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1;; re= JOHN L. LEIIIS, EI AL. '
up-.'. 92
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ivri mm TI-ITH'-V, £ z * 1943 by épecial AgentsJ:--._. W:-eads, speaks and_ X J in court.
I.._;,_ t es 1
when that
Lme B' ness fo which would be af-
fected seriously or two. He claimed
to have no criminal record. urnished the following signed
~ statement . e-
ivjg ' ' "springfi old , I11 .' "E September 13, 1943
_~?,~@. * __ " make the following voluntary statement to1 whom I know to be Special Agents
o e c c .. atioi , of my own free will, with
no threats or promises made to mo.
'1pring 19 | 1 B
I joined the United Mine -;.,-, member of that union until 1932, when I joined ve Mine52$ Workers of America. I be an "work and worked there
';~.= . until December of
.1 ,
'Lhile I vos an officer of the P.li.A-, I had no trouble with the
management of Mine B, and, in the period from 1932 to 1937, I knew of
__ no trouble between the union and the
: the formation of the PJLA. and,
A knew nothin out cmditions
_. and had no knowledge of
sp ng of 1937, I heard that conditions between the union
and the nine were-n't so good, but I don't know that the disputes, if
~_,' 3 any, were about.
I4-_A, "Just before the strike in 1937, some P.!.l.A. mcm had Joined the:15 j-__j,-_";-3 U.u£.Ei., and were agitating among the men to pull than away from the-""f."" P.1.L£. Some of these men Tore Pasquale, carter, Austin, Shrelevious,>1 Bohannon, Hale and Plotch. I was under the impression that these men
' were Paid by the U.[£.1-. to pull men sway from the PJI. A. I don't
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IETEFFJIE TIITH kno" any othcr reason why men with good working
conditions 1-rould try to cause trouble. None of these men
ever talked to mo, but I saw them to.lking to some of
the other men. I think that these fellows set up a U-HJI.
local of their or-n, with Bohnnnon president, shortly after the strike. The
P.3i.... expelled those men at s union meeting just before the str-iko. I wasn't
at tho meeting, but hoard about it the next day. The P.H.It. officers had a
discussion 1".-ith the superintendent of the mine the morning oi the stril-:o~
The P.E.I.**. had e closed shop contract, and the super refused to keep those
frets. going to 1'.o;'}g, is far ns I know, that is the only mason for the
StI"ikC»
"I don't remember signing any petitions for the P.3!.A. Or any
other union in the summer of 1937. B1 the fell of 1937, I heard that
the nine tins going to open up, and rrcnt out the first day. I dort re-
member ho-" I heard about it. Lhcn I got there, I heard that the manage-
ment vented to operate the mine tith U35."-. non. Tho 17.11." . didn't have
enough non to operate the mine, and the P.1-I..|'"t. men wouldn't work vith the
11 7" '1"nn D H I hm-vnn +n -vi r9292:r~+ -How ninn +n Irnnn +hn T1 U T '1 11+v-1,.-'»-g 1.-v au~i;o4§w -wu|;'>L~- vv _|_>--.92---.i-.- v--L ._...,...... in! --.-yr 92I.IIIJ vii. ---= Ego- Q-4:
The federal injunction res gotten by Elshofi, perhaps to protect the property,
and perhaps to keep the PJLA. array.
"In December of 1937, in the election at the state arsenal,
I voted for P.}.i.I.. because I felt the was the better union for me,
and was host for my benefit.were appointed by the P.l1.£.'to 1 .!.!!. non c-.nzn s.
Both sides could have had representatives, but there were no U.II-I-. non there
.. .. T ..___-..._.1_ ...._ r .-. .....1: 4. 1 tauuauui . 4, a¢;=
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e, while
the nine was shut dovrn, some nan, those na..1o I can't remember, but who had
an artificial log, eerie to znr house and tried to get no to join the U.L!.92"{.
No threats or anything 1*?or..: made, but I told him I didn't Tfant to.
"In the fall of 1939, I wont back to rork at the nine when it I
opened. I dont renanbcr has I got ford, that the nine Would reopen. No
-ma over contacted no at the nine about j'}1!1lDg the U.ii.Ia'. after I vent
book, alth m~'~1 o ~ ' rt the tipplo. In Docerbor of
cu mo, and ht. Q never been back to
.7-loo B _...__o __-.;_- ____..e=
"To go beck, when the follow with the artificial
me, he told me that if he got enough men to join UJ!-Ti.
go beck to work there. He had been hurt in an accident
there was some dispute over his accident claim. Ho wasleg cane to see
at Ifino B he could
at the nine, and
fired, and was told
he could never work there min. itfter a while, he joined the U.I-!.S., and
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PTEWIET IITH began organizing fofthen, and was rehired at liine
B, after he joined U-I-{.T.'. He is still workllg there,
an 1 I think.
H: d;m't reaxenber telling Falcetti, in the fall of 193?, ans: u.s:;.
P! '. I don t ro- clean up men couldn't Yrerk the mine unless they were . 1.1
-"mber anytlnmgg about e. cunversetion vith him, I don't 1'~emenber ver asking no 1:.» attend a u.1:.1-. meeting: although I MW
a .El.1.. member.
"Sane tine after the election of February, 1941 which I didn'tvate in, I rent back to Iiinc B. I had recovered irun a.r1d
ranted to go beck to -.1-ark. I asked the super, and he c. e - eve ,
' ' " ""1- I tried one from Bohannon and a U.1.!-Y1,a _']!b if I ,,ot a U.,.. . care. .
baerd nenber, but Bolmnnan said there "wasn't any roen for ne because I was ;
5
"I have read fereg-ling, csnsisting of about four pages, and
state it is true to the best of my kn-;>1.'1edg0.
/s/ _
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7 Wan JOHN L. LEEIS, sr AL
Se tenber ll, 1943 byt-. employed at B an
= they are hu has ?0r692¬Hi -or ...ls..o-1 and Felcetti for over
both fine people. ' 7Springfield,
Flated he was satisfied with the manner the PMA was
operatin . , and that he vas 3!-are that UL? organizers were trying
to organize for U11 in Mine B in Hay, 1937. These statements were putt in
a written statement as he gave the statement and he corrected the statement
in his own handvriting as Welles initialed two pages of the statement.
it this point in the inter92rie'~»' has several members 92§of the family interrupted the interview a, L1"ould have to leavethe house with them duo to a death in the family. mxcused himself
and made another appointment for 6:15 1'-L15, September , 43 to complete
the interview, Ihis latter appointment was kept by the interviewingAgents at which time Hitated he had changed his mind about making a
statement, that he kn ~ n .. rag of interest, and would not discuss the matter
further. He denied he had been instructed not to make a statement.-
92
The following two pages of a written Statement were executedbY and witnessed by interviewing Agents.
SPJ"i1'Igfi01d, 111111018
.¢.n~n+.m'nhr-'r- T1 _ '.|QL'§ uu Uwmll-I92¢Il -.-. .-,-', I I
the following voluntary statement 10%
vhom I know to he Special Agents of the e er
ge on, U.S. Department of Justice.
"1 presently reside at m, Sprin field Illinois.am resen lo ed at Mine B, pnng.-.1c~ , .as bor. . . heThe first union I joined was the n1 e
FTUT$?'.2rs of Iirica, re1eed to hereinafter as the Uiff. I joined thisunion in at Mine 1a., Springfield." I worked there uni-.11 returned
to Mine B in d worked there continuously until the pro time,with the co 1 0 the time the mine was out on strike. _
"I have never held an office in n nine union. Prior to 1932, an
far as I know, Elshoff got along well with the [MT and the same applies
to his relations vith the PLEA from 1932 to 193'? when the mine closed. I
voluntarily joined the PILL in 1932 at Iiine B when that union obtained the
bargaining rights. _
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.7* Fe: JOHN L. Lnzxs, er AL
IHTE Hv I31 TIITI-I bargaining right s ,
I'_'I was satisfied the the Pm; was well run when I Worked
under that union at mne B, although thZtunion was strict regarding the
enforcement of their by-laws. As far as I know, both Elshoff and Falcetti
were impartial as to which union had the bargaining rights. I have workedvith them for 'ears and I think they are both fine people.
"It is my understanding that on April 1, 1937 the Progressive
Liine Lorlcers of America, referred to hereinafter as the FHA through their
officials signed a contrect with Elshoff for a $5.50 a day Wage scale vith
no retroactive clause pending a permanent settlement. At that time as I
understand it, the U33. had a rage scale which amounted to $6.00 a day.
Therefore the miners working at Mine B were dissatisfied. I know that I
was. Due to this, many miners wanted to go over to the UIEJ. to get the
extra money.
