The nonpartisan leader. [volume], September 30, 1915, Image 13

About The nonpartisan leader. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1915-1921

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
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PAGE FOURTEEN
JF/ow the Corporations Do It
Ah is usual in such cases the company
(evade its responsibility. It brought dpwn from Chicago two
called him as a witness. The Finlander appeared on the stand to
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Willis J. Rutledge in Pearson's Magazine§
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Q. "Would you know those two nice gentlemen if S^ou should
see them again?" A. "Yes, l*d know them."
ifae twe attorneys,
4My advke to yx»u irien," he siid, "it to g^t
There was a tense moment in the courtroom. The miners,
who filled most of the benches, sat with drawn faces and were
breathing hard. The Chicago attorneys were livid with manifest
fear and half rose from their seats. Reynolds broke the ominous, ,,
silence. He moved with fateful finger outstretched straight upon »Tness
The two attorneys fled from-the room and took the first}1"?^
jtrain out of town. They were seen no more in that 'locality.
Reynolds turned again to the witness. "And'this other man
that came- into the room and tried to gefc you to sign, do you I
know 'A.- ^Sure. -I knr^hni^ t"i5verybody knows him."
Q. "Do you see him anywhere?" A.- "That's him, there.^)
And he pointed at a deputy state mine inspector*^
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THE NONPARTISAN LEADER
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N espldsioi had occurred in a gmt coalmine®® CEn^N«^ Not
had been killedW fifteen i^lexcitement or emofon as he
Under the law, the investigation was held by the coroner,
|He state mine inspector assisting. ^The attempt of the company representatives to make a thorovigh examination.
and tWs
itremely able and adroit lawyers, long skilled in such matters, and1
(these proceeded to go about among the survivors securing signa
jtures to documente that released the company from all liabilities.
it also prepared* likewise in customary ,way, to secure a
(whitewash for itself from any investigation. To this end the two|mittee which went straight to Governor Jlanley and laid the story^'
Chicago lawyers and others equally skillful were much employed.| jkfbrthim.
iwas to establish that the explosionwas accidental and unpreyent-1 i^^^ning companies now prepared to bedevil this! ilvfesti-^"^t'*
able and for some time this attempt went swimmingly toward they had the other. They produced noind of tekimonjr
The miners' organization now brought in its attorney, Ste- that the explosion had been caused by a careless miner,: alleged
phen Marion Reynolds of Terre Haute, and one night Mr. Rey-1 to have opened a can of powder with his jack knife^. They sent
nolds had a long and serious conference with a certain young jover to Illinois and got a convenient mine
'Finlander who was one of the survivors of the explosion. Mr. to indorse their theory. Apparently everything was going their
(Reynolds
gave the Finlander some instructions and the next day L^y
when
up
be defiant and unwilling. The following examination took place I Chief counsel for the mining companies, an ex-preacher and
!by Mr. Reynolds: extremely clever strategist, sprang to his feet with vehement
Question. "Where were you night before last? Answer, objection.
"At the meeting of my union." 1 "This hearing is over," shouted the counsel. "This nan has
Q. "What were you doing there?" A. "That is none of your no right to break in upon it now! obj^t to- Wp. qu^ti^ns
^business." .. ask that the hearing be.adjourned!"
Q. "Well, I guess you're right about that. Did you stay In the midst of a silence Reynolds
»ntil the meeting was-over?" A. "No, I was called out." .. I front of Ralph Moss, now Congressman, then chairman- of- the
Q. "Who called you out?" A. "The pit boss of mine."y' [house committee appointed by the. governor, ajid said impres
.ft "What did he want of you?" A. "He took me to a ho- sively:
tel."
