The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-10-15
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$3.50 WAGE BOOST
Message From Self Chosen
Tomb Tells Families to
Forget About Them
GOVERNMENT INTERVENING
Food Sent by Wives Returned;
20 Raving Madmen Brought
to Surface

PEGS, Hungary, Oct. 15.-(P-Con-
WINGED there was mo more hope for
them" q member Of the Hungarian
parliament emerged Monday from the
black pit where for 106 hours, 1900
miners have been self-entombed,
striking for more pay.
Il expected q terrible catastrophe
in the coal mines any moment" said
Janos Estergalyos, Democratic Social
istic parliamentarian who descended
into the mine in an attempt to me-
diate with the infuriated men.
What saw down there will be the
most terrible remembrance OF my
life," he said. THE miners have be-
come absolutely insane from their aw-
full experience.
Determined to Die
"They are determined either to COM
nit suicide by wrecking the pumps, or
to blow up the mine. There Is no
more hope for them"
Until E:stergaiyos returned from the
bottom Of the thousand-foot pit,
nothing had been heard from the
miners since early morning when they
sent up q request for 345 collins with
the words:
I'VE are determined to die. Forget
about us. =. Goodbye 10 the chill
dren."
The more violent Of the hunger
cra3ed men have been tied to posts
BY. their comrades to .preyents thena
from killing themselves, said Ester
galyos. =
1.-THE trade union no longer has any
control over the men. Utterly ex-
hausted, they are huddled down there
in the heat, lying on the dirty, waler-
soaked bed Of the mine, with huge
chunks of coal for pillows.
Some are unconscious. Nearly five
days without water to drink has
parched their Threats and they could
not eat II they had food. In thei.
agony and thirst and hunger some Of
them utter Sounds like tormented ami
mails"
Send Up Ultimatum
The secretary Of the Mine Workers
Union declared after emerging from
a trip to the bottom Of the mine that
the men would accept no compromise.
He brought up message from them:
I'VE have decided deliberately to
commit suicide if our demands are not
met. Suicide by starvation in the
heart Of the earth is no worse than
slow death by starvation II we con-
tinue to accept less than 3 week.
We are Hungarians. As such we hope
that our countrymen may hear our
cry Of pity from the depths Of the
mine and from the depths Of our
hearts
At 2 p. m. government officials
wished to send troops to the bot
tom Of the pit to force the strikers
to the surface at the point of bay
onet and gun, and put an end to
their threats Of self elimination un-
less wage demands Of $3.50 q week
are met.
But the fact that the mine elevator
holds only Is men thus far had pre-
vented the government from taking
any steps, since authorities feared
the hungry and enraged miners might
attempt to butcher the soldiers with
pickaxes.
Government Hesitant
The government hesirates to force
the company owning the mine, in
which Austrians and 5ritishers are
heavily invested, to meet the min
ers' demands, fearing it might lead
to complications with foreign govern
nlents. It would also lead. authorities
feared, to similar strikes for wage In
creases among Hungarian workers
, throughout the country.
The villagers, tense and excited,
interpreted this to mean that the
threatened mass suicide without
precedent In capital-labor contro-
already was partly accom-
plished.
Representatives Of the government
were skeptical. They were not able,
Continued on Page Three)