"I know that there was e group on men, whose names I do not
recall, who were try___ to organize for the men to join the UIJL. A
bulletin was posted at the mine calling for a special PMA meeting on Hay ll,
1937- I did not attend this meeting, but the next day at the mine I heard
some men had been expelled for organizing for the Uiiil.
H of the Pm. and a Board member of that union, told the
miners the MA ma a contract with a retroactive clause and thev tould
b k a alcetti handed the ec ' of he get ac p Y. F S retarj, t 1ocd phonetic!, a copy oi the contract and had him read it to t 1e men to provethere was no retro=mti*.*e clause. I do not know v'hatreplied to
that.
T '92I'1 i'I'iI:.oSii[
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Special Afieng, F.B.I."
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Re: Jom L. newts, E1 AL.
I! TERV V11 WITH
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Re: JOHE L. mas, :~;*r AL.
on the day of the strike I sew several cars
come out that were only partly loaded and it was
my job to get as much tonnage out of the mine N o0f1!1.!1u¬! I
as possible. That afternoon when the oars were
loaded short the men all came out about 2:20 o'clock and I came out and
brought my clothes home and never went back.
IDE O 1 and while I worked there Emory c _s1 a petition to go beck to work as U.}£.11l'. but I did not sign. Another
man asked me to sign a petition for P.1=£.A. and I think I signed it but
I don't recall who brought it to me.
1|I as W mire at ¬
and have never noriced in the mine since Mine 'B' went on stri e
for about 3 months in 192.3 when I worked at Mine 'B'. I quit then
me don't intend to go in the mines egaln. when I went back to Liine
'13 in 1943 I joined U.1£.Yu'.IN T':IBVI'.|:T.1' HIT H
union and would join whichever union
to the urine.
I have had this 2% page statement road to me by-_/and it is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
/5/ "I have no cholce of any
was at the mine if I ever went back
Witnessed:
, Special Agent
pecial Agent - F
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' no: JOZIN L. LE-TIS, so AL
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pr ng e , 1DQl8, was erv at
his homo by Special Agents an
~ _ He was very cooperative and shou e a goo
, w u ln_ appears to be able to withstand cross-examination. He was- , active in the formation of P.¥}A. and hold the office of Board MeberHe was convicted alon with the others in the bombin1_=r,[
as since l
e . W been workinf
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a CTL:C e uca ion.
supp-lied the following signed statement:
"Springfield, I11-
Septombor ll, 1945
"I , make the following
statement to anr who are Special Agents
of the Fedora ur-au o l'J.VCS'1;!B. ion. 0 .. or promises of any kind
have been made ta cause mo to make a statement and I know that it may be
used in a court of law-
nI was _ I came to America with nqrparents in Q am a no ura izoo . n of U. S. such citizenship havingbeen derive ough my parents. o i _
"I first began working in the mines 111- near _ and
oinod U.M.W. at that time-J
"I was working at Peabody Hint #9 when P.M.A. was formed. I was
instrumental in forming P.M.A. which was started because of a revolt of the
miners against the reduced wage scale proposed by John L. Lewis. U.M.T-.
in I11. was placed on a provisional basis in about 1925 and than the miners
were deprived of their autonomy at that tine. Under this regime the elected
officials lasted only so Ion; as they followed the directives of John L.
Lewis and his henchmen. This also caused the men to break away from U.1i.W.
"I took e " vs art in craanizinr for P.l!.A*
o or mines in 1e s ate and 0 a min; a o swim; vo petitioned for a
recall of the officers of U.M.Ta. which was ignored. Then we asked for o
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R61 JDHH L. LEWIS, ET AL
IYTBRVIEH WITH convention which was also ignored. Then we had
a referendum vote which was going against the
con inuo proposed scale and another vote was taken later
and it also showed that we were winning and then
the_ballots were stolen.
cw-out in Se
'l-e -mac-n etrnnri anti 151'}-ll II92-I'§92J I-I$b4J92Il92Q HEAL Q oar and temporary sarcomas- s -v
local sanctioned the set state scale.1932.
nw an AHIva
"The miners in F.H.A. appeared to like their officers and willingly
gave any special assesments which were made to take care of the b
and cases.
"y first contact with Mine "B" was into about 1935 when
alternate P.H.A. Board Hember and later while I was Board Member.
contact amounted to scttlin disputes and grievances. I had someembing trial
I was an
That
difficultie:
in settling these differences because Mine "B" officials were antagonistic
most of the time. As an example, Falsctti was continually requesting the
% hour clean up period which only U.M.W} had and which was meant for the
hard coal regions in Icnn.
"After my elective office of Board Member ran out in February 193?,
I asked Falsetti for a job and he gave me a job as pardon tender.
workinr with Tony Ilotch, Cotton Ananias, John Sirtout, nory Jae
Bill Cnempten in the pardon-
"At the time I began workin; at Mine "B" Charles BohannoI was
away and
n, Pete
Carter and Frank ustin were denouneinr the officials of P.N.A. about large
suns of money being misappropriated and policy of P.M.A. and were
U.H,. propaganda. Lbout 5 weeks after I started working at Kine
started working at Kine "B" I started driving mules extra and was
with Behannon, Carter and Austin and hearing them talk a while, I
than of being U.K.T. organiiers and Bahino said, I'm ging t0
while gettin is good and by that statement I understood that he
raid by U.H.T. About this time the wage scale agreement ran outspreading
"B" I
working
accused
-..t.-L -.1-,.GU 92-r 1'-LLLLU
was being
an
ai e tooccntain a retroactive clause but laimed that such a clause# sir-nod a temporary agreement with Oscar Falsetti» This cont:-ac;
was understood to be e part of the contrac y acit agreement between
P.M.A. and the mine officials. Bohannon and Carter found out about thin
omission and began to inform the men that they weren't going to get any back
pay because they had seen the contract and it wasn't in it. This argumentbreved to be tree because when payday arrived the men did not get ani hack
chant it and told him that he had made a mistake but he wouldnla . This caused some unrest among the men. I personally talked to
g!i!!lit to me.
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Re: JOHN L. LETIS, ET AL
Liinv:rw wzr "I never attended any meetings at which U.H;I.
organizers were expelled but understood there
con1 were two meetings at which at least nine men
were expelled and I believe that at the first
meeting Bohannon, Carter and Austin were expelled. The F.H.A. attempted to
jet Elshoff to fire these expelled men but he refused claiming that he could
not legally do so under.the agner hat as it would show discrimination.
After the company refused to abide by the oral agreement to pay retroactive
wa~es and to fire the expelled organizers a suggestion Ins made and adopted
byuobout 70% of the miners that cars would be loaded short and thereby cause
i nvrnnro ' I41 1*1r>!lI'.ll92l"l H? r"§Q1"1. !1"!.d ,lY1 thi IHV would ha forted '3-Y1 -A:19244,92492-|-|92a inne r. .----.1-1---.A -*...--_-a. __a__ _-_ v__._c. ._ 1, ._____-ii 92,i.,_ _
to come to an agreement;
"About two days before the strike Falsetti called me into the office
and showed me the temporary contract and asked me if I could see anything
in it about retroactive wages. I told him no but said that l knew thatthere was a tacit understanding between him and Q that retroactive wages
were to be paid. He flatly denied any verbal agreem t said his company
could act only on written contracts. He also told me that the company could
re "o or o ~ra+n* with short leads beinr sent up and asked me if I could ll-92, .__/92, H t;._; u.g U o-4&4; ii v ... LLA.I|I 92.r924 J
.-do anything about it. _
On the morning of the strike mld I discussed the controversy
and I told him under no circumstances s "u c e strike the mine and advising
him that we could bring Elshoff to his knees by our present methods.
"On the day of the strike everyone was called out and I didn't
know whether it was a strike or shut-down. I found out when I came on
top that it was 2 strike called byi When I cane out I ran intoFalsetti and he asked no what I tlrwout it and I said Es played
risht into your hands' and he said if I had been the board member it never
would have happened.
"1 recall signing a F.H,a. petition about two weeks after the strike
which was circulated to show that P.E.A. was in a majority and should have
the bargaining rights.
I was at the nine when Frank Austin and those organisers who care
expelled tried to open the mine and that morning Falsetti said the eompan
had signed a contract with U.H{3. and if we wanted to work we neuld have to
join U.H.U. The men refused and began a sit-down strike which lasted until
they were put off the mine property by an injunction. _
I recall voting in the N.L.R.B. election which F.H.A. eon.by a
large majority. This election was fair and square as far as I knew,
- 150
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Re: JOEE L. LEIIS, ET AL
INTERVIEZ WITH Shortly after the election a comittee of three
Italians came to see me at my heme and tried to
C3nt1HuO got me to organize at Mine "B" for U.H.I; saying
that they would mnko it warth m time. These
three men were Joe A1Lancse, Daminic Pasquale and the thiré has Binco died
Hut I don't recall his name. About a month later Andrew Skrelevious, Joe
Llbenese, and Daminic Pasquale, came to see no at my home and tried to got
me ts érgenize for U.M.U, saying that I would go on the payroll as of that
day. e didn't agree ;t"n11 and they left.