"This investigation cannot be stopped." It is not to be s»P-
Q. "What did you do there?" A. "He took me to a private pressed or hindered.- You can't stop it and—'^ turriing to the
room upstairs." ... chairman of the senate committee—'!.You can't stop it and.a31.the
Q. "Whose room was it?" A. "It belonged to the pro- powers on earth can't stop it! If you try to choke me off now
prietor of the hotel I guess." (Laughter among the counsel for I will go through the streets crying Murder! I will go to every R,
the company.)
doorstep
Q. "Who was in the room?" A. "Two nice gentlemen and miners have been murdered and your sta-t© legislature protects -c%
fcye and bye another'onei came in." ... the murders!"
Q. "What did they say to you?" A. "They told me that "We won't choke you off-, Mr. Reynolds," gasped the ^ton
ithejr were part of the official investigation of the explosion and ished chairman of the senate committee. ^"Go ahead and examine
jthey gave-me a statement about the explosion and told me tolas much as you please." The other members of the committee
sign it." i- 1 nodded assent. So then Reynolds proceeded to put in the testi-
Q. "Did ypu sign it?" A. "No, I read it and I said it didn't mony that showed exactly what had happened in the mine and
happen like that and I wouldn't sign it." jwhy it had happened. The most remarkable witness was a boy
By this time there was no more laughter among the attor-j who had seen the whole affair and whose courage and quickness
neys for the company, who were looking extremely uneasy, of wit had saved many lives. His story was absolutely convinc-
Q. "What happened next?" A. "They told me that I got to ing and caused the utter collapse of the mining companies* case.
sign it or they wouldn't leave me out of the room." The Illinois mine inspector was cross examined and iinal^ admit
Q. "And then what?" A. "Then the other gentleman oime ted the truth and justice of Reynolds' contention.
in and he told me that*had: got tosign it/'^The result was that before the legislature adjourned it pass-
Q. "And did you sign it?" A. "No, I said it didn't happen |ed a law compelling the mining companies to take precautions
like that and they couldn't make me sign it and I got out of the!to prevent such explosions, and there has not since been one in
room."
I an Indiana mine. &
Q. «Do you see them anywhere now?" A. "Yes. that's aeveral long^oated, dencal-lookmg undert^erji of Ch^ago
them, right there."-. And he pointed at the two Chicago atto^^**1 outrageous P™» tar burying some of the Easttod
neys.
c.
place as quickly as you can. In the strained situation that exists mourning undertaker, as long as the rules of the game-mnaih
here after sueh a revelation no man can be answerable for your unrevised?
safety
$£.The deputy rose, spluttering.
?y"Mr. Reynolds," he cried, %will not submit to this. ,You
have no right to conduct this examination in any such way! And
I
protest against these insinuations."
workfag""
The manner of Reynolds throughout had been calm, composedly
WW:-* I lilOUUCA VJ, awjuvauw r,
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investigation is a farce and a whitewash and I
turn my back upon it! We will have nothing more to do/with it.^
Gome on, boys, with me," and he motibned the Boiners^ put of the^
courtroom! I IS®
Outside the miners, under his leMership, ^pointed: ai com--^^
The governor appointed a cbni^tteet/ of -nine'
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I to show their innocence and turned up a cock and. _bull story
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tead,ly toul bare the extent ofthe,-.,.
inspector
Reynolds walked into the hearing and began to rip
the testimony with -a. severe cross examination,
moved
in Indiana and shout Murder! Murder! Murder! These
The Bismarck Tribune becomes exasperated over the fact
....
victims. One of these gouhls is reported to have charged a widow
$284 for burying her husband* One young man, a workingman,
was charged $333.50 for burying his sister. C'r
But Brother B. T., "business is business," you know'.' Burying
the .unfortunate dead is a business, it is one of the
m.
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the game—they play it according to the rules—get alt thekfji
traffic will bean Why blame the poor, long-faced
p"roffessional-•*•»%.*.%V-•£'"•
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Besides, playing a large funeral bill is probably tbe^onfyl
e,er the
J. RPKirk Commission Co^nc.
South St. Paul. Minn.
Agency and Authorised Representative of the J|j
Ai»ericanSodet^^E^hy::«
Consign Your Lire Stock to Us and Get a Sqa^-'9(#
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