The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-01-13
TREATMENT OF
COAL MINERS
Testimony Before the Strike Arbitra-
ton Commission.

l
Coll is aged and bent His face and
hands are SCARED by the cruel cuts of
falling coal.
g I worked for Markle & Co. for nine
teen years he said. and lived in one
of the company houses until few days
ago, when 1 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.. barrow.
Hurt? p said the old man. I haven't
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 badly that I
was laid up for a time. The other min
ers contributed money, and Mr.. Smith,
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
a 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 SpaIding turned suddenly in
his chair and hid his face as Coll told
this
After the strike I got no work. I
had never hurt any one, but I was on
a relief committee and one of my sons
was president of the local.
Where is your son now?'
In an asylum. He got melancholy
and had to be sent there
when did you first know that you
were to be evicted?'
Wei, had a siX-days' notice, but
could not believe that that would be
enforced, for L had been there so long
and I owed rent only during the strike:
but one day Sheriff Jacobs came and
told me that 1 would have to get out.
I told him my wife was sick with tom
SINUS ana II "Oulu De dangerous LOT
her TO leave the house. I 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. My
old, blind mother-in-Iaw was carried
down stairs and taken to a house two
blocks away. My wife went out in the
rain and tried to gather the household
goods and pack them into barrels. 1t
was raining and I was sure she would
get worse. but 1 had to go to Hazleton
and find home for them. I found
house, such as it was, and I got my
family into il, but my wife got worse.
I didn't have money for a doctor
and she wouldn't go to the Miners
Hospital. She got so bad that I finally
for doctor My wife and I
were to see him. for we didn't have
enough money to ask him to call. I
gave him a dollar on account, but he
gave it back to me. She grew worse
and worse, and the other night she
woke me up and said: I'm choking"
I gave her some medicine, but she
sprang to my arms. and while I looked
she died.
Coils voice was choked in sobs
Judge Gray had been pacing up and
down as the man told his story. The
judge turned sharply
d" Died?' he asked.
" Yes. died. said Coll. I buried her
yesterday
The old mans head dropped and he
~ g l. TT
he added: And her old mother may be |
dead now for all I know
80 That is all said Lawyer Mccarthy, |
who had taken up the examination.
Yes said Judge Gray, that is all, /
md it is enough"