Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-06-19
MARITIME WANTS
TO USE HIS FISTS
Fellow Senators Prevent Him
from Fighting Witness of
Mine Operators.

Charleston, W. Va. June 17.-At
stormy session Of the Senate mine strily~
committee at which a near-fst fight be-
tween Senator MARITIME Of New Jersey
and Quinn Morton. manager # the
Paint Crock Operators association, was
narrowly avcrtcd, tho coaI operators OF
Paint and Cabin creeks to-day presented
their side of the controversy. Mr.. Morton.
as the princlpa, Witness for the opera
tors, presented the.r account OF the
negotiations which preceded the strike
and detailed his activities during tho
troubles. His discussion Of his participa-
ton in the attack on the strikers camp
at Holly Grove from an armoreG train
precipitated the clash with senator
MARITIME. who was questioning him, at
the close of the morning session.
This afternoon following an earnest
conference between Senator'S Swanson.
Kenyon and MARITIME. Senator Kenyon
took charge OF the hearing, and Senator
MARITIME did not ask Il single question,
although he had been a persistent eX-
aminer during Mr.. Morton's appearance
this morning. All through the morning
session feeling ran high, counsel for the
operators at three different times pro-
testing vigorously against the methods
Of examination employed by Senator
MARITIME. After the disorderly outbreak
IN the committee room excitement was
intense. The committees arrangements
TO mace the entire hearing in charge OF
Senator Kenyon, however. qu!eted things
down and the afternoon session went off
quietly.
The committee made plans tonight to
conclude the examination OF witnesses
tomorrow afternoon and to start for
Washington tomorrow evening. Many
witnesses will be left to be examined in
Washington when hearings are re-opened
there. 1t Is possible that the comnit-
tee will determine to return to Charleston
later.
STRIKE CONDITIONS QUIET.
Conditions were quiet among the s,rik-
ers on Paint and Cabin creeks to-day
according to the advices which dritted IN
from the hills, although the officials on
the United Mine Workers declared tina.
they expected further trouble there soon.
The union board for district %, which IL
the New river field, Will meet tomorrow
20 take up the question OF a strike there
! which. If declared, Will involve nearly
l5,coo men.
Quinn Morton Of the operators defend
ed the position taken by the employers
throughout the present labor dispute d'-
! claring that they We're utterly unable to
ncccde to the terms offered by the MN
| ers. although the latter We're willing to
| withdraw all demands except that for the
| recognition of the union.
MIR. Morton and others discussed ~
length the fight at the miners camp at
Holly Grove on the might Of FehruarF
Il when witnesses for the miners
testified a machine gun raked the
town from an armored train Mr
Morton fatty denied the statement OF
| Lee Calvin, an eN-mlne guard called
| by the miners, that ne had urged that
| the train be backed up ana that the
men on board give them another
round"
This statement and Colyin's dcclara-
| ton that Morton had remarked aunt
we give them hell after the tram
passed the town, were the disputed
points which Mr.. Morton vigorously
denied and precipitated the CLASH ne
! tween the witness and senator Mar
tine. The senator had been question
ing along this line and had aroused
| the resentment Of MIR. Morton when
Chairman swanson announced the
noon adjournment.
MIR. Morton remarked, Well all 50
! down and take a few drinks II tine"
wen feel bettor." senator MARITIME
boiled over and Sorgeant-at-ArmS
Hisgius, senators kenyon and Swan
/, son had quite n time separating the
two men and quietiuE the room.
This afternoon the operators placed IN
the stand X. 5. Leitch, the engineer, and
| william Tardy, tho fireman, who were IN
charge OF the armored train the nlSht &C
fine Holly Grove fight, Both men testtiei
that they were certain that the first shots
fired in the trouble We're fired from tina
hills along the tracks at Holly Grove
and that no firing was done from ina
train until after it had been fired upon
The operators called a number or men
working in the mines who testified as "a
the general conditions, all of them "e'
claring that the work i'm the mines Waa
well paid. Several Of the witnesses Wers
men who had been brought into the heli
during the strike to take the places OF
strikers. and they declared that they had
not been brought in locked cars ana had
never been locked up in the houses al
the mines.
Many of the witnesses denied that thu
principal trouble on the creeks was
caused by the activity OF the mine guards.
as practically all of the witnesses for ths
miners had held. They said the guard
~-ra arsariv nnd law abiding.