The labor argus. [volume], July 04, 1907, Image 1

About The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915

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?? CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, JULY 4, 1907. ===
*>.' /^T\T^TO I a we ' ?~~~~^^ $1.00 a Year in Advance
1V1UKK10 tKl
ON
Author of "The Pinkerl
Startling Disclosure
mony is ,
S. : i?-thing of a sensation was
, ;!!>.'1 liy the calling of Morris
I : Iman. who has written a book
i , >-ing I'inkerton ileetive agency,
i : icdinan says he is now a newsi
corresnoneleiit. Ik nwl'?l
V i stoiiograi>her in the Pinkcrt..n
uiliev in Denver during the j
fit,.pic Creek strike, doing par-i
ti.-.ilarly the work of James Me- I
Iceland, who lias worked up the j
( a-** against tiie Western Feder- i
a:i>>n of .Miners in the present case. !
1: a dman said he became tlior- !
otighly familiar with the ollicej
work and methods.
\sked as to the placing of Pink- |
< iii.ii operatives in unions Fried- !
man said a man named Crane be- i
came Secretary of the Smeltermen's !
I'nion at Colorado City, and was I
also < 'hairman of the Strike Com- ;
mittei-. Other operatives who
wi re connected with unions in j
Colorado were: Joseph T. Gad-j
ilon, Charles 11. Khymer, George
\V. Kiddle, P. 11. Hailey, Cuminings
Lutlow and Conibear. j
Friedman declared he handled I
most of the daily reports from these;
men for a year and a half.
Kiddle w:is in the courtroom as ;
Friedman began his testimony.
Il<. was identified by the witness. |
Two of the Pinkertons were do-'
ported with therestof the union
men from Cripple Creek and Tclluride.
Do you know a Pinkerton named
Londoner!" asked Darrow.
Yes, sir."
"Was he a member of the!
union?*'
,. V .? 1
:?n-. ^diiuoiicr was supposed
ti> be a capitalist, and trying
1" find out the secrets of Ileinz."
The relereuee to the Montana I
mining millionaire called out a
wnve of laughter.
Friedman next told of an operator
named A. W. Gratias who
v a> chairiuun of the Miners' lieiici
<'onunittee at Globeville, just
cnwide of Denver.
At lirst Gratias was instructed
b> M<d'artland to make the relief
1 - - as large as possible, said the
witness, in order to drain the
Western Federation Treasury. '
I his did not seem to work audi
'' i at ins was told to cut down the'.
iils to the lowest notch so as to'
dissatisfy the men on strike. *1
the reports from the operatives!
a \ a l ions unions usually covered j
that had transpired at union,
meeting, what the miners were
eiing in private and where they i
went in the evenings, &r. Friedii
n said that he had copies -of a
nniber of these reports. It was
part of his duty to copy these
and mail them to the agencies of
tents. Friedman said the l'inktons
spied on the Western Federation
of Miners and the United
Mine Workers. He furnished
laeuiuents taken from the Finkit
mi records which were react to
die jury. They were cliieily daily
K poits of secret agents operating
as spies among the unions and
union men at Cripple Greek, Victim.
Globeville, Colorado City,:
i miuau ami I >enver, and showeil;
complete surveillance, ol" the Western
federation of Mind's and the
I oiled Mine Workers of America
during the labor troubles in Colorado
in lStOH-4. l'iukerton men
? t in the federation convention at
I >enver in reporting all the
proceedings.
The prosecution offered 110 opposition
to any feature of Friedman's
testimony and no objection
to the intention of any one of the
documents that the defense obtained
through him, and when
Friedman was handed over for
cross-examination it endeavored to
ascertain if Friedman had any
more reports or letters bearing 011
the general issue.
It attacked Friedman 011 the
ground that he had played the
I'inkertons false, had violated his
pledge to them and had stolen the
documents which he produced,
but the witness would not admit
he had stolen the papers and
would not allow Senator Borah to
HUMAN
THE STAND
ion Labor Spy" Makes
*s?Orchards TestiShattered.
