Denver labor bulletin., 1916-07-08
Some Startling Facts Revealed
Thru Trial of Alexander HolUat
Coal Operators of Missouri and Kansas Sought Wreck
Unions BY Brbine Officers, but Are Finally
Hoisted on Their Oun Petard
BY DANTE BARTON
(From Committee on Industrial Rela-
tious. WASHINGTON. D. Cl

BY DANTE BARTON
(From Committee on Industrial Rela-
tions, Washington, D. CO.
How the efforts of twenty million
dollar corporation to crush out union or
ganization among the coal miners was
frustrated in the end by the honestN,of
the man whom it attempted to bribe out
in the recent trial of lawsuit brought
by Alexander Howat against 1.-THE presi-
dent of the corporation and other Off
GERS of it, and the creature whom they
used for corruption. Alexander Howat,
now triumphantly vindicated, was the
district president of District IA of the
United Mine Workers of America. The
trial in which he proved his own inno-
cence and proved the integrity of union
organization in the southwest, will be
famous in the history of American
courts 1t will be famous in the history
of industrial organization and develop
ment in this country.
Stew of Attempted Bribery.
The verdict of the jury awarding Mr..
Howat $1,000 DANCES aginst his CHIEF
slanderer is but a small part of the sig
nificance of that legal vindication. The
facts developed of record in the trial
ery and of actual corruption of their own
creatures by the dominating coal owners
of the district that Frank P. Walsh,
who conducted the trial for Howat, de-
clared in a speech in Pittsburg, Kan,
last Sunday:
at is absolutely wrong that the coal
deposits of this country should be in the
hands of private owners whose desire
for profits induces them not only to
beat down wages of the workers to star
walton limits, but induces them to re-
sort to brutal intimidation, to the cor
ruption of government and governmental
officials, and to the meanest thievery,
bribery and graft to add to their profits.
This is matter of the most serious
consequences to this generation and fu-
ture generations, that the natural wealth
of the country, the fuel of the company,
on which all industry depends, should
be controlled not for the public welfare,
but for all that is antagonistic to the
public welfare"
Frank Walsh Defends Howat
Mr.. Walsh took charge of the case at
the urgent request of the United Mine
Workers of America and of John p.
White, its president. As much OF his
work as chairman of the United States
had to do with investigation of the min
ing industry. and as his investigations
had led him to champion the cause OF
the mine workers along with other work
ers in industry, Mr.. Walsh refused to
accept any compensation for his services.
Associated with him in the case were
Jacob l. Sheppard, personal attorney for
Mr. Howat and Redmond S. Brennan,
who was employed by the United Mine
Workers at the instance of Mr.. Walsh
For nearly four years Alexander
Howat had suffered under the stigma
cast by this powerful corporation and
its tools. This corporation, the CentraI
Coal and Coke company, is capitalized
for S7.OOO,0OO: the total value Of Its
property exceeds S2l 100000. With
Charles s. Keith as its president tits the
dominating member of the Southwest
Coal Operators Association, including all
the big companies in the states of Mis-
souri,, Kansas, Oklahoma Arkansas and
part of Texas: and all with total cap
italized wealth of about s40,OO0,OOO.
The Gould and other great national
financial interest are connected with that
Southwest Association thru the owner
ship of the Western Coal and Mining
company as its president testified in the
trial of the Howat case, by the Missouri
Pacific Railway company The Central
Coal and Coke company dominated this
territory It's president, Charles s.
Keith. very wealthy man. has been
president of the Commercial club Of
Kansas City. has been and is big bank
er of this section, and is high in financial
circles.
Hired Union Disorganizer.
The statement was made by Charles
s. Keith that he had paid $4,000 to
Joseph H. Hazen to be given to Alex
ander Howat and others to call off the
strike in the southwestern district and
to negotiate a contract with the Oper-
ators having a permanent arbitration
clause in it. Keith testified that the
Operators Association had conceived the
idea OF destroying the union In tn"
southwestern territory. For the sole
purpose OF disorganizing the United Mine
Workers in Ho1vat's district, Keith testi-
fled that he employed man named
Harry p. Holmes, head Of the Harry b.
Holmes Detective Agency; that he had
never met Holmes but once befores and
that he employed him because he came
recommended as a man who disorgan-
lied unions for the United States Steel
Corporation.
This great coal owner, Charles s.
Keith, said on oath that his deliberate
purpose and acts in the attempt to bribe
Howat We're done with the> knowledge
and voted consent of the executive com
mittee, consisting of Keith, W. ]. Jen-
kins, Ira NJ Fleming, Charles Elliott and
John Mayer.
Sought to Bribe Officials.
Keith testified that by formal vote
these men, high in the commercial and
industrial world of the southwest, had
authorized him to execute a note for
$4,000 to the Fidelity Trust company
| and ON that nnte to nrocllre q sum of