Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1913-06-16
OWED COMPANY
MONEY after
4 WEEKS
COAL STRIKE HEARING TAKES TESTI.
MONY FROM MANY WITNESSES.
FURTHER TROUBLE IS NOW
REMOVED.
GUARDS FORCED GIRLS
TO WADE THE CREEK

Charleston, W. Va June 16.--Tes-
timony was resumed today before the
senate committee investigating the
coal miners strike,
A. H. Honmaker, a merchant of Hol-
ly Grove, said he was arrested by fif-
teen mine guards and taken from his
house. He had allowed miners to
erect tents on his property, he said,
after they had been elected from the
company's houses. Guards, he declar-
ed, had dumped the furniture of forty
or fifty miners on his land and he had
allowed them to remain.
Elizabeth Fish, pretty olive-skin-
ned mountain girl, said she and May
Claypool, in company with another girl
were met by mine guards who order
ed them to wade the creek, enforcing
the order with their guns.
One of the girls tried to remove her
shoes and stockings before entering
the water, which, at this point, was
waist deep.
"She got one shoe off," said the
girl, when the guards told her she
was too darn slow and drove her in
to the water"
Several miners told of their exper-
fences with mine guards
Much cumulative testimony as to
conditions in the field before and
during the strike was presented by
several miners.
C. L. Workman, stable boy, said
that the guard system was mainly re-
sponsible for the trouble.
'1f you'll take the guards out of
there" he said, the men and opera
tors would be able to get together"
Workmen said the guards were still
at work on Cabin creek.
c. r. Shaw of Park ersburg, said he
was taken into the coal fields during
the strike, with his wife and children.
He said he worked at Mucklow for
four weeks and that he received no
pay.
1T was all used up in the COM
pany store" he said, "and the store
said | owed the company money"
Rumors of war from mining camps
in the Paint creek and Cabin creek
district today came to Charleston
where the senate mine investigating
committee was in session. Only the
most meager information was avail
able here but reports from the hills
were that the Cabin creek miners, in
part at least, had renewed the strike,
and that the Paint creek workers
were considering quitting work again
1t was definitely established that
three miners meetings were held in
the district yesterday.
Two on Cabin creek were reported
to have voted not to return to work
Today. 1t was stated, however, that
the men who had failed to go into
he mines this morning were few in
number and that the disturbance was
not serious. One meeting was held
IN Paint creek and it was reported
hat no definite action was taken. A
Of the Paint creek OPP
orators declared today that eighty
per cent of their men were at work.
1t was generally accepted that no
serious outbreak occurred but there
was considerable anxiety over the ef-
,ect of the renewal Of trouble in these
'egons might have on the New River
district few miles away where tif-
cen thousand men nave been consid-
ering strike order.
A miners convention had been plan
led on New River this week and it
vas feared that the trouble in the
,reeks would precipitate general
walk out The union officials here
ay that they have sanctioned no
trike order in the creeks.
The committee today continued the
aking of vast amount of testi-
nony. mostly of a routine character.
S to conditions in the fields before
he strikes began. A score of miners
estified that the trouble was caused
" the activities of the mine
yards
Elizabeth Fish, a 19 year old girl,
described how a party of guards had
orced her and another girl to wade
,abin creek at the points OF guns.
Meantime taunting them with obscene
emarks.