Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-22
ROCKEFELLER ANCERED
BY WALSH'S ATTITUDE
Witness Put Through Grilling ENami.
nation, at Times Freely Express
ing His Resentment.
FREQUENT SHARP CLASHES
Two Members OF Commission Also
Protest Against Hostile Manner of
Chairman, Who Says He Will Con-
duct Examination as He Sees Fit.

WASHINGTON. May oI.-Trcquent
sharp clashes between John D. Rookie
Teller Jr., and Chairman Walsh marke ed
to-day's session of the Industrial
Relations Commission. with Rookie
feller again on the stand. testifying
about conditions in Colorado coal
fields. Although two members of the
commission had protested against
what they regarded as the hostile atti-
tude of the chairman yesterday, Walsh
throughout the day put the witness
through grillinE examination time
after time, at times riling him to eX-
pressions of resentment.
Rockefeller demanded that he be ac-
corded rights given other witnesses
and firmly insisted that Chairman
Walsh was seeking TO inject into his
questions implications against the
Colorado Fuel and Iron Company and
its officers. Some questions he de
clined to answer as improper. and
others he characterized as useless
Rockefeller will he on the stand
again Tomorrow
Before the session began. the com
mission held an executive session at
the instance OF Commissioner Vein
stock and Mrs. j. Borden Hartman.
who informed Chairman Walsh that
they believed the attitude he assumed
yesterday toward Rockefeller had the
appearance OF hostility Walsh said
he had no intention of displaying hos
tility. but that he was unusually in
tcrcstcd in affairs connected with the
Colorado strike, and naturally could
not restrain tendency TO conduct the
examination vigorously. He Informed
MS colleagues, however, that he was
determined TO conduct the eXamina
tion as he saw fit. Later, in the omen
hearing, the chairman emphatically
told Rockefeller he was running the
examination and did not propose to be
dictated to by the witness.
PREPARED STATEMENT
ON EARLIER DISCLOSURES
Mr.. Rockefeller arrived at the hear
ing-room with "A prepared statement.
based on disclosures Yesterday that
one OF the jurors who convicted John
X. Lawson. member of the executive
committee of the United Mine Work
ers OF America, OF murder. had exclu-
sife sales privileges in the Colorado
Fuel and Iron Companys camp. Mr..
Walsh had appealed to the witness to
intercede for Lawson and get him n
new trial.
Were ]. either directly or indirect
ly. to attempt to influence the judiciary
OF Colorado in respects to the appeal
OF Mr.. l.awson's trial." said the state
ment. Il should he guilty of the very
procedure against which witnesses
before this commission have so strong
ly protested. and which ] myself have
not less strongly condemned"
The questioning to-day covered n
wide range of subjccts-strike violence,
political influence and correspondence
relating to the strike. as to violence
Rockefeller said, where constituted au-
thority failed TO protect life and prop
erty, the citizen was justified in using
force for his own protection. In re-
gard to questions of responsibility and
the use of the militia, he declared thai
the conduct Of measures against the
strike had been left TO officers of the
coal company, and he personally could
not pass upon the use OF force.
But suppose YOU yourself had to
decide the question:" demanded Chair
man Walsh.
II believe it is always proper to de-
Continued on Firth Page.)