The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-01-09
EFNDS MINERS UNION.
Edent Mitchell Objects 70 Remark
by Chairman Gray.
Union SHOULD NOT BIZ INDICTED
Correction is Shown Between
.n1 Lsvyisssness-- still Hearing
T.stimony Of Nonunion Men,

ftu ID u
tssion. when Judge Gray said that be
,lte 10 see the miners union come
, ,bs nire and Into the sunlight The
., president said the union should
:. ,ndicted unless connection could
,,rn between 1t and lawlessness The
- ,be commission replied that be did
rt,h 10 indict the organization, but
, n would disentRugle itself entirely
.hs violence and lawlessness commit
rrlnx the strike. The incident came un-
.,adIv. while n witness was on the
and caused a stir among the lawyers
10th aides Of the controversy. out
~ this tilt, the entire day was taken
hearing nonunlon men or their rela.
Who alleged prosecutions during the
. The remark Of Chairman Gray was
vbt out by Commissioner Parker.
,hony Ferguson Of Alabonoy City, out
foreman at the North Mahonoy colliery
= philadelphia and Reading Coal and
'compspy, testified that he was beaten
on his way to the "orSs; ne lecos-
two OF his assailantS ms union meu,
later we're prosecuted aud convicted.
Parker asked the witness II tue mcn
eTnelled from the union for what
mad done, but the foreman did not
4 Mitchell had said on the witness
that MI members Of the union found
d of crime were expelled from tue
Noting the interest the COMMISSION
/ in Air. Parker's question, the lawyers
the nopuniou men called on Terrence
NJ -
N nniOu In the district where the as
was committed, Tor the information.
blsy said he did not know whether the
nnIou to which the men belonged took
action, and he went ON to give a long
enatjop of how the local unions aud
rldual strikers used every ncaus TO dis.
A crowds and help maintain the peace.
4 action taken by the local unions, he
was principally advisory. lie told
bepsndoan aud added there had been
1lsturbauces until the coal and iron
4, we're sent to that place.
aIrman Gray then asked: DO you
for conviction by the civil autboH.
before disclplining your mon! Do sou
you can have effective discipline lu-
Iyou make Investigations yourself aud
the men up aud punish them In some
| ask you as member of the
and az man who would be glad
he your order come up out Of the
aud the clouds that are around tue
d parts Of It, into the sunlight and
THE air Cd free government anu free
nry."
il is proved that our men have com.
ID acts OF violence there Is no qucs,
about our disciplining them" replied
Pitness.
tn followed a discussion over the
1andoab not and the killing Of man,
.ip reply 10 Mi. Mitcbells remark thur
his not the miners who did 1t, Chair.
Gray said:
}ut there was a crowd and, SIS yet,
b heard no evidence of a disclpliniug
4 in that mob. No man there saiu
Izno on the towards.
DGrTow-You must not expect the
ers TO furnish that.
lfre was a further discussion on this
bet and then Mr.. Mitchell arose aud
Ito Chairman Gray:
4do not know whether 7 quite under
q you In expressing yourself to the
,ess as to the solicitUde Of the organ
Ibn, that Il should rise above the mire
Ebat part Of It should rise above tho
1tirmap Gray-Perhaps I may have been
Understood 1t was not an unfriendly
y that was expressed. / said 81 hoped
Nould lift Itself out Of the mire anc
tcf the conditions created by these
rs which have been testified to, around
basor parts,
n Mitchell In reply. said that, Will,
fommis Ion vas TO determine all tll
'tons that were being presented here
a was greater Jury passing upon the
noe q the strikers.
" TO the action Of our organization ant
Position n The coal operators" ne said
ste is no doubt In my mind that many
w witnesses arc brought here aud d,
sme as Witnesses ordinarily do, 10 tee
against TIE fUikors and indirectly
W. the United Mine workers,
q does seem 10 me that, until there 1.
y connection shown between the United
81 WORKERS Of America and acts Of law
ZEE, the organization should not he
;N under any indictment Mt all"
" "a rnan GRAY said he did not wish Mr.
~ to understand that anything b.
tlndicated tho organization
..tio nope continued the commissioner
"a y would disentangle itself entire Y
taese scenes Of violence and lawless
s4Wlth which the strike was attended
Y NAY, have been exaggerated as yor
~, am not passing upon that now
fsSe heavd isolated instances ~ ont
winch We must oil admit. We or,
fylng the organization rs responsible
.Nery act NJ Violence, and we wanted
&to gee whether the organization ha,
|Ssyed itself in maintaining the orde
M YOU nave advised, and whether 1t dts
AZ s7to those who actually were copvicte,
y Mitchell said be did rot know tha
"a 'eAoel of the union had been OK
~ ana added thar until men are con
NJ, OF Violation Of l5w, he organizaric.
,lsht 10 cEpel them and Thus Droiu
thelr case before the trial court.
HfrTnan Gray said thar Mr.. Mitchell
z1t "as Wen taken, as far ms concerns
IA under Indictment, hut what b.
~ 10 know was whether any of tbes
7WeFe ever called on who had beer
SsAolsly engaged in Illegal acts anC
49, they. were subjected to discipHu
tle organization.
'sM ended the Incident
49, Glnley further testified that
~ I'M" were averse. TO going before th'
,et 's ssGh because they were afraid O,
VA sneiT positions, and. in reply to Com
4, Wright, said that many Of tn
IA ~ 81 IRON police were Of bad chara cter
'24 az .au served time In Jail and wcr,
ylb 10 suarus as soon as liberated from
IN com fssloners and the lawyers fo
IA yrh ts became involved In a discussion
frnai SusI an organization had n RICH
s.P arrow thought no organi2ation shout,
3t.h uiln any more than a Christian
IN 81, %s,GSCaarthy another lawyer for III,
|10 N, ~ mere was no law That WCult
'Ho,, 10 union in the eXpeiiine OF
as " ~ commission OF n misdomeanor
|t 80 stopped by Chairman Gray, VIII,
X are not the United Mine yvo,,,ar
.R,io,eh and we PERKINS, hive no rich
|t NV them. hut the commission. a
||& d n Is brought face to face with that
IN N,,.,,tly about it,"
IS sl5lled that the three men me- Who wsr,
~ nm mo- Sllllng man NJ Naticot,
.a'tted' 'tftmoers of the union when the,
'rhcrs. brt crime Thov were forme
WI IN ra ut th"y had fatled 10 nav thei
> I'M n ,fSspiy to a question. Mr. Witsbel
Pa relisrt, union bad spent nearly 500.
4oo0dl the distress among tho a.,
NJ the union. "uo were not mem