Hi? ...
can mm a finkerlon." Ho in
sisted that it was not stealing to
lake information that had boon i
obtainod by fraud and docoit of
sooret sorvico men, and declared j
that the public service which ho j
performed in informing people of
tin? methods of the agency fully i
justified what he had done, lie!
said if he had known this trial was |
coining, he would have taken
many more letters and reports.
He.said many letters were written
by DetectiveMcI'artland, in which
all manner of crimes were laid at
the door of the Western Federation
of M itiers.
Dominick Flyim, of Mullen,
blalio, who testified that he was a
merchant. Flynn declared that
Harry Orchard, on April 29, I S!(9.
the day of the explosion at the
Hunker Hill and Sullivan mill, was
playing poker in his place. This
was the second witness to testiiy
that Orchard was playing poker in
Mullen on the day he says he
lielped light the fuses under the
mill at Wardner, IS miles distant.
The poker game lasted from noon
until -t I). 111.. Flvnn s:ii?1
< 'ross examined by Senator 15o- |
rail, Flynn declared he hud never I
been a member of the Western j
Federation of Miners, or an.v other
labor organization, lie had known j
Orchard a year and a half, and the |
man often played poker at his j
place. The witness gave the name |
of several persons who were in the !
game the day of this explosion. |
lie never saw Orchard after that
day. Flynn declared he had not \
Volunteered the information as to j
Orchard's whereabouts. Some
time after the arrest a man came j
to him and asked if it was true j
that Orchard had played poker in j
his store April 2!).
l)r. MeUee was in the place in
the day. but did not play. The
witness declared he was positive
Orchard was not at Wardner on
the day of the mill explosion.
"Then," said Senator JJorah,
"Orchard had nothing to fear so
far as being mixed up in that matter
was concerned?"
"And lie had no reason to sacrifice
his property and get out."'
"No, sir."
Frank Hough; a member of the
Wr???f oi'll l'lalni'tiliiiii Miiwvt'C! 1
from Wallace, Idaho, was in the
"pull pen" in 1S'J!I and was called
to testily as to the conditions in
the military prison- He said Jack
fsimpkins, accused of complicity in
the Steunenberg murder was a fellow
prisoner.
"Were you ever tried.'" asked
1 tar row.
"Yes, sir."
"What for?"
"To lind what I had been arrested
for."
"l)iti you succeed?"
"No, sir."
The prosecution objected lo this
testimony as to the "bull pen,"
but it was allowed upon the statement
of I (arrow that it was intended
to show the motive of Simpkins
for acting with Orchard, both men,
it being alleged, having a personal
irrudire airainst Governor Steunen
berg.
Hougli said from ;>00 to 400
miners were crowded in the "'bull
pen" during the hot months ol'the
summer of ISO!'. < >ne quarter of
tlie men were ill most of the time.
The prison was guarded by the
troops of the regular army.
Cross-examined by Senator I5orah.
Hough said he was at tlem
the day the miners went through
on a train bound for the Bunker
Hill and Sullivan mines at Wardner.
Hough declared the men
were not all masked. He did not
see any arms.
"Who arrested you when you
were taken to the "bull pen!"
"A deputy they called 'Death
on the Trail/ '
"Any other name?"'
"That's the only name I knew."
Hough said he was arrested in
the general round-up. When lie
I saw Orchard in Wallace in 1905
mce m me fall of 1905, several
weeks before Stenueuberg was assassinated?at
wliieh time Orchard
said lie had just returned from
Alaska. Orchard also said that
' if hadn't been for Steuenberg he
wouhl have been a wealthy man
and would have been enjoying ease
and money, instead of wandering
around the world."
