Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-14
Causes Which Produced the
Miners Strike in West Vir-
ginia Under Inquiry.
DEMAND FOR RECORDS
OF STOCK OWNERSHIP
Senate Committee Hears Former
Gov. Glasscock Concerning Issue
of Martial Law Order.

CHARLESTON. W. Va June 1.-THE
United States Senate subcommittee inyes-
tigating the coal strike situation TODAY
called on the men and women who lived
through the reign of terror on Paint
and Cabin creeks for their stories OF the
struggle. The committee continued its in
quiry into the general causes and condi-
tions which led up TO the strike and the
miners attorneys presented men and
women who told of life in the mining
camps
Senator Kenyon served notice on the at
torneys for the mine operators that he
desired to secure records OF the ownership
Of the land on Paint and Cabin creeks,
the capitalization and ownership of stock
in the various coal operations. together
with the names of officers of the compa-
MES who operate in the strike zone.
Attorney knight. for the operators
promised to call before the committee
Monday next the various officers of the
companies having the information which
Senator Kenyon desired, and said that
condensed statements of the financial or
ganization of the various companies
would be produced.
Wants Additional Data.
Senator Kenyon has said that he be-
lieved. I'm order TO arrive at d right con-
clusion as to the causes which brought
about war conditions in the strike zone.
it will be necessary for the committee to
have at its disposal evidence of the iinan-
cial basis upon which the mines are oper-
ated. The senator has taken a deep i'll
tereSt in the investigation and his visit to
the mine territory Thursday whetted his
desire for information. He said today
that If he could possibly find time after
the committee concluded its hearings here
he intended TO spend several days, posi-
bly, week, in the strike zone unattended,
making a personal examination OF how
the miners live and work.
The committee hoped to be able to end
today the examination of witnesses call
ed by the miners in relation to condi-
tions on Paint and Cabin creeks, and to
proceed Monday with the presentation OF
evidence to be introduced by the oper-
ators.
Railway Conductor on Stand.
G. o. Honaker, conductor on the
| Chesapeake and Ohio railroad was to-
days first witness. He said that prior
| to April 30, 1913, mine guards in Cabin
creek rode on trains by virtue of passes
| He gave the committee the names OF
| number of guards and the numbers Of
| the passes they carried. These guards.
he said. were all armed. Mr.. Honaker
| said his train had been stoned three
times during the strike.
Former Gov. GlaSscock was recalled
| to the stand to be cross-eXamined by
counsel for the mine operators. At
! torney knight elected from Mr.. Glass
| cock that the first trouble broke out at
Boomer, a unioniZed mine outside OF the
L aint and Cabin Greek districts. n
lengthy correspondence between the gov
ernor and the operators on the question
hi ri,t, MIA IN
After his first proposal was refused b.
the operators, Mr.. Giasscock framed
new proposition. which he believed elm
| mated the question OF the recognition .,
the union. This second proposal, he said.
was likewise rejected by the operators.
although accepted by the miners.
Ownership of Mines.
Senator Kenyon took up the question Of
ownership of lands on Paint and Cabin
creeks.
ON Paint creek" said Gov. Glasscoch,
Il have understood that outside men
were heavy stockholders. The Cabin
creek mines however. are owned by West
Virginia interests"
Gov Giasscock named Judge Christian
of Virginia former Representative Con-
nell of Sci anton Pa. and John II. Jones
of Pittsburgh as some of the outsiders
who owned land i'm the creek.
Under cross-examinatio ton by attorneys
for the miners, Gov. Glasscock. told or
calling "a statewide peace conference.
which assembled at the statehousc, and
wnlcn was attended by socl" lUo or 49,
Representative citizens from al over
the state The object OF the meeting WAS
to discuss means OF preventing and set
Ting labor disputes.
Was the attitude of the representative
opera tors friendly toward that meeting!
asked Mr.. Belcher.
Il thought decidedly otherwise, said
the governor.
He said that a reason presented by an
attorney for the operators outlining the
terms upon which they would participate
i'm the conference precipitated an acri-
moniouS debate.
The meeting thus broke up, he said,
much to my modification and disgust
Conditions IN Strike Zone.
When Gov. GlasscocS was excused the
miners attorneys again began To call the
women Of the strike region.
The attorneys for the state objected 10
reopeninS the question of trials under
martial law.
w A. Abbott. a delivery wagon driver
for an outside store in the strike zone,
said that mine guards prevented him
from delivering supplies
j. II. Pike OF Holly Grove said tilat
mine guards shot the lock off his door.
He described the shooting up of Holly
Grove from the aimored train The
train was dark he said. but he could see
the flashes of guns on the train
What did YOU do when the bullets
began TO fyo'' asked Senator Kenyon
Just stood and looked al them. said
the miner.
Pike said that he was one OF the party
at the home of CrIsto Estep. whose widow
last night told the committee of how he
died while trying to get his family INTO the
cellar when the bullets from the train
began to riddle his home. None of the
men at the Estep house had gums With
them.
Miner Relates Experiences.
Luther Hudnall was at Holly Grove
during the strike. He said he was taken
from his home by guards and taken to
MVcklow.