The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-02-23
Victor American Fuel Com
pany Superintendent Gives
Lie to Testimony of Italian
Miners at Trinidad.
SALVADOR VIOLENT
HAS DISAPPEARED
One of Chief Men to Make Ac.
cusation Gone; Committee
Locks Up One Too Many
Witnesses.
tBy Lcasca VIC % EycnIng IIcralal J

Witnesses.
tBy I.casca Wire 10 Evening Hcrald.)
Trinidad. Colo. Feb. Charges
OF peoEage IN the Dolagua coal camp
OF the NictoT-American Fuel company
were given emphatic denial today by
y. W. Snoderass. superintendent Of
the Delagua mine, before the congres.
slonai committee investigating the
coal miners strike
| sir. SnodgTass' appearance as a Wit
ness WAS the sequel to the scrio-comic
embroglio of Saturday afternoon
when the committee discovered that
IL had locked up five Italian witnesses
when Il had intended to put only four
In the custody OF the sergcant-a
arms. Attcr the testimony of the
Italians Saturday FRANK r. Cove OBJ
tanned permission Of the company TO
Pit Mr.. snodgrnHs ON the stand 10
give the company's side Of the ell
| legged peonagc cases. The supcrin-
tendent denied every charge of peon-
age and also said positively that no
miner had been shot 20 death by
soldiers or anybody else in - pcla-
qua camp.
II developed today that salvator
Violent, "A witness who told a story OF
alleged pcOnage at the Denver hear
ing. had disappeared. Counsel for the
operators told the committee that Vo-
lent, who had agreed To meet General
John Chase al the Denver union depot
and return with him TO Trinidad, did
not GO to the depot John a. Lawson
said later that he had seen Violent in
Denver since he appeared before the
committee but that hc did not know
hts present whcrea bouts
on the stand today Snodgrass de-
MED the charges OF peonHge made by
Violent, James Adams and Giovanni
MinnottL
Al the opening of today's session
Chairman Foster read an Associated
Press bulletin announcing the death
of former United states senator Hen
r. N. Teller. Mr.. Foster said.
The chair bcgs TO announce that
Henry NJ, Teller former cabinet Of
iiccr and for thirty years United
states senator. died today When
such a man dies the world suffers "A
loss"
The committee this morning took
no official action regarding senator
Tcilcr's death and no member OF the
committee WAS designated TO attend
the funeral. Before the taking Of
testimony was begun there wns dis
cussion of ways and means OF limiting
the number of witnesses for each side.
hut no order was made by the chair.
man.
Superintendent n. w Snodgrass OF
the Delngua mine of the Victor Amer
lean Fuel company was put on the
stand 10y Frank T.. Cove TO give his
version of the stories Of alleged peon-
age al Delagua. His appearance was
the signal Tor a protest by T.. p Costl-
gan FOR the miners who said he saw
no reason FOR intcrrupting the Tegu-
lar procedure. Chairman Foster ruled
that the entire testimony of MIR. Snod-
grass on all matters connected with
the strike be taken at this time.
MIR. Snodgrass nv; was questioned
about the manner In which Pietro and
Nitiorio Froio. Quintinio slmoni and
| l.eobardo Morelli were brought TO
Trinidad Saturday morning To appear
as witnesses before the committee.
lie declared that he had not talked
with them about their testimony and
/
testimony favorable to the company.
He said that In response To "A request
| from Mr.. Cove he had sought out
Amor Yamicelli as the man who had
signed contracts for the other four
Italians. He brought Namicclll with
the others. he declared. lie denied
that Namacelli had any closer connec-
tion with the company than any Of
the other miners,
The witness then was questioned
about Giovanni Minnotti the Italian
who last week said ne had escaped
from the Deiagua mine after being
held prisoner. he said he had no
knowledge of the alleged search OF the
Ludlow tent colony by The militia and
the pelagua boarding house boss at
ter Minnotti's escape.
He admitted that al one time a
company watchman took miner out
OF a tree and brought him back 10
camp. lie explained that the man
was wanted for participating Ia a
fight and WAS chased up the tree by
the watchman's dog after he had re-
fused 10 halt when walking out of
the camp.
Air SnodgraHs said he never had
attempted 10 prevent Giovanni Min
motifs leaving the camp He said he
never had seen the militia az the Della
gua camp "ail drunk" and that none
of them were intoxicated on last
"Wednesday night when Minnottl said
he had made his escape over the hills
He declared that he never had seen
but one intoxicated mllitiaman NJ the
belasua camp. The witness also de-