The Washington herald., 1906-12-01
DRIVEN FROM CLAIM
Witness Reveals Methods of
Mining Land Grabbing.
ARMED THUGS ARE EMPLOYED
Interstate Commerce Commission
Hears Testimony Against Utah Fuel
with Death IL He should Return
to His PrODerty-Fired at by Agent.

Salt Lake, Utah, Nov. 9O.-Employing
armed thugs to frighten persons from
land they wanted to grab blackening the
character of man who had flied on
valuable coal lands, causing his discharge
by his employer, and harassing him
until he was compelled to relinquish his
holdings to the Utah Fuel Company, were
charged at the closing session of the
Interstate Commerce Commission here
to-day.
a. A. Sweet told how he established
his claim to a valuable tract of coal iand
near Sunnyside, but said he was driven
from it by armed thugs employed, he
asserted. by the Utah Fuel and the
Pleasant Valley Coal companies. When
he obtained injunctions against the out
laws he lost his job as agent for the Rio
Grande Railroad, at Colton.
Compelled to Sell Ont.
After he had spent $1,5OO on the lands
he was compelled to sell out to escape
further costly litigation He sold to John
]. Judson. who promptly transferred the
land TO the Utah Fuel Company An
other. sensational feature of Sweets tes-
timony was that the Utah Fuel Com
pany employed telegraph operators TO
watch the Western Union wire in their
office at Sunnyside, catch all the mes
sages Of interest to the company, and
transcribe copies for the company Off
ciaIs. Sweet sent messages from Salt
Lake to a man named Henry. at Sun
nyside, but says they never reached
Henry at all The Western Union finally
took the wire out Of the office and in
stalled another, over which public busi-
| ress did not travel.
George D. Holiday asserted that he,
/ the original discOverer Of the now ia
nous Sunnyside mines. was forced off
/ his property in 1897 by armed agents Of
the Pleasant Valley Coal Company and
/ the Rio Grande Western Railroad. He
said William Sharp. of the Pleasant Val
LEY Coal Company, fatty told him he
could take a few hundred dollars or else
/ be run OF his property
/ Holiday asserts he deied them organ
/ lied the Holiday Coal Company and
/ then left for Alaska but only reached
Portland. Oreg.. when he was recalled
/ by a dispatch stating that the agent:
/ OF the Pleasant Valley Coal Company
/ had jumped the mine and driven all III,
I employees off the property. He returned
/ 10 Salt Lake, and upon the solicitation O
/ his business associates, who did not wan
/ trouble went to Sunnyside TO investigate
Fired At by Agents.
Upon his arrival there he was met 10y
/ an agent Of the Pleasant Valley Goa
/ Company. who cursed him, he said, ano
1 told him to get off the land under pair
/ OF death Accompanied by his father "A!
a witness, Holiday rode over the property
/ despite the threats. and when he passcC
/ the cabin the second time says kirkel
! fired upon him with a Winchester rife
/ Holiday seized his fathers rifle. wheI
/ Kirker and the other armed men raI
! into the cabin like lot of rats
/ The sessions Of the commission came {,
a close late to-day, and the governmen
attorneys and others connected with tn
/ Investigations left for Pueblo, Colo. 20
night. where they viii begin a hearing
| Monday. After that they VIII go q
! Denver TO continue the work.