The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-08-26
UNCLE
SAN
Will Investigate PeOnase
Charge at Pressed Steel
Car Works at Mckees
Rocks.

An official investigation of conditions
inside the stockade of the plant of the
Pressed Steel Car Company at McKees
kocks Pa, will begin today From the
Department of Justice at Washington,
United States District Attorney John H.
Jordan, late yesterday, received orders
to move ut once on the big plant in in
vestigation of the charges of peonage
which have been made against President
Frank II. IIotfstot of the car company in
con- junction with Samuel Cohn of the en-
ploymcnt bureau ut the car making plant
Attorney Jordan is under orders to
make the investigation most complete and
as secret as possible, yet he is empowered
to take with him in his search through the
plant those who may prove that they have
an interest in the workings of the plant
1t is understood that the strikers who
have made the charges of peonage against
lIufstot and Cohn will be given ample
opportunity to send a committee with
Jordan through the mills to make good
their claims that workmen are held there
against their will, that they are INSULT
ciently fed, etc
The lIungarians will be represented by
Attorney Edgar Prochink, who, as acting
counsel for the hungarian counsel at
l'ittsburg has been very active in behalf
of his countrymen, whom he claims are
being held and abused inside the great
stockade. 1t was most likely today's bit
ter protest by Prochink that brought the
official order from tie Department of JUS
ticc at Washington to investigate condi-
items
Fearing that District Attorney .Jor-
dan was about to permit the information
against Hoffstot and Cohen to die, Pro
chnk, yesterday afternoon wired his con
sui at Washington asking that the at
tention of the Department of State be
called to the Mcl\ces Rocks affair. This
was apparently done for late in the after
noon the order came in cipher to Jordan
TO begin the invest cation. Should con
dltions inside the stockade be found near
y rs bad have been alleged by the
hen may be expected.
Word was passed quietly to the mount
ed state troopers in charge of McKees
Rocks that it was expected that condi-
tions inside the wills would be the same
rs they We're and that men must neither
be permitted to enter or leave during the
night.
Beyond admitting that instructions had
been given to the United States Attorney
at Pittsburg to maintain close observa-
tion of affairs at the plant of the Pressed
Steel Car Company, at McKees Rocks,
near Pittsburg, officials of the Depart
ment of Justice would not discuss the
strike conditions today 1t fs rumored
that there may be prosecutions of Off
clals of the company charges of
pconage but this could not be confirmed
Charles w. Russell, Assistant Attorney
General. the peonage expert of the De
partment of Justice, had a long confer
encc with Wade II. Ellis, acting Attorney
! General, yesterday, but neither would talk
of the matter under discussion. 1t was
reported that conditions at McKecs Rocks
were serious that the United States
District Attorney at Pittsburg was in fire.
qucnt communication with the officials of
| the Department of Justice.
TkTVTE ATTNKJ