The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-01-14
The COIL STRIKE COMMISSION.
Coal Companies will Present Evil
dence This Week.

Philadelphia, Jan. 9.-After occupy
ing eight days, during which time
they presented about $50 witnesses,
the non union men who are q party to
the arbitration agreement, closed their
case today before the coal strike COM
mission. The coal companies will
open their case tomorrow morning,
and according to he plans OF the ope-
rators, the companies will present
their case in tie order Of the geo
graphical location Of their mines.
The principal witness before the
commission today was Lieut.. Gov. J..
P. S. Goblin, senior brigadier general
of the National Guard of PennsyIva-
MIA. General Goblin was in command
of the Third brigade during the time
the troops were on duty in the hard
coal fields. He was on the stand
three hours and a half, and during
most of this time was engaged in a
recital of the conditions as he found
them in the territory he covered. From
his observations and from reports
made to him by his officers, it was his
opinion, he said, that an excited
state of lawlessness" existed in the
regions, that disturbances were numer-
Gus, that the presence of the troops
was absolutely necessary to preserve
law and order and that it was difficult
to maintain the law even after all the
troops in the State had been placed
in the disturbed territory.
After his entire brigade had been
called out, the general said, the situa-
tion became extremely serious in sew
eral parts of the strike territory, and
he feared he could not cope with the
situation if it grew worse. He so IN
formed the governor. The now famous
shoot to kill" order issued by him
after his soldiers had been attacked by
stones, was touched upon by Mr.. Oar
row. The general said it meant every
word it said, and that the issuance
of the order had most salutary
effect upon the communities which his
soldiers covered. It had such a good
effect that it was not necessary to fire
one shot. The order, he further said,
did not include the shooting of women
and children. Mr. Darrow called his
attention to the fact that the order did
not except them and the witness re-
piled that his men were not engaged
in fighting women and children.
There was considerable cross fire be-
tween Mr.. Darrow and the general
over the right of sentry to fire upon
a man skulking about the camp Of
soldiers after dark. The witness final
ly gave it as his judgment that SEN
try has right to shoot in guarding
the men in camp.
Just before the cross examination
was concluded Mr.. DarroW wanted to
know if he ever met certain coal cope
rators. He was asked by Commission
er Watkins the object Of his questions,
and Mr.. Darrcw replied to show that
his relations with the coal companies
were much more friendly TO the oIer-
ators than to the workers"
=. That is not true" warmly replied
the general, and the discussion swas
Rev. Carl Hauser, a Lutheran
slayak minister, of Freeland, said
when he was called upon to oficiate at
the funeral of a non-union man IN
the Panther Creek valley, he expert
enced the greatest difficulty in secur-
ing pallbearers. When the body was
taken from the house. Rev. Hauser
said, the strikers yelled, "Scab'' and
spat upon the coffin. Some Of them
made such remarks as, It's shame
to bury "scab, throw him to the
6ooc 5,