New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-05-15
Mine Children
Help Cause in
Ascension Pew
Calico.Clad Youngsters In.
spiration of Cleric, Who
Declares Operators Have
Seized All West Virginia
Part of u. S. No Longer
R.Cun Mountaineer Called
Lovable Traitor; Money
for Food Pours Into Hat.

With four little calico-clad children
kof coal miners sitting before him in q
front pew and furnishing him inspira-
zen, an Episcopal clergyman. wearing
4 his surplice and stole, last night in.
formed The congregation Of the Church
tos The Ascension. in Fifth Avenue. that
I West Virginia under present conditions
F'is not really one of the forty-eiobt
states OF this country but a privately
owned territory which merely hapnens
b lie within the borders of the United
5States.'
Then he went on to introduce the
EneXt speaker, Lawrence ("Pegrv"l
Epwyer. two-gun mountaineer-mine
Eoi West Virginia who shoots as
straight as he talks, as 1.-The most
Elovable traitor have ever met. If II
BE treason for man to go to the Pres
Edent of the United States and com
Fp'aln OF the intolerable conditions
] mantained by the coal operators in
! the West Virginia mining districts"
Many Give Money for Food
After Mr.. Dwyer concluded, his hear.
|efs, VINO were gathered in the Sunday
|evening public forum maintained bv
1.-THE church. filed out and filled a hat
which was held by Miss Elizabeth Gill
man, Baltimore philanthropist and So
|eIal worker, with silver and green
backs: IN addition many signed cards
|piedg7ng themselves to give various
|amounts in support of $4,000 fund
new being raised in New York City to
purchase, and send bacon. -four and
lcornmeal to the West Virginia miners,
who are declared to be on the verge
|of starvation as the result of their
strike and other struggles against the
coal operators of that state.
1t was to aid in the fund that the
children-Lowell Phillips, eleven years
old; Gladys Persinger. seven; Ossie
Leet. thirteen, and Nellie Dwyer
twelve-were brought by peggy" who
rs Nellies father, from West Virginia.
He is.one of the leading defendants in
the Charlestown treason trials. Two of
the girls were accompanied by their
mother.
Children to Speak Tonight
The youngsters were to have spoken
at the meeting, but this plan was
abandoned because another program
had been arranged They will speak to-
night, however, in the Brooklyn Labor
Ly ceum: tomorrow night in Beethoven
Han and Thursday night in Town Hall.
GLADYS listened attentively while
West Virginia was being discussed, but
she didn't hear a subsequent speaker
tell about how to cure strikes. She fell
asleep or the pew cushions.
The clergyman who introduced
PEGGY" was the Rev. Dr.. Mercer G..
Johnston, of Baltimore.
Il love the kind of a traitor Mr.:
Dwycr is" he said He was indicted
h., 81 cd
STATES, but by the privately owned gov
eminent Of West Virginia. There are
some OF US. you know-American
who are opposed to that sort of thing.
Recently New York newspaper
correspondent went to the Secretary of
State OF West Virginia and asked him
FIR some sort OF safe conduct for
tip through the mining districts of
] ogan and Mingo counties. He was
pass. that he would have TO get one
from the coal operators. When a state
government wallows in miro of that
sort il becomes the height of rdicu-
lousness to indict for treason the men
who rise TO protest against 1t.
Miner Pleads for Starving
"Peggy"-his nickname is the result
O. having lost leg in mine accident
made an impassioned plea for food
lief for the west Virginia miners,
nd rave vivid description of condi-
;ons in the mining districts. with
NE miners starving and living in tents
because of the oppression of the coal
operators
tinually asked each other the question
Are we living in the United States :?
For Gods sake, do something for US!
Don't allow the coal operators to win
victory at the cost of starving 10000
working men and women, your fellow
Americans, into it!'
He corroborated the account of DR.
Johnston as to his indictment for trea-
n, saying that this resulted lmmedi'
atey on his return to West Virginia
after having called on President Hard
ing and inducing him to intercede tc
event the wholesale eviction OF
1ers families by the coal operators.
Among those evicted by the COM
gunmen.' Dryer declared, were
and women eighty years old.
lie of them were cast out with their
sngings into the snow or while
On ing transforms were going on"
Miss Gilman in brief address asked
ttat New York City send the miners
arload of food a day."
You are all that is between them