The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-03-30
(By Edmond MKenna.l

Nbs EDMOND NJ kenna.)
Bert r. Ober. n phvsici,n =,
l-atrobe. Pa. was Interviewed with rc
gard TO the health Of the mincrs and
especially the women and children
during the Westmoreland strike.
Il have visited 1000 cases of sick
ness among the strikers since Oc-
tob2r. said the DOCTOR Il attended
1lve births i'll tents. Most of the peo-
pie employ midwives. or those that I
attended the surroundings and sanj-
tary conditions were deplorable. l
attended ten deaths where the chief
cause was malnutritpn, with ex-
posure as contributors cause.
Kept no record of the wounds 7
dressed. They ranged from cuts and
bruises to death from wounds from
bullets, and there must have been
hundreds of them.
Measles. scarlet fever, typhoid. and
pneumonia We're rife Cne could
smell the measles odor' in the air
A good deal of sickness, especially
among the children. came from over
croWding. In one house of three
rooms there Were nineteen persons.
thirteen of whom were children. In
thls mouse one ma.l had pneumonia
/" men case of measles or fever
proke out in such a place-well. any
one could tell the, result Then the
water supply became infected I had
ten cases of typhoid at one time from
infected water /,
One particularly sad case was that
of Steve Rapchock, of Bradenvil,a r
attended Rapcock after he had been
beaten into insensibility by State no
lice and deputies TTe was badly on,
and bruised on the head and neck
his lpis We're split, and four of his
teeth Knocked out. and several bones
in his hands were broken bv beinp
beaten with clubs a:ld blacliiacks.
Now Steve is an inoffensiyo follow
have known him for many wears
ana belitve him innocent At the
time he was beaten there were three
cases OF scarlet fever in his house
and the rest Of the family had the
measles.
NOT CALLED TO TESTIFY.
Some of the shooting cases to
which | was called proved fatal Two
or them came up in court and. al
though my evidence was necessary
as the doctor who attended tho
wounded men. I was not subpoenaed.
My testimony would have upset the
evidence on which a deputy was dis
charged for shooting a miner. as T
could nave proven from the position
OF the wound that it could not have
happened in the manner the deputv
and the witnesses swore it did han
pen.
Want of proper food was n seri
Gus question. especially with the chill
dren. ] saw barefoot children, when
the thermometer was below zero. eat
ing cracklings. that is. the part that
remains when the lard is rendered
out of fat. 1t is wholly innutritious
and absolutely indisestible substance.
Another case was that of Frank
krul. striking miner. who was shot
by Frank Blanset. scab and a man
of evil reputation in the town before
the strike began. Blanset. without
apparent provocation. shot Krul in
the lower part of the leg The wo"nd
was not dressed at once. as it s;lon,l
have been. SO the leg gangrened and
mad to be amputated six inches below
tht hip. I know Krul we'll. having
Eeais. He - nuiet IL. na"rir.,
all has several children.
Il attended Mike Chekin. . miner
who was shot and killed by Frank
Chrowe. mine superintendent. Che
kin was brutally beaten before ha was
Slot He died in the Greensburg Hos
pittal two hours after the shootiIi o
H., left wife and four children.
Grove Was Released at the Trial
There is also the case of Mark Fl
Campbell. His house in Brownsville
was blown no by dynamite placed un-
der ii by deputy named F'lickenger
Campbell. his wife and their 12-year
Old daughter. We're in the house at the
time. No one was hurt except tho
| man. although the Wife :nd daughter
suffered from shock and fright. Mari,