The Indianapolis journal., 1903-02-06
When Arguments of Counsel Repre-
senting Operators and Miners
Will BE Heard.
GREAT MASS OF TESTIMONY
OVER 1000 TYPEWRITER PAGES,
OR A TOTAL OF 2,3OO,00O WORDS.
Nine Witnesses Called by the Commis-
sion, 24f by Union Miners, I55 by
NOnunionists, $50 by Operators.

PHILADELPHIA. Feb. 5.-After a sitting
of exactly sixty-one days, the anthracite
strike commission concluded the hearing of
witnesses at o'clock this afternoon and
adjourned until next Monday, when it will
begin to hear the arguments of counsel rep
resenting the several sides. The arguments
will take up five and one-half days, the
operators having been assigned three DAYS
and the miners the remainder of the time.
To-day's sessions were taken up in hear
ing the last witnesses presented by the
miners in rebuttal. Much of it related to
the alleged unequal distribution of mine
cars. nearly a dozen witnesses testifying
that they could load more cars than the
companies furnished them
In all the commission heard 566 witnesses
Nine of these were called by the commits
sion, PA by the union miners, 155 by the
nOnuniOn miners and $50 by the operators;
the stenographers took down approximate
~ 300 typewriter pages of testimony, or
2, 300 600 words
Patrick Toolan. a miner at the Coal
Brook colliery of the Delaware & Hudson,
at CarDondale, who was on the stand this
afternoon, In answer to question by one
OF the commissioners, said it appeared to
him that there were too many men in the
mines. Chairman Gray said: THAT has
been running in my mind for good many
weeks. 1t seems that 100000 men want to
do the work that $4,000 men can do.
pathology at Jefferson Medical College,
Philadelphia, was called by the miners.
He showed five specimens of lungs, one a
normal organ and the other four those of
mine workers, which were as black as coal
from coal dust. The professor explained
the disease of the lungs, and said that
where lungs were clogged up with foreign
substances the person was easily suscep-
tible to disease.
w. j. Jenkins. of Pottsville was called by
the miners to show that the Reading Com
pany employed as coal and iron policemen
all sorts OF men regardless of their char
acter. Jenkins in reply to questions volun-
teered the information that he had been
engaged as lieutenant of the coal and iron
police for the Reading Company; that he
had been arrested for burglary, assault
and battery and larceny. He also said he
had been charged with shooting two coal
and iron policemen.
Mr.. Jenkins, you were known throughout
Schuylkill county as Blood and Thunder
Jenkins, were you not?" inquired counsel
for the miners.
Yes, sir" was the reply.
"Cross-examine." said the lawyer
Il don't think this witness should be
cross-eXamined, exclaimed Chairman Gray
with considerable feeling. HE has dis
credited himself as witness. You may
leave the stand"
marked to the commission that he was
about to ask the witness how many crimi-
nal acts he had committed without being
arrested.
Attorneys for the operators and the min
ers then presented some statistics on vari-
Gus subjects, and Mr.. Darrow announced
that the miners case was closed. This
ended the hearing of witnesses for both
sides, and in reply to this announcement
Chairman Gray. speaking on behalf of the
commission. said among other things:
"Well, gentlemen, we have had a very
protracted hearing. In some respects the
hearing has been an unexampled one, 1
think, in the experience of this country.
The commission has endeavored to keep
wide open the doors by which the testimony
could come 10 us that would throw any
light upon the various and very serious
questions that we have to consider; and
we wish now to thank the counsel on both
sides for their cooperation and assistance
in calculating the complex questions that
we have presented to us. On the whole, we
congratulate the counsel on the fairness
and thoroughness with which they pre-
sented their several sides of the case"