The Glenwood post., 1919-12-06
UNION LEADERS
HELD IN CONTEMPT
Payment Of Strike Benefits to
Coal Miners Constitute Of.
tense Says Anderson
HELD IN $4,000 BONDS

indianapolis, Dec. 3.-The United
States government, today again invoke cd
the powers of the federal courts in an
effort 10 end the strike of 100000
bituminous coal miners of the country.
information charging criminal con-
tempt of court was filed in the UnIted
States District court against eighty
four International and district officers
of the United Mine Workers named in
the court Injunction issued mmed,ately
after the strike Vas called and requir
ing their appearance to answer the
charges, were issued late today. 1t Is
alleged that all of the officers have
conspireI t. keep the strike in force
and thus have violated the terms of
the in junction. Acting President y. L.
Lewis, Treasurer William Green, Percy
Tetlow, statistic,an, and Ellis Saarles,
editor of the Mime Workers jour- Il,
the only officials of the organization
in Indianapolis, were notified of the
action and agree to report in court to-
morrow to furnish bond fixed at
10000 by Federal Judge Anderson,
Other officials in the Jurisdiction of
the federal court here, who include
Edward Stewart and William Mitch
of Terre Haute, officials of district
No. IL of the mine workers, viii be
served as soon as possible, and le-
quired to appear at 10 O'Clock next
Tuesday morning for hearing.
Dan W. simms, special United
States district attorney in charge Of
enforcement Of the injunction, stated
today that the proceedings against
the miners representatives will be
pushed and that removal proceed
ings to obtain the appearance in
court here of officers who reside
outside of Indiana will be instituted
at once.
Mr.. Simms announced that proceed
ings against officers of two locals
at Clinton, Ind, also would be in
stituted very soon, charging them
specifically with violations OF the
injunction by payment of strike bene'
fits to mners. Officials of local
No. POLL, he declared, had paid bene-
fits by check, attempting to "camou-
flage" the real nature Of the action
by stating that they were for ever
payment of dues.
Local No. 80, he said, drew one
check for $500 and distributed cur
rency among its members.
In connection. with the issuance Of
strike benefits, Mr.. Simms again de-
clared that the injunction extends to
any person, whether or not inner,
who in any way encouraged the
strike, and said that banks which
honored checks drawn against a
strike benefit fund were liable to
prosecution.
Mr.. Simms stated that the citations
against the men named today were
only IA start in the prosecutions
against alleged violators of the ia
junction, and that the action might
be expected soon.
ct is the government purpose,
Mr.. Simms said. "to continue prosecu-
tion as fast US evidence can be pre-
pared and filed with the court against
all officers of every local who arc
conspirtng by concerted effort to
keep the strike in force. Refusal to
return to work, if q miner knows Of
the injunction and the subsequent or
der of the union officials resembling
the strike order, constitutes viola
tion of the injunction, and the gov
ernmenf will proceed on this theory,
regardless Of whether officers are
guilty Of some specific act Of en-
couragement of the strike.
"The government waited patiently
while the conference was going ON In
Warrington, hoping that some plan
for averting the impending disaster
consequent on the shortage Of fuel
would be evolved. After the confer