Albuquerque morning journal., 1913-06-18
Senator MARITIME and Coal 0p-
orator Quinn Morton Clash
Over Questions and Answers
Regarded Insulting,
EXAMINATIONS PUT
IN KENY0N'S HANDS
Employers Assert Armored
Train Was Attacked by
LaborerS Before Machine
Gun Opened Fire on Town,

ist soHsina jcssn.t srucisl st.nss ~iasi
Charleston. W. va. June lT.--m
stormy session OF the senate mine
strike committee at which q near fist
ight between senator MARITIME. pf New
Jersey, ana quinn Morton. manager
Of the Paint Greek operators assocln-
tion. was narrowly averted. the coal
operators Of PANT and Cabin creeks
presented today their side of the con-
troversy Mr. Morton. as The principal
witness for the operators presented
their account OF the negotiations
which preceded the strike and detail.
ed his activities during the troubles.
Ills discussion OF HIS participation In
the attacks ON the strikers camp nt
Holly Grove from an armored train.
prceipitated the clash with Senator
MARITIME, who was questioning him. at
the close OF the morning session.
This afternoon, following an onrn-
est conference between Senators ken
yon. Swanson and MARITIME. senator
Kenyon took charge Of the hearing.
and senator MARITIME did not ask .
single question. although he had been
a persistent examiner during Mr. Nor
toms appearance this morning. All
through the morning session feeling
ran high counsel for the operators
az three different times protesting
vigorously Ia rather strenuous terms
against the mcthods Of examination
employed bs senator MARITIME After
the dlsorderly outbreak la the com
mltlce room. excitement was Intense
among the spectators. counsel and
the crowds that thronged the lobbicg
Of the hotel where the committee IL
sitting. The commltee'a arrange
mcnts 10 place the entire hearing IN
charge Of senator Kenyon. however
quietcd things down aud the after
noon session went or peacefully
The committee made plans tonight
to conclude the examination Of Wit
nesses tomorrow afternoon and 10
start for Washington tomorrow night
II Is possible that the committee VIII
determine to return 10 Charleston
later to continue the probe here
Conditions were quiet among tho
miners on Paint and Cabin creeks To-
day, although the officials Of the
United Mine Workers declared that
they expected further trouble there
soon. The union board for District 20.
which Is the New tlvor ilcid, viii
meet tomorrow to take up the qnca-
tlOn Of a strike there. which, " de-
elnrcd. II Is expected. will involve nl-
most 6,000 men. II is expected that
the senate committee VIII be well out
OF Charleston by the time another
outbreak occurs.
Quinn Morton. Of the operators de-
fcnded the position taken by the em-
ploycrs throughout the present labor
dispute, declaring that they We're ut
terly unable To acccde to the terms
offered by the mlnera although the
latter were willing to withdraw all
demands except that for the recogni-
ton Of the union
Afr Morton and others discussed az
lcngth the fight at the miners camp
at Holly Grove on the night Of Feb.
ruary Z, when witnesses for the min
ers testified a machine gun rakcd the
men from an armored train. Mr.. Nor
ton flatly denied the statement OF
Lee Calvin an cx-mne guard, that
he had urged that tie train be baeked
up and that the men on board give
them another round.' This statement
ana culvn's declaration TINT Morton
had remarked didn't We give them
he'll" after the train passed the town,
were the disputed points which pre-
epitated the clash between tha Wit
ness and Senator MARITIME, The sena-
tor had been questioning along this
line and had aroused the resentment
Of Mr.. Morton. when Chairman Swan
son announced the noon adjournment.
Mr. Morton remarked we'll all go
down and take few drinks and then
ven feel bcttor" Senator MARITIME
boiled over and the scrgeant-at'arms
and Senators Kenyon and Swanson
had quite time separating the two
men und quietlng the roonh
The operators placed on the stand,
X. s. Lcitch. the engineer, and VIII
liam Tardy, the fireman, who were In
charge Of the armored train the night
OF the Holly Grove fight Both testl-
Ned that they were certain that the
FIRST shots fired IN the trouble were
hred from the hills along the tracks
at Holly Grove and that no firing was
done from the train until after It had
been fired upon.
"The train was moving along nt
rate of about fifteen or eighteen miles
an hour, said Leltch. THE first shots
were fired at the lower end Of the
town OF Holly Grove | heard two shots
in rapid succession. They seemed 70
come from the hills to tho left OF the
track. There were four shots that
seemed to come from the hills and
then the general fusillade began.