. I"I never returned to ine "B" aeain until Jan. 1940 when I tried; /to jet my eld jah Lack and x was told 1 Gould have to join U.L.U. and I 1refueeée '
If I had a free and voluntary chaise of jeining either union,
I would cheese }.M.A. I have read this 7 page statement and it is true.
T1tnessed:
"--'|'|'l'- ml F=B=I=
signed! Special Agent, F.B.I,
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Re: JOHN L. Leis, er AL.
"3, Spring ie , _ inois, ras interviet-re in s residence- 92 on Se tember 12, lQ43, by Special Agents - ,1 and understands and speaks mg is s iciently" es 1 ' u - . b bl t d English. He exhibited
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>1well 0 3, c aim e una e o ma _a lack of interest in union activities. Fsaid he has never been ar~
rested. fie erecuted the following statenen .
"Springfield, I11.
. September 12, 1913
"1, mice the fOl1.0"."ing voluntary statement4;; to ":1 v'hoI:1 I knot" to be Special
_Ay_en.s o e *eder ureau o n estigaltion, of my crr'n free Till,
vith no threats or promises made to me.
"I an living at * and
am Yorlcing at I-iine B. I -"as Om 8116
came to the United States in I ecaneI joined the v.1.:.*,. in Spring 1.0 <1, joined the P.I.A. an
at Ifine E, and rejoined the U-11. - Eli I11-1'10 B in JW10, 1949-
"" hen the '.-.I£.I.. began in 1932, I 92 ent along Tith the men. The
union v-as all right, treated us as best they could, and I Yes satis-
fied vith it. I didn't go to very many meetings, because I don't un-
derstend very well, but everyone at the meetings had a. chance to got up
and say that they pleased, Ls far as I kznor, the union got along UK Pith
the management, I don't remember any P.!{.}.. meeting the night before
the strike, and probably didn't go, because I had been sick and didn't
go out much, - on the dag; of the strike, I worked all day long. Then
I Cane up from T'O2"}{, all the miners said there Y'ouldn't be any T'OIk the
next day. I don 1t know" the exact reason for the strike, but I heard
that the minc management wanted the U.H.T.-. and not the P.?I.I.. I don't
remember signing any petition or paper for the P.I£..- L., or any other
union, that summer, no one asked no to join the U.lI..?. that summer.
"I don't remember her I heard that the mine Was going to open up
in September, 1937. I didn't go out the first day, but the second, then
I 1. out out, -all the men were there ready to go to work. There vere a .
bunch of U.II." . nun there too. T;o didn't go do'92'."n into tho nine. I "
don't know"? the reason for this. I Tins on the picket, wont out by myself,
no one forced me to. I T35 on the picket line to protect my job against
men who night be brought in to work the mine.
"In the election of December, 1937, I was told by the P-Ii.I.- union
that the vote Yes to be in the armory. The union officers didn't tell us
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R9: JOHN L. LT} IS, LL.
P lIY!"|':."'
lflonllnur.-F t vote, just said to vote .'>.r¢,' veg; me ranted to.
I voted for the P.Li.1.. because I 1.15 a member of that
union. it didn't really make any difference to me which
union had a majority in the nine.
"In tn.-I 1-E11 of 1939, I got a notlce from the company saying that
the mlnc was going to open up. In July of 1940 I joined the U.l-£.T., because
I thought the majority of the men had jomed that umon. No one forced no
too, and no one threatened me. I thought that the majority of the man had
joined from eorwcoatios with them. we one ever told mo that, 'mc. no
one ever spoke to u about joining.
"In the election of Febrmmrgr, 1941, I voted for the U.H. . be-
cause l vas a membor of that unlon. It still didn't mak any difference $9
no vhich union I 1":*.s n member oi, I just vented to be Tith the majority.
L
"In the vac}: eftcr Labor Day, 19133, some men 92-ere out at the mine,
telling all the men that they d1dnt have to talk to 1 agents if
they <i1c1n"t rant to. 1 was in the t:1sh-house, Fifi " * éirt him. Soe
of the men told me about this. u
"I have had the foregoing, consisting of tvo and a half pages,
read to me, and state mat it 15 troo to the best oi xgr knm"10dg0
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' INTERVIEW *"-ITH sP='1*=s1*-"M;_ " ' I inois was interviewed in his residence on Se tombs!
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g.92g.T*= 'in Q L.Re: Jess L. Lsms, sr AL
13, 1943 by Special Agents Wand gspeaks and understands Eng is air y tell,
p ac o interest in union activities. If necessary he will
testify. He said he hes no criminal reeerd.
urnished the following signed statement: 7
Springfield, Ill.
September 13, 1943.
make the follewin statement freely and~.-the have identified
themselves to me as ngcn s o o err; uronu of Investigation.
Ne throats or promises have been made to mo to obtain this statement.volunter ily to
"I live at and
employed in iline B.
came to the United States in W s
Springfield, I11.
I first joined c. union the United liine Yforkcrs, when Istarted to work in Hine B in I stayed in this union until 1932
when I joined the Progressive L; _ e .¬e1-kors of America. I rejoined the
U.I£.'92'I. in August 1940. I hmre not held an office in any union.
"As far as I cm concerned, the PJ-i..'... Wee a good union from
1932 to 1957. I don"t knew of any trouble it had with the line B manage-
ment. I liked P.!_i..'.. because the R.l.jOIit:," of the miners liked it. That
is why I joined the P.£i.A. in the first pleee. I always wanted to be
with the majority of the miners. It really makes no difference to mo
to which union I belong. Prior to 1932 I had been satisfied with U1-HI,
and eftor that I was satisfied with P.1£.£..
Prior to the start of the strike in 193?, I don't remember
hearing about the activities of any U.}.i.T"-'. men at Liir.-o B. Nobody
contacted mo about signing up with U.1*:I.V-. I attended P.l!..='1.. union
meetings about once a month, but I don't remember any discussion about
throwing some men out of the union because of their disloyalty to P.l£.A.
I did not know anything about the P.I-$.11. meeti.ng on the night before the
strike started.
On Ziay 12, 1937, I recall that I worked all day. I was .
t working; in the parting at that tire, and knew nothing about miners
' .3 loading thocars with short weights. its I recall, when I finished working
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_Ro: JOHN L. Lens, 1:1? AL
INTERVIET5 '927ITI~Z that dav the loeol president of P.l!.A., Iho I think Val
-"'i'i-"-" told no that we were-nt going to work incontinued! HIIIIO ! am? more until the company signed a eontroet
with P.1.I.15..
' "I did not sign any petitions or papers in the 8281836! of 1957.
I sew in the n8'92"-'BpC.p01".B that Elshofi was going te_ reopen Kine B in
September 1957. I did not go to lino B the first day. A couple of
days later, when I wont to lline B, I learned that Elshoff wanted to
v-ork with U.L!.*.! and I hoard in general conversation among the minors
that ho had signed o contract with VJLTY. In the fall of 1937 the
P.I-3.4.. men ieke * ' "no B to keep U.EE.Y.'. men from going into theminc- 1 did not go out to the
picket ino mue . o o oroo no e go on to the picket lino. I
saw only I-Sine B in the piekc.-ting group. I wasn't at Eiine B when the
injunction was read to the miners. '-To were at Mine B at this time so
Elshoff eeuld not bring in U.E£.s'F. men to work the mine.
In the eletien in December 1957, I voted for P.3l.A. I saw
the notice of election in the newspaper. J". group of us word: to the
State Armory from the P.II..rL¢ hall. Ne one told me how to vote, and
I voted for P-15.11. because I thought it was the best union for me. It
was more peaeell and quiet at Mine B with Pl.-'..*. there than it was when
U.!£.T.. was there.
