Fergus County argus., 1903-01-14
Non-Union Men Have Completed Pre-.
sentation Of Their Side Of the
Anthracite Controversy.
SOME DISGUSTING TESTIMONY
Union Miners Even Followed the Fu.
neral Of a Non-unionist Crying
Out "Seab, seab."

Philadelphia, Jan. S.-The princi-
pal feauture of the hearing before the
coal strike commission toady was
the exception taken by Mitchell
to remark made by Chairman Gray.
that he would like TO see the miners
union come up out Of the mire that
clung around the baser part OF IL, into
the sunlight.
The miners president said the
union should not be indicted unless
Connection should be shown between
1t and acts of lawlessnesss. The
head of the commission replied that
he did not wish to indict the organi.
zation but hoped that 1t would dis
entangle itself, especially from the
violence and lawlessness committed
during the strike.
Caused q Great Stir.
The incident came suddenly while
a witness was upon the stand and
caused quite q stir among the lawyers
on both sides Of the controversy.
Outside OF this the entire day was
taken up In hearing the stories OF
non.union men or their relatives Of
alleged prosecutions during the
perior of the strike.
How II Came Up.
The Mitchell incident was brought
about by Commissioner Parker. An.
thony Ferguson. outside foreman at
the North Mahany colliery of the
Philadelphia & Reading Coal and
Iron company, testified that he was
beaten while on his way to the works;
that he recognized two of his assail
ants as union men and that they were
prosecuted and convicted. Mr.. Park.
er asked the witness II the men were
expelled from the union for what they
did. but the foreman dia not know.
Mr.. Mitchell had stated upon the wit.
ness stand that all members Of the
union found guilty of crime are ex-
PEELED from the union.
Noting the interest the commission
took in Mr.. farker's question. the
lawyers for the non.union men called
on Terence Ginley, a member OF the
executive board of the union in the
district where the assault was com
mitted, for the information desired
Ginley said he did not know whether
the local union to which the men be
longed took any action, and he wen,
on to give long explanation OF how
the local union and individual strK
ers used every means to disperse
crowds and help maintain the peace
The action taken by the local union
he said, was principally advisory. Ht
told OF the attempts made to keel
the peace at Shenandoah before the
big riot there, and added that there
had been no disturbance until &c
coal and iron police we're sent to {
place.
/. Chairman Gray then asked:
Judge Gray's Remark.
Did you wait for conviction by tn,
civil authorities before disciplinint
your men? DO you think you can have
effective discipline unless you max,
, Investigations yourself and bring th'
men up and punish them in som'
, way? ask you as q member OF th'
, order and as man who would b,
glad to see your order come out o
Z the mire and the clouds that ar
around the baser parts Of II into tn
. sunlight and into the air Of free gov
! ernment and a free country
, IF 1t is proven that our men hav'
/
! committed acts OF violence there Is n,
Z question about our disciplinin
e them." replied the witness.
!. Then followed a discussion over III
b Shenandoah riot and the killing OF
q man. In reply to Mr.. Mitchell's rt
[ mark that II was not the miners VIII
|. did II, Chairman Gray said:
!. But there was crowd, and as ye
J. have heard no evidence of a di:
/, ciplinlng voice in that mob. No ma
r said, Shame on the towards.
= The witness said the union woul
l. prove that union men tried TO proven
, the riots. To which Judge Gray r,
piled that he hoped so.
), Mitchell Takes II Up.
81 don't know whether quite VI
d derstood, in expressing yourself 10 th
witness as to your solicitude for tn
organization, that II should rise aboy
the mire, or that part OF II shoul
" rise above the mire."
e Chairman Gray-"Perhaps ] ma
y have been misunderstood. II was NJ
= an unfriendly wish that was expires