Miners
Union, in place of Thomas Duffy. One OF them
said that Dettrey after the strike, remarked
that anybody who had worked during the strike
should have his throat cut The other declared
that Dettrey. at meeting of a local union,
made speech in which he said that all men
caught working should receive good thump-
ing
John L. Lenahan. attorney for the non-union
men, presented indictments and pleas of guilty
of union men for acts of lawlessnesS. and also
records showing that members of the union
went on the bail bonds of the indicted
These were presented. he said, to show con-
neetion between the strikers who broke the laws
and the union.
Chairman Gray and Commissioner Wright
were both absent from the session to-day. Judge
Gray was slightly ILL., and Colonel Wright had
business to attend to in Washington. In Judge
Grays absence General Wilson presided.