This is another conversation that
Orchard has denied:
The defense reverted to the Cripple
Creek labor war and brought
in two more witnesses to testify to
the alleged brutalities and lawless
ness of the mine owners, deputies
(f, * J ~~~S~
; . - ..
-...ft.
WEST VIRGINIA
THE FAYETTE IV
Some Salient Facts in Connecti
at the Stuart and Whip
Were Utterly
Samuel Dixon, president ol' the
Stuart Collierj Company, is one of
tin1 most extensive mining opern..
i....
<iiwi in ?? c i/ ? ii^iiua. nr 11.1^
interests in all tlie mines of the
New Kivor Fuel Company, eleven
in number. One of these, the
I'arral mine, is situated about a
mile west of the Stuart mine. An
explosion in the I'arral mine occurred
on the Sill ol* .March, 190!!,
which killed twenty-three miners.
Neither of these mines hail escapement
shafts,
To avoid the cost of making two
openings an entry of the I'arral
shaft was heading east and an entry
in the Stuart shaft was heading
west to open communication with
the workings of the two pits; they
were about a thousand feet apart
when the Stuart explosion occur
! reil.
The Whipple shaft is situated
about two miles north of the rttuart
Tnine. Mr. Dixon is general manager
ofthis mine. also. The Stuart
colliery had not been repaired
when another explosion occurred
in the Whipple, killing fourteen
miners. Such an array of mining
explosions in so short a time under
one management is without a
paralled in the history of coal mining
in the United State s or any
other country. As is generally
the case, the blame was shifted on
the shoulders of the dead miners.
An unskilled, miner had bored a
hole in the solid which blew out its
turnings and inflamed a cloud of
dust, which the mauageme.it had
carelessly allowed to accumulate,
and roasted to death the unfortunate
miners whose working places
happened to be 111 the line of the
ihllamed coal dust.
In this connection it may be
pertinent to impure why the
Stuart mine was not put in condition
that it should lie thoroughly
ne also saw Simpkins there, but
had no talk with him.
Hough said that Simpkins was
taken out to the woodpile one
morning at about it o'clock aud
compelled to stand without water
i in the blistering July sun till 8
! o'clock in the afternoon. The witness
heard the colored Sergeant order
the privates to keep Simpkins
islanding, and when the prisoner
tried to sit down, the soldiers
I pointed their bayonets at him.
I After this punishment Simpkins
had to be taken to the hospital.
Finishing this tale llough told of
a dilliculty he had had with the
.issassin when I hey were playing a
[Same of solo'' in a saloon at Wal
STATE BUILDING.
<
IINE EXPLOSIONS
on with the Late Catastrophes
pie Mines?State Laws
Disregarded.
inspected by the mining experts
when they visited the mine by mi- \
thority of the state. II' the catastrophe
was due to a visitation of j
providence, or by no fault of the ]
manageinet, the company ought
to have encouraged a rigid inspec- j
Hon to disabuse the public that
they were not to blame. No eom- [
petent practical miner sent to in :
Vestimate the cause of a mining;
catastrope could he induced to1
blame a guiltless manager, but
there are those who could be 111- ;
duced to whitewash a guilty one.
There is not a coal mine iu West!
Virginia, or any other coai produc- j
ing state in the union, that gives
oil' lire damp so copiously that it ;
cannot Imj diluted and rendered
harmless by fresh air. Since the
general application of the fan as j
a ventilating power, enough and
; to spare of fresh air is created to
ventilate a mine so thoroughly as
to make explosion a thing of the
past. But the air must be carried
forward to the working faces of
the mine and circulated through
all the rooms and entries, as well
as through all the wrouglit-out and
ihamlnnwl . . 1.. ...... ,. . 1,--? " 1
piu\A.V), ou null IIKJ SLUI1U|
ing gas can form. There is not a
1 mine in West that gathers coal
j dust so abundantly that it cannot
be cleaned up and hauled outside,
or, if left in the mine, can lie watered
daily, so that ignities of the dust
is impossible. But the stoppings
must be made and kept airtight
and examined daily if perfection
; in ventilation is sought to be attained.
