The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-10-13

coal from diggir"S worked by l
MWA miners.
Bombing of the railroads
brought that part of the conflict
under the jurisdiction of the fed
cral government, and the depart
mcnt Of Justice sent a corps of
men from the federal bureau of
investigation to root out evidence
on the bombing plots.
G-MEN ROUND UP 200
After investigating tho cXplo-
SionS, G-Mcn paradcd none than
200 witnesses before a lengthy
grand jury session, which ended
with the return Of indictments
against II men named on two OF
more counts.
All of the defendants were
charged with violation Of the
Sherman antitrust laws, forbid
ding restraint Of interstate COM
mcrcc. and the rcccntly-cnacted
federal misunderstanding, which
prohibits use Of violence or CO.
crciOn TO affect interstate COM
merce.
Twcnty-fom of the group were
named in an Indictment charging
conspiracy to obStruCt the mails.
Two Of the IL defendants are
now serving sentences on state
charges and may not appear for
the federal trial.
The defendants. who include a
former president Of the union and
an Illinois county sheriff, were
alaipncd September 13. All plead
ed not guilty.
FORTY LIVES LOST
The bombings occurred during
a period Of violence that costs the
lives of more than two score per
sons and resulted in bombing of
many homes in addition to the
railroads. Nearly all the deaths
have been unSolvcd and are not
involved in the federal case.
Of those killed, one was Il min
el's wife, struck by a stray bullet
while she watched rioting from
the front porch of her home in
Taylorville. Another was a girl
high school student.
Railroads whose property was
damaged i'm the explosions were
the Illinois Central, Chicago, Bur-
lington & Quincy, ChicgaO peurO
lingtOn & Quincy, Chicago & Ill
inois Midland. and the Big Four.
The Progressive Miner union is
affiliated with the American Fed.
Grafton of Labor since the sus-
pension of the UAIWA for its
support of the Committee for In
duStrial Organization.
PEACE OVERTURES MADE
Only minor outbreaks of viol-
ence have occurred in recent
months and overtures have been
made to bring about peace be-
tween the rival unions. Prog
reSsive union officials, however,
have opposed any peace which
would dissolve their organization.
The strife had its inception in
the spring of 1882, following a
state referendum on reduced
wage scale agreement, negotiated
with Illinois coal operators by
state UMWA officials and wage
scale committee.
Indications were that the agree
ment had been defeated but in
the midst of the vote count, tell
erS were robbed of ballots in a
mysterious holdup.
John l.. Lewis, international
president, whose home was in
Springfield at that time and who
was here because of the turmoil
within his state organization, i'm
mcdiatelv declared the situation
an emergency" and approved the
agreement.
RANK AND FILE"
ORGANIZE
Shortly after, rebcllious min
ers mostly in Springfield. Giles
ME and in Harrisburg and Belle
Vile, held a rank and file conven-
ton, organized the PIMA and
elected Claude Pearcy, Gillespie,
a quiet studious miner, as the
first president.
Massed picketing followed with
small "armies" of Progressives
staging marches" from one Sec
ton to another to engage in mass
picketing of mines worked by the
UNIV miners. There were street