"'1 received s letter from Elshoff about the reopening of Hine B
in Novozrabor 1939. I wont book to the nine on the third or fourth day,
but had to wait for a job for c-. couple of weeks because no room was
ready for me.
talked to about joining U.H.17- He said that
-I should join . 4.- because everyone else was joining U.lI.T7. I myself
knot: that I would lose my job at Ilino B if I did not join Uolifffs Itold that I had been working at iiinc B for o. long tine, nnd
liked it ere and wanted to stay there. I told him that I would jointhe 1J.1£..;. when the majority of the miners joined. Qwes
supposed to be an air inspect-or, but really he did no.5 _ attempt
to organize Ilino B for U.l5.T§¢ No other person talked to ma about
Humans
I "wont to s U.H.'92T. meeting in 1940, and saw o. greet many
Hine B non there. I thought that there was a majority of the minors
there. at the next meeting of the U.Z1.T.'., I signed up with Tony
Pletoh who took my application. No one threatened no so as to nuke no
join U.!:I.T.'., but I felt I 1"::.d to join to save nor job.
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Re: JOHN 1.. LHTIS, ET AL
In the election in February 1941, I voted for PALA-
because I 1:11:66 that union. I tluught that John Lalc0n!1|nue!I I Lewis in the U.}5..W. was too much of a crook.
I /talking about some man having been at Mine B. They am not tall me
what he said. Because I was lato in getting to work that day, I did
not hear tho man nrysolf _On Tuesday, September 7, 1943, I heard the men at Hine B /
This stntcmcnt consisting of this and three other handwrittenPQFCE has been road to mo, and I state that it istruc to tho bait if
myvknowludgu and recollection.
<s1sn~d> l
Spec arts, FBI
Spr ingficld, I11-"'
-156-
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Re: JOHN 1.. tens, er AL
1.
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'1Z11ETBWIBY P-'1 1H SP 'i"%~*'1°1°- A_ _ __ ., was interviewed in his residence on Se tember 11,2, 1 $343; by Special Agentssd H. 92,§ does not speak English too clearly, E5 he understaE§"R-'Y we enoug A to be questioned on a witnessstand. He is a man who is noti .92 * afraid to say what he knows, and stated that he is willing to testify.
,5» claimed tohave _no criminal rd.
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Fed
1 promises made to me.DECO
The following signed statement was executed by _
"-Springfield, Ill.
September 11, 1943
I_ make the following voluntary statement to
whom I know to be Special Agents of the
of my own free will, with no threats orO
"I was _ ' and came to the
- 1bprlnji , Ill.
eld, and am
I joined the U.i-E.-'-E. in- and rejoined at I came to this
J. goined the rrogr-sssive Workers of America in 1932, and member
of that union until shortly before February, 191.1, when the U.}_i.7¢'. won the
election at Mine B.
I was always satisfied with the P.H.A.. The dues were loner than
U.I-i.W., we would vote for any man we wanted in the P.M.A., while in the
U.ll.W. the some men were in office all the time, and, at P.L{.A. meetings, we
had a chance to take the floor and say what we pleased at any time. Every-
thing at the mine was satisfactory between 1932 and 193?, as far as I knew.
On May 1?, 1937, I heard from my buddy, that there hadbeen a meeting of the P.E-LA. the night before. I didn go o the meeting,
but he told me that they had kicked some men out of the union, and weregoing to ask Elshoff to fire theme If Elshoff wouldn't fire them, no P.I-LA.
men would work the mire . These men were, Schrelevious, Austin, Bohannon,Albanose, Pasquale, three Sirtouts, Ananias, Carter, Hale, Plotoh and GeorgeJacaway. I had heard talk at several meetings of the P.M.A.. about mat to do
with the UJLW. sympathizers at 1-lino B, but didn't know the final decisionuntilgtold me. None of these men had ever approached no before the
strike o 30in U.M.'.?.United Sta
am living at
where I have =
"011 the day of the strike, we worked a full day. In the morning, an
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Re: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL
INTERVIEW WITH Italian fellow, whose name I don't know, told me that the nunq on top were deciding to load short because Elshoff wouldn't
U I - U play the game, and iire the men who had been kicked out OI
the U.M.W. I started loading cars short, an most of the
ten T ==w were doing the sane. When I came up from the mine, I asked that the
trouble was, and I was told there was a strike. I think Elshoff's failure
to fire these men W75 the very reason for the strike. Elshoff wanted trouble
at the mine, didn't want-to sign a contract with P.H.A. but wanted to sign
with the U.M.W} '
"I remember si in a P.H.A. tition shortl after the strikeEn Estarted, probably at Progressive Hall. he wanted to show Elshoff that P.H.A.
had a majority in the mine. I signed voluntarily. No one forced me to.
- "In the fall of 1937 I hard that Elshoff tried to open the
mine with ten or twelve U.M.W. men. I went out there the next day. There
were many"P.H.A. men there that day, but hadn't been many the first day, because
none of us knew of Elsho£fs attempt to open the mine. When we got there,
John Schneider and other P.H.A. Committeemen told us not to let any U.B.W.
men down into the Mine. we stayed on the grounds until the federal injunction
in 1937 December. The purpose of the picket was to keep U.M.W. men from
working the Lne, and to keep them from damaging the Mine. Elshoff got the
injunction to get us off th property, and not to protect it, because
we were guarding the property. I went out to the picket line of my own
accord. I didn't see any but Mine B men there.
"In December of 1937, I heard of the election down at P.H.A.
headquarters. we had a meeting the day before, and we were told where the
election was to be held. On the day of the election we vent in small groups
from Frogressive Hall, and voted. I F35 not told by anyone has to vote,
and voted for the P.h.A. because I liked that union and wanted to keep it.
As far as I know, it was an honest election.
"In November of 1939, when the Nine opened up, I went back and
worked for seven days. I had not been contacted by anyone about joining
the U.H;W. up to this time. After I had worked seven days, I had to quit.
The room I worked in ran into an old entry. Hy"entry ran south, and old man
Sirtout had an entry going west near mine. Falcetti told me he wanted
the entry driven west, and I was told to stay home until Faleetti calledZidbicgotomgogé egtgisbgu for two months, before Falcetti called me back,
_______ _1A£te1;L4gLback to work, some time latg;,_grggnd lhy of 1940,he the Ps-»=-- new am»:
man came and sat behind me in my room. They were .ero ree ays, and setthere all dar long without saying a word to me. e were tr ng to scare
me, but didn t say anything to mo. The next day,
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Re: JO!-II; 1.. mos, er AI.
nrreavi-"1 TIITH _came mm my room.- , ew im, aving been raised with im 1 ,con inue Illinois. Htold me that he'd gotten a telegramRay Ecimunds come to Springfield right away. He told
me he was being paid by Edmundson to organize all Frenchmen at lline B I
for the .2-£.'-7. He told me he didn't want to force me to join the U.ll.E. -
because I was a smart fellow, but I knew that I'd have to join U.1J.W. or losemy job, because Lewis was a big shot. He was only in Springfield a week andsaid he didn't we t to kill himself here, but wanted to et back topHe talked to both and me several times, and toldto sign up
- 6 - he'd lose his Job said that Elshoff would have an ction as soon as
U.1.I.Y.. had a majorit and then the PAC on wouldn't have any jobs, sowe'd better sign up.!'_told me thatvas a'g'5rxman and an organizer
and the U.M.W. sent him w. orever they ha ouble.
u,qflier 1eft, Albanese came to my home one day with H
"2 6 1 not the P.I-LA. man, and tried to get me to join the U.I-1.35. I told . ,_
had no business coming to my house, and he went away. He came back a second
time and said I'd better sign up or I*d lose my job. A couple of days Later,told me that he was getting so many docks he was going to sign up with
the U.I.l.Y:'.. He did si and didn't pet any more docks. I joined withU.!&.'.'.'. the day aftergkdid. I had been getting a lot of docks, but afterI joined the U.l.E.T?., Fa etti took them away. After I signed up just before
the election of February, 191.1, and signed only to keep my job. In the
election of February, 1941, I voted for the P.iI.A., because I liked it better,
and didnt like the rotten business of the U.h!.W.
1111"!-81 I went back to work, -was working there as an
air checker. Be just wandered around t e mine place to place, and talked
to the men. He never talked t me about the U.!.£.W. On day, I saw an oldman a CIi 19¢ fellow named h get beat up in the washhouse by - and two young fe ows I didn't know. On the same daysaw Bo..annon and beat up a young Italian fellowg in front of the
office.
a shot too high. He One day in the MineJ tried to take his casewas fired for it, and an Italianto a U.LI.1'I. meeting for him. Bohannon down, and I heard,
that after the meeting, he was beat up. I didn't see it, and don't know any-
thing more about it. 92
whose name I don't know, talking to all the men. I_,just heard the and
of the meeting, but I heard him say that this is a democracy, that the"On Tuesday, September '7, 19b3, at the Kine, I heard some lawyer?miners didn't have to sign papers for the federal agents. On the next s
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Re: JOHN L. LEIWIS, ET AL
IDITEFIVIEI '=.'.'11"I-I day, Wednesday, Tony Plotch asked me if the federal agents had been to see me. He said Budge Baumgarner wanted to _
COI1-..1."19218 know.
