Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1903-01-15
COAL MINERS WAR
GENERAL GOBLIN TELLS COMMISSION
OF STRENUOUS TINES.
Soldiers We're Boycot,ed on All Sides =
Could Not Oct Teams to Haul Supplies
to Camp = Never Had to .ssho0s to
KlII," as the Famous order Did Away
With the Necessity.

Philadelphia. Jan. 12.--Aiter occu-
| pying eight days, during which time
they presented about $50 Witnesses,
the nenunion naen have closed their
case before the coal strike commission.
The coal companies viii open their case
next and, according to the plans Of
the operators, the companies will pre-
sent their case in the order Of the geo.
graphical location Of their mines. The
Delaware & Hudson company, whose
collieries are further north, will fret
present its witnesses, and the Philadel-
phia Coal & Iron company, whose
mines are in the southern part Of the
coal fields, will be heard last.
The principal witness before the COM
mission for the nonunaon men was
Lieutenant General j. p. S. Goblin,
senior brigadier general OF the national
guard of Pennsylvania. Goblin was in
command Of the third brigade while the
troops we're on duty in the hard coal
fields. He was questioned 81 hours,
and during most OF this time was en-
gagged in a recital OF conditions as be
found them in the territory be covered.
From his observation, and from reports
made to him by the officers, it was his
opinion, he said, s'that an excited
state Of lawlessness" existed in the
regions; that disturbances were num-
erous; 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.
He told in detail of the condition Of
affairs in the coal region during his
stay there, and OF the stoning Of his
troops, insults to his men, frequent
cases Of dynamiting, and other acts Of
lawlessness. He said that the sheriff
of Carbon county refused to call on the
governor for troops. The general said
he had been asked by the coal COM
panies 70 protect nonunion men, but he
refused because he had not sufficient
troops. He said the situation was
most serious. He fearel the railroad
men would be intimidated and he
would be unable to move troops.
threatening letters we're also sent to
him.
During the cross examination, Gene
raj Goblin had several tilts with Charles
L. Darrow, counsel for the miners, but
they never reached a serious point.
The witness said that when he first
went into the coal region with his men,
as result OF riot at Shenandoah. he
was unable for time to get vehicles to
carry bis supplies, teamsters refusing
to furnish them. In Shenandoah and
in the Panther creek valley, he said,
there was no civil authority at times.
Committees of the union called upon
him and assured him that the striking
miners would give him all the assist
ance they could, but, as far as the wit
ness could remember, they never gave
him any help, no did be ask for any.
After his entire brigade had been called
out, General Goblin said the situation
became extremely serious in several
parts of the territory, and he feared
he could not cope with the situation il
it grew worse. He so informed 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.. Darrow. 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.
1t had such 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.