The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-01-30
ORGANIZED LABOR
OF KANAHWA co;
Petition the Governor For His Assistance in the
faSSage OF the @*Guard Bill''---Lawless
Ieeches Must Go.

W say:
II learned by this investigation
that this company has brought
many men, at different times, on
on transportation from New York
and other cities. That is TO say,
the laborers are gathered at a rem
devious in one of these cities. and
representative of the Immigration
Bureau transports the men to their
destination, and the company to
whom the men are consigned, paws
forSuch transportation, and depend
upon future work of the laborer to
reimburse them for the money
thus expended"
81 also desire to call YOUR At
tention to the affidavit of William
Tolliver. in which he states that he
has acted as guard over these Ia
borers, and as an officer receiving
his authority therefor from S. NJ.
Wolfe, the superintendent of the
company. He further states that
a laborer, whose name 1 could not
learn, but whose number on the
tmekeeper's book is 2SS, was
brought to Estill on December 1st.,
1906, accompanied by about forty.
six other laborers, to work for this
company. These men were brought
from New York, from Bureau No.
I of the Southern Immigration
Company. No. 2SS becoming dis
satisfied with Conditions as he found
them, left the employ of the COM
pany without repaying them for
the transportation charges incur
red by his travel to Estin. He
was overtaken near Prince station,
in Fayette county, nearly forty
miles from Estill, by Elias Hatfield
and after being wounded in an al
legged scrap" was returned to the
said company and delivered to
Guard William Tolliver.
''This is only one of the many in
stances of the cruelty exercised by
guards, or rather the only report
substantiated as YETI
"NIauy of the men brought to
this State by the VIM. Ritter Lum,
Der Company. on the above men
toned transportation are COM
PEELED, by force, or otherwise, to
work until the amount Of expense
attached to their being brought
from New York, or other places,
has been repaid to the company.
If a man escapes the vigilant
guards he is pursued and captured
without due process of law, return
ed and compelled to work again un-
der guard.'
f.#
On personal invest igation of
the killing of two Italians by one
o. these guards, ID, w. Cunning
ham reported in part to the Gov
ernor, as follows:
"I found that Dominick Masuleo
and Frank Lepor were shot to death
by one w. ID. AuxieE, walking
boss for the Dunn's Construction
Compauy.'
"The investigation showed that
Dominick Masuleo and his son
owed a small sum, about 81 so, on
the amount due op their transpor-
tation to the Dunu's Construction
Company. This amount Domin
ick Masuleo decided to pay and he
and his son leave the company. A
dispute arose over the fare of the
son, and w. d. Auxier argued
that the boy should pay full fare.
Masuleo told AuXier that that was
not the agreement; some words
were then passed, and the shooting
commenced. AuIier shot MaSu
leo i'll front and through the heart;
he also shot Frank Lepor in front
and through the heart. Lepor
was shot twice. The evidence
showed that w. ID. Auxier left the
Dunn's Construction Company as
soon as the shooting was done, and
went to his home in Paintsyille,
johnson county, Kentucky. La
ter Auxier returned to Fayette
county and had preliminary trial
before J. p. Station, Justice of the
Peace, at Glen Jean, w Va The
evidence showed that the two 1tal
iaus were unarmed, which is con-
trary to the story of Auxier that
Masuleo and Lepor were advanc-
ing toward him with knives The
evidence also showed at the trial
that AuXier had in company with
him three of the men who were