- "When the P.b1.A. was at Mine B, my coal cars would weigh between3600 and 4000 pounds. Now, for the same ammount in the cars, it neverweighs more than 3200 pounds. Faloetti says the scales are ok, but that thecheck-weigher may be wrong. I think the scales might be all right, but I
know the check weigher isn't. -
"I have read the foregoing, consisting of approximately ninepages, and state that it is true to the best of my knowledge.
/5/
'¬.'itnesse s:
s u.~ .1-.5, F.B.I.
Springfield, 111."
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Re: JOHN L. IE1-I5, ET AL '
92H Ii? 1"T.P.V IE1! FITH
seems to be a
his story in a manner as is apparent from his statement.Pt:-ited he had a very poor memory for dates and it took a great
o prompting on the part of Agents to elicit information from him. It is
believed he would bea oor witness. There is set forth below the signedstatement executed by at the time of this interview:
1_1_1,
gpg. 1943I
"I make the following voluntary statement to
oth of whom have identified themselves.as being
p c a gen s o Federal Bureau of Investigation. No threats orpromises have been made to induce me to make a statement. '
"I was born o and came to the U. S. in . . .. . . _ -._ ..-11 ..._...'92*.|:~.-. ..: .: .2 Aand oecame a citizen in i nave seen a miner all my sale and Joined
' the 12.}-E.-I. in about I have never held a union office.
"I started working for Mine B in about -and was working there
at the time of the strike in 193?. I joined Progressive in 1932, but
didn't have anything to do with the formation of progressive. Things went
along about the same under progressive, but I think progressive officers were
all good men & everything was Tina.
"In the springof 1937 I recall that the question oi a nei contrast
came up, but my memory is rather bad as to a of the details of the contractquestion. I didn't go to many meetings as the meetings
were in Springfield.
"I recall that some of the men in progressive were supposed to be
working for united, but I do not remember anything they were doing. I heard
later they were kicked out of the union though. I went to work as usual on
the day oi the strike in Hay of 1937. I was then a digger in boa I do not
remember any disputes or fighting that took place the last day the mine was
in operation. As I remember it, I worked that whole day as usual and cant
even remember as to when I first heard the mine was on strike.
"I remember that a couple of weeks after the strike the progressive
union got out some kind of a petition, but I don't remember whether or not I
signed it. I also recall that we had a picket line at the mine and I I88
out there for about four or five weeks when I had to go to the hospital.
I voted in 1:-he ELRB election in Dec. of 1937 and everything was quiet at thattime. I saw_a man passing out some kind of hills, but forget what they were
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Re: JOHN L. mus, E1 AL
V u
BITERYJIILW about. I didn't go back to the mine again until theq mine opened in Nov. of 1939- -
continued I
"I believe it was in the paper that the mine was open
so I. went back and started in working again at ob. I guess I had beenworking a few months when Bowling Green, and a manwhose nick name was attacked me. One day at e min , op of themine,qsaid he wan ed to talk to me. He started pushing me and then
these men a jumped on me and hit me until I passed out. These same men
had been to my house several times trying to get me to Join Lmited. They
told me I should sign because everyone was going to sign. Ever! time they
came to my house there was about 5 of them. When I was beaten up by those
men I had already signed up with _1:lnited- in fact I had been a member for .
about a month. I want to clarify this beating. My room had caved in at the
mine several days before the beating and I called the boss in to see my room.
He wanted me to clean up my room, but wouldn't promise to pay me for the Labor.
I went to work the next day and the boss still mid he wouldn't pay me so I
just sat around. The next dag. I came to get my line check and Oscar Falcetti
said I was fired. I tried to get the pit Committee, headed by Baumgartner,
to take up mycase. Baumgartner § Bowling Green were supposed to have '_inspected room §¢_ they sent my tools up I went bac1' a fe" days after I '92 ., my . ' __ . .. ..: . ~
was fired 81 it was at that time that they beat me up. I never worked at f '
I-Iine B after that time. I was out of work for ab mt two years and not work
for Panther Creek #2. After looking over my statements I see now that I
left L-line B in about June of 1941 so I must have been a member of the United
union for some time before the be ting. I have a bad memory for dates,
how-ever, i never saw anyone beat up at the mine.
"This statement has been read to me baand it is true
to the best of my memory.
/@/ _
Special Agents, FBI
U.S. Dept__ of Justice"
-162-
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Re: JOE? L. LEWIS, ET AL
I*'T='*1*-11* WITH SPr1=1s11@1¢- 111-:
wa -ew'eT-at his resident's on Se t r IO I943 n
S eoial ants andPe92!@II speaks English with difficulty an erstand
in court.
been reporte said he has never been arrested. It is noted that
but nothe Springfield Field Division as be
information is available that he is aslowly and plainly. He has no objections to
The following signed statement was obtained from
Springfield, Ill,
September 10, 1943.
make tho following statement freely and voluntarily
who have identified themselves to
me as pecia eau of Investigation. Ho threats or J
promises have been made to me to obtain this statement.
d ll. and at resentu!liu|!'l| In came
nite States in
at Springfield, Ill. -
I fir t oined s union the United Mine Torkers, in? when Iwas wor ' e i I began to work in Kine about In 1932 I Join: LL ogressive Nine Rorkers of America
' * " " - ' - = J ' -.- ._ _n of this union. luu uuu rest uf the lCFu¢ I had no par+ in the formatio _
In the fall of 1940 I rejoined the U.M.K. I have never held an office9.11.
"I live at
I am unemployed. I was
to the United States, and I became a o
in any union.
Chile I was a member of the P.M.A. I was treated alright. I was
b th U E I too when I was a member of that union. I did treated alright y e . .~.
not see mno difference in the two unions. I don't remember hearing about
any men trying to got members for U.E.W, before the strike started in 1937
at Nine B, and no one tried to got me to join the U.M,}
I think that the strike started because Elsheff refused to sign
a contract with P.M,A., and wanted to sign with U.H.W. The P.E.A. union
struck to try to make Elshoff sign a contract with them.
In the fall of 1957 I he rd Falcctti say that if the men joined
the U.H;* they could go to work £5 Fine B, and that if they did not join
U.H. ., they could not work in the mine. I think about 13 men went to work
in Hine B at this time.
92
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Re: JOH L. LETIS, ET AL
$5: i?iiiiiT WITH "In the fall of 1937 I was in the picket line at Mine B.
n _ ~ '
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-;92.| x-nly Kine B were there= The pnrpose of the picket line{continued} was to keep U.M.h. men from working in Nine B.
I voted in the election in December 1937 at the State Armory. The
P.E.A, officials told me about the election but they did not tell me how to
vote. I voted for the P.M.A. because I was a member of that union, and
because most of the miners seemed to want that union in Mine B. -
Before I went back to work after the mine reopened in 1939, no
. 4- -1 A 4- + + -: a +92-1 IT U T Af+n T hn n+nr-1-nrl book tn workGnu v3 iG92.= v0 gvfiv '1-T15 vG JC.n.I'}. u- .5 u¢m;|iq -4- vw;-T .-. u-u --'- --_ -.---- -- _--_--
Bohannon came to my house one night with Frank Austin. They said that I
had beter sign up with U.M;, because I could not win staying with P.M.A.
I told Behannon that I would think it over. They did not threaten me or
say that I would lose my job.
"F" nAn air inspector, also talked to me about U.H..-.-,
He came to my room in Tine B. e e me that I had a good room, and that I
better join U.H.T. if I wanted to keep that room. I told him that I would
join U.H.H; when most of the miners did. He told me to come to a U.H.W.
meeting. I went to the meeting, and saw e greet many miners joining U..T}
so I joined U..K. too. I did this to stick with the majority of the minors
I knew that I would have to sign up with U.H.T. to keep my job at Fine B.
I knew I could not get a job anywhere else.
"I don't remember signing any petition for P.H.A. or any other unio
I heard that some miners were beat up, and I saw two men who had been
beaten, but I don't know their names. Later at a meeting of the U.HJT. unio
en Italian fellow tried to say something at the meeting. Cudge Baumgarner
told him to sit down. After the meeting in an alley I saw Cudge beet this
Italian fellow. I don't know his name.I1
D.
"In the election in 1941, when the U.M.E. won, I voted for the U.MJW
because most of the miners, so I
so was I. 'Fe one made me vote. I voted for U.M.W.
thought, were members of the U.M.R, and
rooms and could not make any money, and also because I wanted to get out
of the mine because my health was going bad.
