The San Francisco call., 1903-01-08
MOB VIOLENCE
DURING STRIKE
Non-Union Men Of Coal
District Continue
Testimony.
Commission Hears Interest
ing Tales of Alleged
Persecution.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. THE non
union men to-day continued to occupy the
attention of the coal strike commission
fE presenting evidence Of Iawlessness in
the anthracite coal region during the
strike. The testimony included many
acts Of violence, from murder down to
plain assault and petty larceny. Dyna-
mite played a large part in the alleged
persecution Of nOn-union men and their
relatives.
Five witnesses testified to their houses
having been more or less seriously dam
aged by high explosives. One youth said
he was stabbed. Several of the witnesses
swore TO having been bOycotted and others
told of being beaten and others Of being
stoned. Besides this young woman told
the commission that she was dismissed as
a school teacher because her brother
chose to work during the strike.
One witness told Of having been pun
ished by a mob forcing him to walk ff-
teen miles at the head OF a cheering
crowd Of strikers. Other testimony was
presented in the endeavor to show that
reign Of terror existed in the strike-anect-
ed territory Of the State and that mem
bers Of the union were largely responsible
for II.
While most Of the testimony given by
the witnesses was of the same character
as that heretofore heard by the commits
sion, the arbitratOrs were greatly inter
ested In each of the twenty-seven stO-
ries told on the stand Many questions
were asked the witnesses by the commits
sioners.
The most interesting story Of the day
was told by Thomas Washansld of Hazel
ton. a clerk for Pardee & Co, who was
married on the night of September 10.
He was at work at the colliery and his
neighbors began to denOunce him On the
night OF the wedding a small crowd gath
cred at the Catholic church, and as the
bridal party entered the edif1ce Washan
ski and his bride were called "scabs. "
Coming out after the ceremony. he was
assaulted by the waiting crowd, which
had greatly increased The driver OF the
carriage was not permitted to take the
couple home and the witness sought
refuge in the pastors residence and the
bride was escorted home by friends. The
crowd remained In the vicinity, calling
the bridegroom vile names and yelling at
the rector Of the church because he had
performed the ceremony. Later, the wit
ness said, he managed TO get away from
the house and spent the night in the col
Hery, being afraid to go to his home. The
bride spent an anxious night, some
unknown person came to the house and
threw stones at the place.
All listened to the story with close at
tentiOn. and Chairman Gray's only re-
mark was: What sort of a community
is this. anyway?
Charles Carl Of Mahanoy City. a loader
boss at the Tunnel Ridge colliery of the
Reading Company. told a pathetic story.
He was compelled to remain within the
stockade of the coIlieries because he was
afraid to go home. When his wife and
children visited him at the mines they
were followed by jeering crowds. He
learned that his mother was dying, and.
taking a circuitOus route, reached the
home of his mother just after she passed
away. While she was lying dead in the
house he was annoyed, called vile names
and his life threatened. He did not attend
I the funeral of his parent because he was
afraid he would be killed.