The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-07-21

EtDm PAtIE
America would speak at Currayfield,
"All loyal United Mine Workers
should be there"
Gunner Fail
There being no loyal United Mine
Workers in the coal fields, except
those bought and paid for, Pagan
mobilized from all over, with hired
trucks, by threats and by bribery,
contingentS from especially the Pitts
burgh Terminal Mines, Members of
Fagans crowd who were brought in
trucks admitted to your reporters
that they had been paid $40 each to
come. Pagan invited all business
men. Burgess Mayor Cook OF
Canonsburg acted as chairman at his
meeting. All in all, business men,
paid henchmen, bribed and conScript-
ed miners-F'agan and Murray had
about 400 present at their meeting.
Pagan was just exalting over his con-
spiracy with the coal companies, say
ing over his six trumpet loud speaker:
"If you want a settlement, you must
Join the UNIV whether you like it
or mott when the head OF the pro-
cession of $500 to 1000 miners from
the National Miners Union meeting
marched into Fagan's meeting, and
right up to the platform.
Fagan's conscripts melted away,
ran back to their trucks and di moth
ing. Fagan's personal guard, mostly
young fascist elements, full of UNIV
moonshine and with their pockets
stuffed with coal operators money
crowded around the platform, and
as many got on it as could stand
there.
The platform was the broad top of
big truck, gorgeously decorated with
bunting, full of chairs on which the
corpulent takers had been resting
while waiting their turn to speak.
Pagan Howls in Vain
Pagan tried to howl his bunk
through the loud speaker, but the
jeering roar of the crowd drowned
out his words. The miners wives
settled effectively with two or three
of the UNIV women. The women and
children, VIII chad led the singing on
the way down, jammed closer, show
ering the UNIV takers with denuncia-
ton. Somebody on the platform
threw a chair at them, and a con-
certed rush of miners, Negro and
white, swept over the truck. Pagan
ties dubbed with chairs, had them
taken away and we're dubbed in re-
turn. Some Of the UNIV henchmen
welded broken glass and several
miners were badly cut. Pagan him
self tried to run, but a piece OF slate
about the size, of two fists caught
him alongside the head as he went
over the side Of the truck. Someone
snatched at him, and he wriggled
away, leaving big piece Of cloth
from his suit in the mines'r hands.
He tripped and got couple OF
kicks while fleeing across the field.
Fagan's ten dollar straw hat with his
initials stamped in it was handed
around later, among the miners at
their second mass meeting.
How They Fled
In two minutes the whole UNIV
crew was in flight, and roosting like
pigeons on the hillside, off the
grounds. The miners shouted, may
be now you'll think twice before you
scab ami take away our bread and
butter" A considerable section Of
the crowd at the U. M. w. meeting
joined the N.MU., as Leo Thompson
mounted the truck for q brief ad-
dress to the miners, and then led the
triumphant march back to the NM.
U. meeting grounds. AS they march,
ed, waving small pieces Of the de-
molished UNIV. furniture, singing
end cheering, one miner said: Guess
we took away the UM.W.'s charter
and they can't hold a meeting any
morel This was picked up by other
miners, with much laughter and en-
thusiasm.
Ten minutes after the miners
cleared the field, fifteen state troop
ers charged in led Pagan and few
other takers back to the dismantled
truck, a few laggards were driven