This statement consisting of this and two other typewritten pages
has been reed to no end I stete thst it is true to the best of my knowledge
and recollection. ,
j<=1e@d>
{signed}
"Springfield, I11. _ 164 _
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, " - ' . -- . ,, I quit working at Kine B in.March 1945 because I was getting bad I.J- K
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Re: JOPN L. LEWIS, El AL.
IN"F.RVIL'u iih
inte
Aeents speaks and
necessary. He
furnished the followingvery
claimed he has not been arrested.
sigied statement.
"Springfield, Ill.
September 9 , 1943.
" P ""'" the "" '""""'""' statement freely
who have
Bureauidentified themselves
of Investigation. No threats or promises have been made to me to
1
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f-'T:.r. > :obtain this statement.
Ill.,
I was"I present. li
d and am em lo esari
in-_1 u . In _1 'oned the United Hine Markers when I was working
in a coal mine in I stayed in this mien mtil 1936,
as -L recall, when I Joins o essive Mine Workers of 1*-merioa
when I was working in the at Springfield. I first
started to work at Mine B 5G:¢§ vl r * wcam a masher of Pills.-L
I never rejoined the U. down in 1937 I
of Springfield, Ill.
I was working
dtm.___
"When I first started to work at Mine B, everything seemed
to be 0.x, However, soon I heard from general conversation of the
miners that trouble was brewing. Some men were alleged to be paying
dues to both the U.1J.'.'J. and the F.1£.A. Some of the men that I heard
about doing this are: Bohannon, Sammy Joe Albanese!, Frank Austin,
Pete carter, and Tony Plotch. It was common talk among the miners
that these men were trying to work their way into the leadership
of ?.ii.h. so that they would w in a msition to turn over P=}~£=A=
to U.}.{.':'i. Prior to the start of the strike in 193? no one ever
approached me about joining the U.1!..?- :
"I don't recall a meeting of the P.L1.A.. on May ll, 1937, and
I don't recall seeing any notice of a meeting. 0'1 the day the strike
started,I I saw many of the coal cars going out of the mine with short
weights. It this time I was employed in Iline B as a timbernnn. I know
~165-
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Re: J01-N L. LEWIS, ET AL.
Y
92 0I'1D2.I11.lBC1!that the miners were dissatisfied, but I don't
lmow whether they were loading the cars short
-40 4.92___-_ _.._. ..___._.1 ..__ 1.. _ _ _ . ..... .L92..._- 92...A L...-.-UJ. hl.'1§.fIl.1' UWU HUUUFU U1." UQZUC-LL26 V115!" BU UUUII
told to do so by the P.Ll.A. officials.
know that the P.Z.I.A. men were objecting to the presence in Mine
men I named above and others who were trying to pull for U.1=l.'921'.I do
B of those
I think
that the miners hoped to force the mine management to fire these men from
the mine. That day I heard that some men had been kicked out of P.H..l.
because they were not loyal members.
"Eh
about 2PL£. as
work in Liine B
the wage scale
had confidencethe day of the strike I think that the men quit working
I recall the Pit Committee said that the men were not to
when U.H.h. men were working there.
problem had anything to do with the
U1 the P.l..A. officials and thought
_ _..__._ __.. ._ ..- ... H ': .-.-... _ .-..-. .-..-.a wage scale no the v.I.n. AI?-cl I u¬uwo uut Of ¬.-H6
the strike, I heard the men saying that they would
I did not hear
"I recall that -L signed a P.I£.A.
the petition was to find out how many loyal
that time.
"Inany conversation about wages.I don 't think that
strike. The miners
they could get as good
mine on the day of
not work with U.I.!... ., but
petition in 1937, and I think
members the P.t{.h. had at
the summer of 193'? I read in the papers about the forming
of a new U.I.i.'.i. local, but no one approached me about joining it.
I don 't remember how, but I recall that I heard that Mine B
V8.8 going to reopen in the fall of 1937. I Went out to the mine, I
don't remember the exact day, and got ready to work. Then I saw that there
W35 going to be some trouble. The P.M.A. men refused to work with the
U,1_§,~,,, men who also showed up for work. I was told to stick around the
mine which I did. I was in the picket line formed by P.H.**., but I
we uld have
keep the U.M.1.. men from over_tbro'-ving the P.1-LA.preferred to be at home. lho purpose of the picket line was to
"I think that the Federal injunction was obtained by the
mine management to break the strike, and not to protect the mine pro-
pcrty. The P.1-59*. men at the mine had done no damage to the mine and
were really protecting it. I saw only local men in the picket line.
"I voted in the 193'? election at the State-armory. I voted for
P.H.... in this election which I think was fair in every respect. I was
not compelled to vote in this election. I voted for P.Ll.A. because I thought
that was a better union than u.u.a. In the P.M-A- a man had a chance to
run for office, and a chance for election. In the U.l£.Ti. it seemed that one
-166-
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Re: J0!-N L. LEWIS, EI nL.
iTT EP.VIE§'i' In ITH
on tin 116man always held office, and there was no chance to
beat the machine. The P.H.A. seemed to me to be
more righteous. '
"In the summer oi 193? a man by the name of gray formerboss, tried to talk to me about joining U.1l.!i. and aske me w I did
not join it. I told him I was not interested, and that was the end of
that . '
"1 don 't recall how I received that ne B was to reopen in
1939. I went back to work shortly after the mine I worked there un-
til I vras hurt in
was trying to
1 had not Jolned the U,};{,.|'. On one occasion Bohannon asked me
thy I did not get wise and join the U.1-LII. He talked like the U.H.Ii.
was going to control the mine, but he did not threaten me.
"I never have rejoined the U.M.-5., and if I had a job in a.
mine today I would prefer to be in the P.1&.A. because I think it is the
better union.
"I have read this statement consisting of this and three other
typewritten pages, and I state that it is true to the best of my knowledge
and recollection.
/Mi
Witnesses:
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,92 92 M,!1}|"¢, -_. - f :_,.__| _F,~ - '_,.-_... .-!~__I': '»cia Agent, F.B.I.
Springfield, Ill."
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_;;-> _am JOHN 1.. LIMIS, s-r AL
1943 by and"
memory o
at Kine B. Bo understnda
English very well and. can express himself intelligently and coherently-
In the interview he related meet of his experie olimtarily withoutbeing questioned specifically on each point. is amnion to
testify because he feels that he has been injure y e actions of
individuals ct iiine B. He steted the-c he once spent three days in jail
for an incident which happened near c mine when o state of mnrtiol law
was in effect, but he said that he does not know what churgc wt. placed
against him. Ho claims that he was merely e. bystcnder on e public
sidewalk, and when he refused to move on the request of o soldier at themine, he was taken to jail- hes in his possession 0- letter
from C. H. EISHOFF dated January , 41 in which ELSHOFF states thnt
the mine ccxepuny will not be responsible for medical bills 'in connee-
tion wit urrence at thi c-.1-y 25, 1941', the day In the oco 5 mine on Jenu
on whichi-=B attacked wield =*=~==-=-
The following signed statement was obtained fun
"Springfield , I11 O
September 9 , 1943 .r5.I,,.;_,.,g;-1,5, Illinois, e ml !erv!ewe5 5 Es:-lssiaencelllon Se tember9 i
mekc the following voluntary stetcmnt to
whom I know to be Special Agents of
on, of my mm free will, with no threats____ _.. _ __ ?'I.
the Federal Bureau
er pr-anises made to H130 .
at he prcsen me. was born and rx tedQ0 I11 0 D
sine Workers ct wlnlo working
at gins 3, 1 J of Americc. I never
hold an office in any union. I started work ut Mine B in 1929, 1-nd
vrorked there until Jonuuw of 1941.
"E
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Rm Jenn 1,. IEWIS, or AL-
iii EQVIEY WITH
eon 111
. "In the fall of 1937, ELSHJFF tried to start up the nine
again. He didzft went the P.1'.i'u in the mine, but wanted tho U.H.7f. The
P.1-:1 .11. stayed at the mine for 55 duys, ready to work. Ho guordod the
mine ogoinst dumgc from others, und also to protect our jobs. The
U.M.~i. tried to bring in men frcm other plooos, not only those who had
been P.M.A. men at Mine B, to work the mine. after n time, ELSHOFF get
an injunction, nnd the P.L£.1u men had to leave the mine property.in spite of this, the men worked until Hay 12,
1937. ELSHOFF was intending to hire U.H.11T. men to
work the mine, while the P.M.h.. men wanted to continue
working the mine.
