The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-04-16
BREWSTER AND
LEWIS INDICTED
HEADS OF MINERS AND OPERA
TORS INCLUDED IN TRUE
BILLS IN COAL CASE
MAIN CHARGE IS CONSPIRACY
indictments Contain 10 Counts Al Of
Which Charge Conspiracy Of Some.
kind.-Lewis Confident Of an
Early Wage Agreement

Indianapolis. March oO.-The name.
u approximately 1.5 coal operators
miners and others connected will, thu
'oaI industry in Illinois. Indiana. Obi,
ma western Pennsylvania. indicted
here recently by special fedora
'rand jury for alleged violation Of the
Lever act and conspiracy section o1
ne federal criminal code. were made
'ublic Saturday by federal officials
me miners include International Pres
dent John l.. Lewis. Secretary-Treas
'rer William Green and Chief Suttis
tician Percy Tetlow.
The operators named include Thos.
L. brewster If st. Louis. chairman of
me operators scale committee: Phil
II. Ienna Of Terre Haute. Ind. spokes.
man for the operators in conference
washington just preceding the
strike OF miners last fall. and F.. :,
Peabody of Chicago. one Of the lend.
erS among the Illinois operators.
the indictments contain Is counts
all OF which charge conspiracy of
some kind. One count sets ont 10 overt
acts constituting violation of the fed.
eral laws.
The Illinois miners indicted include
Frank Harrington. president vt the
Illinois Mine Workers. The reunsyl.
v"nia miners include Phillip Murray.
Among those not identified MS
miners or operators are:
.IlIlnHS Wsff1., so.wn%.,,.., A..
trade bureau Of Terre Haute. Ind. =:
Il. W. Coulter. representative Of the
National Coal association. Chicago !:
and W. X. Field. president of the
l1ttsburg Coal company. Pittsburg.
New York. March o9.-.Tohn Lewis
international president Of the United
Mine Workers IT America, named
among the coal operators and miners
indicted for alleged violation of the
Lever act. declared in II statement
that there are no proper grounds for
the indictment Of himself or his ASSOC
GATES. He added that he docs NOT
fear investigation by any court Of
competent jurisdiction
1.-THE miners officers have always
r"nf"r'ned to the law" he declared.
"and have adhered to all it's precepts
so far as official acts are concerned
I am confident that when trial is held
1t will result in showing their inno-
crn,p.
The first four counts Of the in,lict-
ment brought under the Lever act
Charge general conspiracy ito limit
the facilities for transporting. pro,luc-
ing. supplying. storing and dealing in
certain necessity. t-wit: Eitumino,,S
coal. hy refusing I" mine. sell or deliv.
"r coal for storage purposes. by in
crea>ing aud maintaining excessive
prices of coal by calling and causing
strikes among mine workers and by
chasing down mines"
Counts five to nine Of the indlict-
m"nt contain similar charges. hui are
based on the amendment to the Lever
act passed October -. 1919. and cover
the period from the passage Of the
until March 10. 1870. the
'"eN tuV dNtNluN'ut WIS Il.
Other counts taken up. under separate
heads. contain charges included in the
general allegations in rhe early counts.
and the eleventh count cites 10 overt
acts. These include the strike order
ut October IL. signed by President
Lewis and Secretary Green of the
United Mine Workers.
The last seven Of the 10 overt acts
alleged included the charge that In
'liann operators employed what is
known as the ''ch"ck Off system in
mines. This system is one in which
The operators deduct from the miners
pay the amount Of dues owed the local
unions and in turn pay the money to
The union.
New York. March @.-Satisfactory
agreement will he speedily reached"
IN making new wage contracts for the
mine workers in both tho, anthracite
md hiturninO,,s industries. John l..
lewis. International president Of the
nine workers. predicted Saturday. He
expressed confidence thar there would
~ no suspension Of work in either
" the coal regions. adding that ''coul-
non sense will rule" in these, negotia-
ions. Although the hitmuinous agree
nent may he discussed next week. Mr..
lewis said that the hard coal workers
probably would extend
well into April
Il am optimistic regarding both
he asserted.