The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-05-23
MINERS BI NED
By ROcI[EFEl-LEll
Declares on the Witness Stand
That They Began Colo
RADIO Violence
.BY KILLING a MARsHAE
Makes Positive Denial of the
Charges Designed 10 Lay
Blame on Operators.

CiiduSCSe OCoi9lGVA ~ 80 a3tsss IS
Blame on Operators.
a. 4s.oe1A4sD Sass,
wAsHNGToN. May 22-Con-
Guiding his two-days examinationsoy
the industrial relations comnission
today John D. Rockefeller, Jr-enteI-e
ed denials Of three charges wh1cn,
If sustained, would. according 70
Commissioner Weinstock lay at the
door Of the Colorado mine soperatoEs
the responsibility for the unforeu-
nate Happenings in the sCoIoraao
coal strike. The charges were framed
and presented by Commissioner
weinstock as being In brief the az
legations brought against the opera
tors by the miners zS
Despite the frequent clashes be-
tween the witness and Chairman
Walsh as to the form OF questions
there was little friction at thesheaTs
ing today. Only two members
the commission, Chairman Walsh
and Commissioner Weinstock. at
tended throughout the days session
Three Charges Read.
When Chairman Walsh finished
Questioning Mr. Rockefeller. Com
missioner Weinstock presented let
ter to the latter which set forth
preliminary statement on which the
reviewed the commis-
slon's inquiry into Colorado condi5
tons.
what I have been able in brief
to get out of it all.'' it read. SIS that
the strikers and their sympathtzers
make three specific charges.
That at no time after the strike
could they get hearing at the hands
5of the operators
That the civil and judicial ma
chinery. for obtaining such justice
as. the law. affords; was II the hanNs
to the strikers.
That the operators through their
agents were the first to resort to vioez
ience and all the violence was folss
lowed was defensive on the part OF {
the strikers and not Offensive
..f these three charges haze oeen
established, then Z must be pam
that the responsibility for the :unt:oEss'
tunate happenings in. Colorado mus
clearly be laid at the door OF the ops
orators and the strikers are .entftted
TO all support and sympathy OF the
American people.
In answering the charges Mr..
Rockefeller said that as Tar as he
knew representatives. OF thessunions
had not been in conference With ca
operators but that striking miner
were present at meeting with three
of rhe operators and GoVernorsAl AM
mons at which the situation was dis
cussed.
.sThe Colorado Fuel and Iron Com
pany.1 he declared, has always been
and always is ready to meet With tts
men or the representatfyest thezznen
may elect. working In its mines
Ballot Still Powerful
"As to whether. the judicial and
civil machinery were in the hands OF
the operators and not available to
the strikers. am not in a position
to state think the fact wlthout
regard to party lines is that the etec-A
ton which took place in COLORADO N
the fall turning out sit dtdsWoultdl
indicate that the ballots still pow
erfuI in that state to represent the
will of the people Ss-,s..S
AS to the third charge. Mr. Rocke-
feller said that the. Information ne
had was that the strikers began the
violence when one of the camp
sha1s was killed.
Earlier in the day Rockefeller az
ter a Slight brush with Chairman
walsh oKer the introduction ofsas Iet3
ter he caused to be written to sPEesl-
dent WeIborn, of the Colorado II uet
and Iron Company, by Starr = 1r-ss
ply. his counsel. succeeded IN gesS.s
ting before the commissions on
count of his part in having attorney
for the company withdraw
sistants to state authorities In prose
cutting strikers When he had been
informed that the company attorS
neys had been commissioned to asst
in such prosecutions they were With
drawn from all such cases before ne
trial of John r. Lawson began
Stand wv Il. Lee, publicity agent
60 ~. Por1-oFo1lo4- interests who fol-