" "In November oi 1959, ELSHOFF opened up the mine again. I
heard that EISHQFF, the superintendent, end acme of the bosses had
gone to nine:-e hence, and tried to get them to genteel; to work es
U.Io!..'I. members. I dont know how true this was» I heard that sane
of the non were intimidotod about the the mine reopened, but noone approached me. About that time, some by my hone one
day, saw no outside, und asked no to re urn e work. I had been sick,
and went book around the 15th of November.
"In 1940, a drive was started at iiine B to organize the
men in the U.I!..~I. At first, just the original 25 non, who hr-d been
members of the ?.I-5.1» were agitating the non, but aiftor a while,
they didn't soon to be getting anywhere, U.I!.rf. organizers frcn the
cutsido were brought in. The trouble in the nine began about this
time. They asked the non to join the U.H.T'f, saying that oonpuny would
shut the nine down if the U.1i.W. di-en't sign up the najority of the
men. I heard that the mine bosses were saying this too, but I never
hoard any of them say it. The non were soured, needed their jobs,
and joined the U.11.. I. to save and keep their jobs. The non who joined
U.3d.W. were told to bring; out their sons, and the sons would get jobs
too. JtftUI 1.. while, if the non didnit sign up, their tools iould be
stolen, some men having es nan es three sets stolen. Finally, theslugging began. Ono mnn, h1:.d his am broken in the nine.
I di-in't see it ht-"-pp-3n, on on ow of anyone who did. The men were
talking about being threatened, but no one threatened no at this tine.
Voz-ious non cane to my roan several tines, asked no howthings were going. On Jun. 16, l941,_ some to my roan,
and aked no if I were still a member o the P.1~1..u. He asked no if I
didn't think I should join the U.Ii.a., end I said no, that I was satis-
fied with the P.H.l~.. Nothing happened, and nothin more was said aboutit at that tine. The 16211 day of January, the day -:£>.1'.1e to seeno, was the deadline set by U.l*i.T! for the non working I-92 0 B to
join the 11.21.11. On January 1'1, 1941, oono to my rem
-169-
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hm JOHN L- IRIS, El AL.
INTERVIEW WITH again, and had some U.H.W- buttons with him» Ho
a. e d o 8 and I said O0 Q skedmiflha ohsngdmymin, n
eontmu He said that he d come room e he hed est he to my 5 J
gotten u supply of U.il.92T- buttons, and wanted to give
mo one. Ho than left, nd nothing more Ins snide
' ' "lo. rode to work bunch of
who lives 111311 0
SQW
beating him» When this bunch g booting they went
. 1» 92 into the wush..ouse, and jumped on
I didn't went to have anything to do with this, so I went on
li On th I r. e into the office to get my supp es. my my ere, s-w Q Hsmething, coming frat: the direction of the office, bloc ng,
ee 1:1,; es though he hud been beaten up. after getting my supplies, I
went to the tipole, got my bucket, then wont to the Rush house to fill
ite When the bucket was filled, I went to take it outside & put it in
line, to show the order in which I was to go down into the mine eftor I
hed changed my clothes Fran the "U-Sh house to the bucket line it was
neeessury to go through e narrow apnoea There were e lot of men trying
to get thr h end it was orowded.- He moved very slowly, I1 step at a
I time. et right behind me. I don t know where he cane frm»
Ho wns wor _ng e ine B at that tine, but I had known him before, and
knew he was en organizer for the U.M.I¢ He bud been fired from the
or ranking trouble. I didn't soy enything to bin, and he bo- 1
on my coat, and kicking; at ny logos I looked around nd he
grinned at me. This wont on until I gut through the narrow pleeo, and
went end put my bucket in the lines I thought that he would be looking
for no to cone buck into the wash house that way, so I went around the
building, end went in enother entrance» I ant down on the bench, Ind
started to chain--*e clothes, to go to work. Just as I bent over to takeeff my 8h92.1UqCUl"?lC in, cursed no, and kicked no in the heed. H0
kicked no severe ines in the heed, und then others started booting on
me too. I don't R11-cw who the others wore, boeeuso I wt.-s en the floor,
end put my heed under the bench to t to retest nysolfo However, I -
think sane of the others were e who hue st cone over e
short time before frcn the Jefferson me,
not the member, but u new U.M.?. nan rm une or nine, Ln
one after they get tired of working on no, they
who nus in the wash house. He hr-d signeeup
or three weeks before, and they kicked and beet for the 11.11
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Ron JOHN L. IE-JIS, tr L.
nrrnavzz-1 WITH
eon inued! him because he -.wIsn't going to 'G'.1~!.TI. meetings.
Right after they stopped booting me, the Sheriff -
end his do ut cone n the wash se. I told him who hed boot no u ' P Y Pend he loft. I or-» got boot up near tho wash house-qr 1
Ch ' b h . O 8.1130 1-1110 0 I
' . "After I saw the Sheriff, I got dressed in my street clothes, I
went to the office, and got a slip frqn the office to go and see the .
oompny doctor. I wont to soc him on that day, Set-urdey, end the next
two, Sunday end Monday. He treated mo, his name was Br. DIEBL, but
on Monday he told me that EIBHOFF hnd told him I Ins to get no more
medical attention. I then wont to see e Br. MOUNT on Capitol Avenue,
who finished treating no. When I got hone frcn the doctor on Monday,
there was e letter frcm EISHOFF, saying that I wouldn't be paid for
medical troutnent, that the company was not liable. Inter I got o bill
frcm Dr. DIEHL for $5.50, but paid no ettonticn to it. When I got e
second bill, I wont to see the doctor, end told him I wouldn't pay it
because tho c-.np-urn; wus liublo, that I hed been hurt on oonpony proporiqr,
while I was going to work. I told hin that the cc-ipnny he-d given ne r-
slip to go to see him. Dr. DIESEL told no that Mine B hud told him they
were not livable for rgy injuries. I told him thut he had to-ken the
our-muny's orders when ho hud accepted the slip they gave no for modiof-1
trsr.1;n@n1;, and that I wouldn't pay. I told him to collect frcn the
company. I haven't heard enything ubout it since that tine.
On the day we were bectcn, we swore out imrrents against the
men who boot us. -Then we went down to the hearing, we sew then ccning _
out, and found out they In d been released under #250 bend apiece. I
don't know who ncdoftho bond for then. The Justice of the Ponce, who
had tho hearing, end released them on bond, was e nan nemed DUIIH. He
was not re-elected in April of 1941, and when he left office, he turned
over his books to another J.P., whose none I don't know, end whose office
was at 218% South Eth St., Springfield. I wnitod to hour of the indict-
ments against the non, but hoard nothing. In June of 1941 I hoard
that the ooscngoinst then had been dismissed. I went to see the
Sheriff, and found that e warrant hod been issued by DUHI-I. The Sheriff
didn't have it, so finding out about DUNN'S successor, I wont to see him
end found that the case hud been dismissed. I did not know enything
about it before this tine, end even though I was one of the pluintiffs,
I had never been notified that it was to be heard. I went to see the
state's ett-.1-ncy, nnd he told no he couldn't prosecute, because there
wasn't enough evidence, thut he didn't have enough proof. I told him
that others had seen it happen, but were afraid to talk.
"Just after the booting in January of 1941, I ms subpccnod to
ucpoor before the Grand Jury us u witness, on that nutter. Severalof us were there, but none of us were culled, except Q who
time in in the afternoon. Ho hed been beet up that day, Lnc, wen in and
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RE. JOHN L. LEWIR. If AL-
testified. None of the rest of us were celled. ' ERVIEI WITH I eeked GRITELNE, the state-a attorney, about it,
continued! end when we would be celled. He eeid that the-t
wee the lust day, and the Grand Jury wouldn't
meet again until February. I told him I would be there to testi£y,.bu't
when I did eppeer at the next Grand Jury, I wasn't celled. I sew the -
ete.te'e ettorney egein, end he euid he didn't have enough evidence to
present to the Grund ury. I mode on appointment to meet him later, Ibn
I could get ell the men who had been beaten. .1. few days luter, all
cf us who hcd been beaten net with the state's attorney. 3° still
claimed that ho didn't have enough evidence, end we ell got pretty hot.
Finul ly, GREENE, the attorney, invited ell oi us to hove 1. drink. I took
it and told h."'n I might es well es thotis ell I'd ever get buck for the
beating I too-.c.
I. . ' '7 n - * - I Il'. l- 1-;"JJ.SD befuf 1932, W92UI& lihu ?nn~l& we-.25 fu1'T-T-l¥'5d, the Us}-leini
was n ,t fxmctioning any too well. There was n lot of racketeering going
on, end, in 3.930 or 1931, there was some trouble between JOHN L. LHTIS
and FISHBURK. At that tine JOHN EIALKER was district hood of the U.M.Tf.
He 1-ed been connected with the state employment service, and took e
out in salary when he went with the U.M.Ti'. from $8000 to $5000, I think.
