The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-12
Only Eleven Mines Operating
They Have Short Forces.
Court Plans Action on HOWat
Case for Tuesday.
MINERS MARCH TO GIRARO
Plan Big Demonstration Out
side Cell of Chief.
Ask Sheriff to Allow Freedom
to Make Speech.

Girard. Kan, April 12.-Alexander
Howat. head of the Kansas union
miners. speaking by permission of the
sheriff of Crawford county. G. C.
Webb, denounced Governor Allen as a
skunk of a governor before a crowd
of several thousand persons, mostly
miners and their wives, gathered in
front of the Jail here shortly after
noon today.
Howat spoke for an hour from a
balcony of the Jail. He was repeated
Iy cheered by the crowd which had
modified two or three miles out of
the town and marched in following a
band of Italian boys and carrying a
few American flags and some banners
After marching around the court
house square. the friends of Howat
gathered in front of the Jail.
Called Allen skunk
I'VE won't recognize this court,
Howae said. referring 10 The codfs t1
Industrial relations before which he
refused to appear as witness. 1T is
composed of three corporation lawyers
appointed by that skunk of COVER
nor, Allen
Howat denounced over and over IN
the most bitter terms he could COM
mand the governor and the legislature
which enacted the law.
Howat also paid his respects to
Judge Andrew J. Curran of the Craw-
ford county district court. who SEN
fenced him to all for contempt. Judge
Curran had been referred to in a
newspaper story as sturdy Ameri-
can"
They talk about sturdy Americans"
Howat said, sturdy Americans who
send men to tail who have committed
no crime. The men and the women
are going to attend to eAese sturdy
Americans when they get the oppor-
tunity."
Following the breaking up of the
gathering in front of the Jail. miners
marched around the square, and in a
corner Of the square another meeting
was held, addressed by a Socialist
orator. A banner carried into Girard
by the marchers said: We Are for
the L. S. A.
Pittsburg, Kan, April 1e.-Ninety
per cent of the coal mines of Kansas
are idle today while the miners refrain
from work as a demonstration of pro-
test against the Imprisonment of Alex
ander Howat, their president and
three other district union officials.
This announcement was made at
the office of the mine operators after
reports had been collected there from
over the Kansas district. 1t was
stated that eleven mines are in opera
| ton but that those in operation are
| being run with short forces. Three
Of the mines in operation are deep
shaft mines and the others shovel
mines.
Shortly before noon an announce
ment by the Operators association
said that approximately 1900 miners
were idle today.
Court Plans Action.
! Further action was in prospect to-
day in the case of Alexander NJ.
Howat. president of the Kansas mine
workers. and three other union Off
cials who are in the county Jail at
Gfrard for contempt of court for re-
fusing to testify before the new Kan
Sas Industrial Relations court.
| The next move was expected when
| District Judge a. J. Curran. who sent
the men TO jail. took up their appH-
cation for a new trial The court
calendar called for consideration OF
the application today, altho 1t was said
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