Xo mine should l>e permitted to
run a single day after coal is reached,
except only with a sufficient
force of men to open communication
with the escapement shaft,
j There is no question that if a secj
ond opening had been provided to
i the Stuart mine, as required by the
LOCAL BUD
OF Ml
President Mitchell to G
cials at Cincinnati
Interesti
National President John Mitchell
will hold a conference with the
officials of District No. 17 and the
executive committee of the Kanawha
Coal Association in Cincinnati
on Tuesday, July 5?. The meeting
is for the lmrnoso of takimr no
n " - i
several matters of minor importance
which have been in dispute
for some time past. There will be
no dillienlty experienced in adjusting
the dilVerenccs to the entire
satisfaction of all concerned and
the questions at issue settled for
all time. District President .lames
M. ('raigo, I tistriet Secretary ltenj.
P. Morris and Sub-District President
Thomas will leave Monday
to attend the conference.
* * *
Back From Indianapolis.
President Craigo, Secretary
Morris and Sub-District President
Thomas Cairns arc back from Indianapolis
where they appeared before
the National Executive Hoard
meeting ami thoroughly ex plained
the situation in this District. They
speak very highly of the courteous
treatment accorded them by both
President Mitchell and the Hoard
anu arc well pleased with I he result
of Uioir trip. They were given
the assurance that nothing would
be left iiudonu by the National
Organization to thoroughly organize
the Slate. President
Mitchell outlined his policy and a
number of National Organizers arc
in the State carrying out his instructions
and are meeting with
unprecedented success and if they
are given the undivided and loyal
support of every member of the
organization in this liehl it will not
be long before the fondest hopes of
the ollicials will be realized.
President Mitchell will make his
contemplated trip to this section
just as soon as his health will permit
and spend some time here.
Big Meeting at Wacomah.
Secretary Morris and National
Organizer Krallman addressed a
joint meeting of the Wacomah and
Banner locals on last Monday evening
at Wacomah. The meeting
was a grand success from every
standpoint and the men are taking
more interest in the organization
than ever before and are building
up their locals rapidly.
* * *
Tho tnilinif U'li/I "W. el 111 e.. 11?~
miiivto ? IIO utv ObllJ yj 11 IIIC
outside of the orgsmization in this
district wili do well to Ret in at
once sis President Mitchell is contemplating
raising the initiation
fee at an csirly dale in this field.
The fee lists been exceedingly low
and it is deemed advisable to raise
it so that the men will not allow
themselves to lie dropped for 11011inining
laws of the state, fully half
of the victims of the explosion
would have been saved. More
men, as si rule, are lost by breath
ing the poisoned atmosphere of the
afterdamp than sire burned by the
inflamed gas. The miners beyond
the line of the burning firedamp
escape, if they can find a way to
the bottom of the pit, without en........
i..11... I....I. ..f * i... ?
plosion. Kven after they full insensible
they ure often rescued and
recover consciousness and live.
The explosion at the Whippine
mine killed few if any of the men
who were not roasted to death.
Four-iil'ths of the underground
people found the way to the escapement
shaft, and the long and
exhausting stairway was climbed
to safety.
Few mining catastrophes in the
United States ever aroused public
to a higher pitch than the Mtuart
mine explosion. The shaft was
the deepest in the state, had no escapement
shaft and w:is being
operated in flagrant violation of
the mining laws of the state, which
require that two openings shall be
provided to all mines working
more than twenty men and separated
by natural strata of not less
than one hundred feet.
and soldiers. James A. Hanker,
member of the Western Federation
of Miners' Executive Hoard of
British Columbia, told that he had
gone to the Cripple Creek district
to open up a relief store, lie was
arrested and warned to leave town
by the next train, Colonel Verdeekberg
giving him instructions to
hike out."
