Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1914-02-21
He RECEIVED LITTLE PAY
HOWEVER, He THINKS HE EARN
ED ONLY SMALL AMOUNT
ABOVE EXPENSES
WEIGHTS ARE NOT RIGHT
WITNESS TELLS COMMITTEE THE
WORKERS ARE NOT GETTING
FULL CREDIT

Trinidad, Colo, Feb, 2l.--Ihe con-
gressional subcommittee today made
an effort to get to the bottom Of the
charges of peonage in the Colorado
coal fields. Much Of the days session
was taken up with the examination Of
four italian witnesses called by the
order Of the committee. The four
were named yesterday by Giovanni
Ainnotti as countrymen Of his who
were held prisoners in the Delagua
mine
Unusual precautions were taken to
prevent tampering with the Witnesses.
The four, Pietro Froio, vitorio Froio,
Qintiro semoni and Leobardo Morelli,
were put in charge of the sergeant
alarms with orders to permit no one
to approach them Giovanni AEinnotti
was excluded from the room, and the
superintendent and marshal from the
Delagua camp were ordered to keep
out Of sight Of the witnesses. The
Italians were questioned by members
Of the committee before being turned
over COUNSEL for examipation
ponss to Questions by NE
Byfnes eAe Italian .a be aai4 ea
Pittsburgh to work ID the Colorado
mines after the strike was called
"The man who sent us out here
showed us on a pape. that there was
a strike, said the witness. who soon
exhibited an unexpected ability TO un-
derstand and speak English.
Froio said that when hte train
reached Trinidad the shades were
drawn and the doors locked. AT Trini-
dad, he said. "a whole bunch Of
soldiers got on the train. The labor
ers were taken to Delagua, where the
witness said he had remained up to
the present. .
In response to close Questioning by 7
Mr.. Byrnes, Froio declared that he |
made no effort to leave these mines
and had not seen any Of his compan-
icns trs to get away lie said that
he had worked for the company nearly
three months, but had received no
money, because he was green on the
mine and his earnings thus far had
not more than paid his board and 9th
er expenses.
Referring to Giovanni Minnetti, the
witness said:
Giovanni was kicking every night
because the driver could not furnish
him enough cars SO that he could load
enough coal to earn money to send
home to his wife"
The witness said that he himself
had been given an insufficient number
Of empty cars at first, but that since
moving to another part Of the mine
he had no further trouble He added
that everybody says the man who
weighs the coal is stealing" and he
intimatad that he himself thought
that the weighing was dishonest It
was at tn6 Delagua mine that John RI
Lawson and John McIsennan labor
leaders. inspected the scales 81 the
occasion Of the committees visit to
the strike region last Wednesday.
Mr. Byrnes then turned the witness
over to p H. .Costigan for the strilk-
ers. Pietro finally said that some OF
his companions had run away from
Delagua. fleeing over the hills be-
cause they we're afraid the soldiers
would arrest them if they tried to
get out through the gate.
DO You know Of any man being
turned back by Che soldiersa
NO
The witness was questioned sharnly
as to what he had been told BY super
intendent snodgrass before coming to
Trinidad this morning. but maintained I
stoutly chat he had not been lnfla
eneed.
While Pieiao Frna was testfying