Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-09

stand your remark as to your solicitude for
the organization. that II should rise above
the mire or that Part OF Il should rise
above the mire."
The Chairman-Perhaps | may have been
misunderstood. II was not an unfriendly
wish that | expressed. ! said / hoped II
would lift itself out Of the mire and con-
ditions created by these things which have
been testified to. around it's baser parts.
In reply Mr.. Mitchell said that while tho
commission was going to determine all
questions presented, a greater Jury was
passing on the attitude Of the strikers.
"As to the action of our organization and
the position Of the coal operators" he
added, there is no doubt in my mind that
many OF the witnesses are brought here to
testify against the strikers and indirectly
against the United Mine Workers. 1t does
seem to me until there is some connection
shown between the United Mine Workers OF
America and acts of lawlessness the or
ganization should not be placed under any
Indictment at ALL"
Union Not Indicted,
Judge Gray did not wish Mr.. Mitchell to
understand that anything he he'd said in
dicted the organization.
II hoped" he continued, that II would
disentangle itself entirely from the scenes
Of violence and lawlessness with which the
strike was attended. They may have been
exaggerated, MS you contend. I I'm not
passing on that now. We have heard of
isolated instances Of outrage which we
must all Admit. We are not saying the or
ganizaticn IS responsible for every act Of
violence. and we only wanted 70 see whether
the organization had interested itself in
Tho maintenance - ordor uyhich IL advigad
and whether 1t disciplined those actually
convicted OF disorder"
Mr.. Mitchell said he did not know that
any member OF the union had been ex-
PEELED and added that until men were con-
victed Of violating law the organization had
no right to expel them and thus prejudice
their case before the trial court.
The chairman admitted that Mr.. Nit
chell's point was we'll taken as far as con-
cerned those under Indictment; but he
wanted 10 know whether any OF the men
who had been VIGOROUSLY engaged in IL
legal acts were subjected to discipline by
the organization.
Miners Afraid to Testify.
When the evidence was resumed Mr.. Gin
gley said witnesses were afraid to come be-
core the commission, because Of losing their
pOSltlOnS. lie lOlu Oh one instance where II
man was refused work because he appeared
before the arbitrators, and the commission
ers made a note of it and said an investiga-
tion would be made.
In reply to Colonel Wright, witness said
many of the coal and iron police we're OF
bad character. Some had served time in Jail
and wero hired as guards as sooH as liber-
ated from prison.
Mr.. Mitchell was later called and said
the three mer convicted Of murder at Nan
ticoke were not member of the union at
the time OF the crime. although they had
previously been so.
Ne added that the union had spent nearly
$500, 900 in relieving the distress among the
80, 900 to 5000 strikers who were not mem
hers of The union.
-he rest Of the evidence given today was
along the same line as that OF yesterday.
Many witnesses told OF personal attacks on
them, destruction OF property by strikers
and expulsion of nonunion men from so
pietiea-