Another interesting witness was
James I. Wallace, an attorney of
Cripple Creek, who served with
the militia, first as a private and
then as lieutenant during the
strike of 1903-4. lie related sev
oral instances tending to show the :
misuse of power of the militia by
mine owners; gave the criminal
records of some of the gun lighters
imported by the mine owners;
told of the working of the infamous
card system; recited ci renin :
stances connected with the looting j
of union store and a newspaper
office by the tools of the mine
owners and swore ho saw K. O. i
Sterling, chief detective for the j
mine owners, tire the first shot in j
the Victor riot the day of the In- ;
dependent Statiod incident.
A number of other witness gaVe '
testimony that shatters Orchard's j
prize story and leaves the prosecution
without a leg to stand on.
Us
4 111
GET
[NING NEWS
onfer with District Offion
Tuesday?Other
ng Items*
payment of titles as llicy have
heretofore, deeming it elieaper to
l>e reinstated than to pay dues and
assessments on some oeeassions.
* * *
Valient Services RccoKnized.
The host of friends of District
Hoard Member I.like 1'. Dunham
will be highly gratified to learn
| that ho has been appointed a
! National Organizer by President
John Mitchell, and entered upon
. his new duties on the lirst of the
! month. I .like has for years been
| one of the most earnest and
I conscientious workers in the orj
gunization and has accomplished a
I power of good, lie has been
| ready and willing at all times to
sacrifice his own interests in the
| interest of the mine workers of
I this district ami his appointment
is a well deserved recognition of
his services and will result in untold
good for the . cause in this
section.
A- ? <iPresident
C'raigo and Organizers
K rail man were prison! at the local
meeting at Nuckolls on Tuesday
evening and made interesting addresses
to the members which were
highly appreciated and instructive.
This local is growing and the men
are beginning to take more interest
than iit any time in the past.
* * *
I*. J. llacUctt, of Itancroft, was
in the city Tuesday on bnsniess.
I'iiL is one ot t he hardest workers
for the organization a! that place
ami reports a general improvement
all along the line ami that prospects
are bright for the continue)!
success of the local.
r. *
13. 15. Vinkers, one of t he I )istrict
Auditors, ami an inlluenlial
member of tin- local union at Paint
Creek, was in tin- city Tuesday on
business connected with the organization.
Kvery man at I 'aint, < heck
Is a member of the local anil it is
the best possible condition.
National Organizer Charles
K rail man, who was called home
sometime since on account of the
illness of one of his children, has
returned and is now hard at work
and is lining much good for the
cause at the series of meetings he is
conducting in tin' Kanawha Held.
* * *
The local at Shrewsbury was re
i ui^aiii/.i:u ?>ii jhm i iH'Miay cv<mhiij?
| by Sub-District President < 'aims
iiiul National Organizer b. F. Lanj
liain. Judging from 1110 interest
displayed by the mcmliership it
will not be long before it will be
one of the best locals in the District.
* * *
; The local union at Hickory ('amp
has every miner on the worksen!
rolled as a member and is in the
best condition. The meeting on
i last Monday evening was addressed
i by Messrs Cairns and I.anham and
j was largely attended and harmonious.
# * -iBen
Davis, West Virginia's
j member of the National Kxeeutive
I Board, is back from a meeting of
that body. He ably represented his
i constituents and made an eloquent
I plea for National Assistance in
j this field.
| Don't fail to read :'Pinkerton
i Labor Spy." Free copies with
; yearly subscription to The Argus.
P
1x\yy\.a.L iv x i? oiuvrxi.
The Central Labor Union of
Washington sent a telegram to
President, Itoosevelt Tuesday requesting
that lie institute an in|
vestigation to determine if the telegraph
companies have entered into
a conspiracy in restraint of trade
in violation of the Sherman antitrust
law. At the request of the
American Federation of Labor
! similar action will, it is said, be
taken by all the leading labor organizations
of the Failed States.