Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-06-01
MORE LABOR REFUGEES
Escape From Proctor.

Last weeks advertisement told a story OF contract
labor in Vermont that astonished and shocked the whole
state 1t was plain unvarnished narrative OF syse
matte fraud and injury that involves the personal and
commercial honor of the machine candidate for governor
This week present the simple tale OF Mike Heller, IS
Samuel Schwartz H. and Simon Wisloske, Is
These boys, on their testimony, were brought
TO Proctor under false petences put to work at heavy
and injurious tasks, and then discharged with three
cents among Them many miles from home and without
money enough to buy food.
The account of their adventures might be made
masterpiece of fiction. We quote merely from the sworn
statements of the boys told mostly in their own Ian
guage:
MIKE HELLERS STORY.
1--WE were introduced to Mr.. Grossman, who hired
us to go to Albany NJ " learn trade; that he would
pay us per day. payable monthly the 18th day OF
the month; that he would pay our carfare and board till
could draw our wages"
Instead of stopping at Albany, however they
taken Proctor reaching there about II o'clock Heller
continues
THE following morning at 20 minutes to we
given shovel and set to work. The boss was named
Tom O'Hara who kept calling to hurry up-hurry
up-or go home that we worked three weeks and then
they discharged and when presented time slips
Mr.. Grossman he took them and wouldn't give but
three cents for my three weeks work."
Driven out of wagon, the boys slept that night
excelsior in room at the mill. At o'clock they were
driven of the mill and later threatened with the Jail
if they hung around the Office demanding wages They
begged 10 cents, bought loaf of bread then trudged
Rutland where they were cared for.
SAMUEL SCHWARTZ SAID:
Il was to be paid SIPS per day; that worked three
weeks and they would not pay give me carfare
home; said, Give ticket home and that is all
will ask that he, Grossman, said I will call officer
and have you locked up; that working for Yer
mont Marble company; that works are at Proctor and
Grossman Superintendent Davis and Mr.. Thompson
were the men that bossed and with whom we dealt"
STORY OF LITTLE SIMON WISLOSKIE.
The "baby" of this pathetic group of Proctor refu-
gees is little Simon Wisloskie He is Is years DID, small
in stature weighs II pounds and shows the marks of
rough or brutal treatment and breast When they
threatened to put him in Jail the marble shop Office
in Proctor he replied:
All right; put me in Jail. Then you have to listen to
my story"
After his boyish hunger had been satisfied by charit-
able people in Rutland little Simon made the following
statement:
l am IS years old; going 10; 1 asked Grossman
tor store book to get undershr and drawers had
cothng but what was on but he would give nothing
nor would they Grossman or Thompson give ticket
home live with my mother and brother and sister
both younger than l. My father is in the crazy house
am sick; the men working with pushed me off staging
and hurt my breast and wrist"
we make no comment these statements They
support one another they verify Leo Rosenbuns story
OF last week. -Four more refugees who reached Rutland
the same DAY as Heller and his friends confirm the attes
story We let the facts speak for themselves
Issued by Clement Literary Bureau, 1906