The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-05-21

4
what my business was there ana
told him | was there 10 investigate
the report that fellows were being
kept-that men were being held IN
the mine who wanted TO leave. lie
said could not do H.
q. What reason did he give for not
letting you do IL? A. lie said he
knew where he was at" | said, IL
" pretty serious thing; | am a state
officer here TO investigate that very
proposition
q. Tell us what he did A. lie
said-he asked me If had the author
ity and | showed him the authority. /
asked him just when the next SHIFT
would come out or the mine. | had
several hours to wait Ii was about
the lunch hour and there were two
other deputies With me and said We
| would have something TO eat He
took us 10 the boarding house and
left us. When he came back We had
! finished our lunch and ! said. we
will scatter around through the camp
and see IL we can pick up any strag-
glers,' and then he pulled me on TO
one side away from the other depu-
ties and said. Now, Mr.. Gross, you
are not going TO be permitted to tank
10 the men" | said, THAT Is a new
stand for you To take, isn't it?' And
he said, mo And said, You didn't
say anything about ii when | first
came up" and he said Il didn't know
what | was going TO do" And | said,
Nov you know" He said, Yes;
you will not be permitted TO talk to
the men In this camp" | said. you
are interfering with state official
He said, You will not be permitted
to do that here" | said "How do you
propose to stop me-" And he said,
Il hope you won't cause us to do any
thing like that We certainly have
plenty OF people here and are able to
stop you" | admitted that. because
the militia had disarmed Us before We
came in.
O. Disarmed you. state officer?
A. Yes. they wouldn't permit anybody
10 carry gun
interfere With the Mails.
The same witness shed light also on
the manner in which the coal com
panies have superseded the federal
government in the matter or handling
the mail
O. The postotices at the mines
where are they generally located? A..
Generally in the company stores.
Q. DO you know OF any instance
where any one has interfered with
any patron OF the office In receiving
their mail? A. | know that you can
not get in any OF these camps or get
your mail or any other thing unless
you have pass.
/ n Prom Whnn10 Won have 10
have a pass from the military.
q. Outside of the military, do you
know OF any instance where any one
has INSTRUCTED the patrons or the
postoffice from getting mail? A. /
never got any mall in these camps,
but | would say that you could not
at any time during OF before the strike
20 into a postoffice in the southern
coal fields and walk up and ask Tor
your mail without being stopped by
man in charge.
O. By whom? A. Deputy sheriff
e. That is the officer you have re-
ferred to as guard over the camp
A Yes, sir. no stranger could go INTO
these camps for any reason but what
he is questioned.
O. DO the patrons OF the postofnce
consist OF any one other than the EN-
ployes OF the mine? 4. don't know
as to that suppose the ranchers
around there.
Q. Have you ever heard OF ranch
ers being interfered with A. Yes,
sir, have. can get their names. |
have had these fellows before me.
They said they were not permitted 10
20 TO the postOffice when they wanted
| to. They were given the facility OF
getting their mail in some way, that
Is. somebody designated TO get their
mail for them. or the military would
escort them 10 the postotiice at GER
tain time of the day: they would all
go up 10 the postotfice at that time
with the military escort and get their
mail
Hieh-Handed Militia Rule.
State superintendent Gross was
questioned on the subject OF illegal
arrests.
q. would like TO ask you II you
know OF any instances where citizens
have been arrested. tried and CON
victel contrary TO or IN violation oil
| the constitution and the laws OF the
United States? A. Yes, sir. ] think
so | think they have been arrested.
Q. Tell us the facts and We will
decide whether II has been in viola
ton of the constitution and the laws
OF the United States. You have stat
ed that men have been arrested by
whom have they been arrested A.
The military authorities.
O. Upon what charges. A. No
charges, so far as | could learn, most
OF them.
Q. How long were they heidi A
! Some OF them are still held--from ~
to 40 days.
@. Have they been tried? A. No,
sir.
q. Have any that were arrested
ever been released? A. Yes.
O. With or without trial? A. With
out. None have been released after
trial that | know OF.
Q. Did you talk with Gen. Chase
or any OF the military authorities, and
| If so. why did they say they were
held? A. They just adopted the at
titude that it was none OF our bust
ness
q. What did they say? A. they
didn't tell US why these men were