At this time, the district office oi the U.h!.U. was not paying death
ole-ins to the locals. 1. resolution we posed in the local not to
pay the per copitu shore to the district until the district would pny
the death oluins.
In 1932, there me e. strike within the U.I!-M. The contract
with the mine operators had expired, and the non refused to work until
o new one was signed. at this tine, IJJTIS sip.-ed. e eeeret eontrect
with the operators, calling for n reduced wage icr the miners. The
men hed voted against the proposed out in n referendum. 1. second vote
was celled, and the miners were against the cut again. However, the
eiiioiels at the district office of the U.H.T. said they had voted for
the contract with the reduced wage. The men demanded :.- recount of the
referendum ballots, and the district officin-In finally sulnitted to the
denend for e reeou.'.1';. nbout one-he-lf the bullets were counted, and
the vote to there slowed e stronger protest against the contract than
the first referendum hed shown. It was agreed to put the bullets e
bank vault until the next morning, when the couiting would be completed.
The next morning, the ballots mysteriously disappeared, between the bunk
and the 13.31.31. building. They were supposed to hr-we been placed in a
cor, and driven eff by a tell, slender fellow, e.mwez-ing @iLT£~IL!5Gll'§
description, end another, answering the description of Foxhughes, e
U.l|l.792'. officer, new deed. I don't know if L'I1{UlI1lSQ1§, or Who, true sent
to get the bullets.I
Q ~172-
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RE: -ICE}! In LEFTIS, ET L-
Iw-¢:RVIE J WITH "Shortly boforo this ooourenoe, E11-IUIQDSON Md
started his own union, or-lied tho -nam: " - and Filo riu"'v6-F
if » ll. c n 1 mcnt', and it soenod to bo progressing pretty we I
- In foot, when tho first split ooourrod in the U.H-U»,
the loool at Mine B was considering joining EIHIHQDSQPS or5uni_z::.tio-
I think EHIUNIBMI must but-0 undo some kind of r. deal with YDJJUER, because
the ' Rank und Filo Movement soazod to lose ground, finally quit, ind
EDBEUHDSOII got n position with the U.M.U» I don't know if EHUNIBWI l:
IJJCER hd 1-any agreements about what to do with tho ballots» However,
just other this, KMLKER ho-'1 on injunction ngninst LEUIS in Illinois
lifted, und LEIIS oono book and signed the soorot oontruot.
.--.oout two weeks after I got beat up, I got a letter from
B011?-LNNON, sE:y'1ng he wanted to see me, and for mo to acme to UJIJTQ
hall. I was -Afraid that they might do something to mo if I went down,
so I didn't puy any attention to it¢ I didn't hear anything more about
it, and don: know the purpose of the latter. Ono day, about two weeks
before I got bout up, and two days boforo poyduy, I happened to oqno up
frcm the nine u little ourly. When I oono up in the oogc, I nus tho
only P-M.n- ma-n in the Ogo, all tho rost being UJ4-W. Jhon wo got totho top, I suw Psturmding thoro with o lot of money in his hand:
Tho U.h!JT¢ men, w o wore on the oogo with no, oirolod around him, nd
ho sooncd to be i don't rononbor all tho non in the group,
but I did soo , TONY PLOTCH, BILL
SIRTOUT and Jinn rim, us well as
was giving than money, but I
h» notice hot the men who imported to organize for tho
UGMGH5, no-var got ony at-otononts fro; tho ocnpun.y- The ocmp-n.y usually
gave out the statements two days boforo pc-y duy, and all tho non go to
tho office to get their 5bLlb0!'l0ntB0 I notiood that those imported
organizers n-:,.*or 92L'ur92.t to tho office to got any stv-tenants, and I thought
that oorh-ups I=.1SHO1*'F wasn't pying tho; but tho U-11.11. van. Inter, they
began getting statements, probably bcoouse the oonpluny wuntod to have
o cover for them
twioo to gut nu nu or: tho U.I-5.--ii %e tine, r-no two othersI didn't know, oonebto therhouso and naked no to goln the U.H.lla H0
told no not tho U.L2.92'J. would got control , land, if I didn't join,
I'd lose my job. n month or so lutor, I don't know just when, JOE"Before I was bcoton up ot tho nine men omo to my house__.I .__ I_ j
B
nI..B- HEB, and DGJINIC and ERNIE DI BnRTOLCl£EO oono to tho house and
asked no again. I didn't give than om!" satisfaction ut as-11¢ I think
this Irus sonotino in 1940»
I had no landing pt-rt in the organizing of tho P.H.A- I
5111115 mrcr with the nujorityo Thnrc were really no lenders to tho Giil
~ .
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RE; -JOHNL. L1-ms, or at.
over from U.M.92'I. to P.l~!.1=.. It seemed as though the
local went over as one body. Even the honorary
members of the local, those who were old and not
~ o working, but hr-d charter memberships, swing aver. 1:
ticzt knew of urqrone who 11° . the no-vs. U.ii.Tl'n held meetings in the I5-
lund Hctel and the K.C.' H111. U110 Sunday they I01"8 H-92-v:l.ng n nesting
in tho K. C. 3:11, to try to sign up hon to go to work. J-. fight b0gD.ti,
and Detective PCRT UILLLMS of the Springfield Police Department We
saute, 1 don't ho! 1o Q11 start-od= duos 9-;';'ostod rs:it and put in jail, betas far as I know, hushed up. The
polioo got I1 truck load of 5 and anmmition out of the Leland Hotel.11 few days later I hoard thu was taken out of jail, because
they were afraid sq-nobody nig toget to him. Be was taken
away, and I don't know what over happened to him.INTl'RVlE'~_l' -i'ITI-I
On April 5, 19-'55, the P.L%.a. held a meeting at headquarters,
at 6th and Uashin;;ton. During the nesting, U.H.U. non circled the
fhDlcok 2|-I1 autioobiles. Jhei-1 the "mac-,ti'ag was over, and the men lea~r92..:1g,
several shots were fired, and ED.IaRD IMYBE was killed. He had told me
sczrtino before that EZMUNDSON and others had offered him money to turn
frm the P.M.a. to the U.M.I».. I hoard the shots, and looked out the
wiadow oi tho union hall, and saw non rmming. The shots which killed
1-MYBE were fired from EIHUNDSOWS ear. There were three non in the
oar, an; -1 ilo looking at MAYBE on the sidewalk, E!1{U1~HJSOH'S oer ran
into a track at a stop sign, and locked bumpers. The nan in tho ear
couldn't 5&1; away, and had to take out on foot, leaving; tho oar. he
of the non was found in u rooming; house on adans 812., a revolver
and ammunition. another was arrested on Uashington St. wundson
gavo himself up in Taylox-ville. ED BURKE was his lawyer. No one was
ever p1't50OL1'b6d for this ease, either. -
' -Then the nine oponod up in 1939, I wont beck to work a fem
days after it opened. I don't have any facts, but I feel that the U.H.Tlu
furnished ELSHOFF with men and money to clean up liine B. I know it must
have oost quite a bit of money to clean up the nine, and I don't think
ELSHDFF had enough money to do it himself. Shortly after this, I
hoard that the Usli.-'1. men at Capital Mine were saying that the U.H.TI.
had a sold tipple at Mine B. I don't know just when I heard B1118,
but I think it was just after the mine opened. Since I've been out
of work, since January of 1941, live talked to a lot of U.Ti.TT. non,
and they are pretty generally dissatisifed. at the Peabody Hizge, I
kzaew that the compmr pays the ehook off zliroetly to the Rational head-
quarters of U.!{.TI., and not to the local. The Iiationrll gives the local
as mosh as they wont to gives
-174-
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El'!~.L=
INTHWIE? WITH Just before the strike in lhy, 1937, EISHWF d
was bargaining underhendsd with the U.H.YI. Be rened to
sign e contract with the P.!i.£.., saying that he wouldn't
make e wage adjusiznent retroaeti-re. I think he used that question be-
cause he wanted to prolong thedisagreement, so the U.1I.U. could organize,
and get enough men to work the mine, so he wouldnt have to iork it
with P.M.n. men. Therehad been 1 1-unor around in lhy of 193'? that
EISHJFF was going to bring in 11.;-1.w. men to work the mine. After the
strike, no U.1!.H. men showed up, so the P.Ll.A. men didn't stay around
the mine. I hed heerd, in ee.».e_ noim neetings, sme disenseicn oi
whet to do with sane men who were eooused of collaborating with the
U.Id.'27. I don't remember the exnet details, but I think thet e. referendtln
was had, and it we voted that the men be suspended or expelled from the
union. On the day of the strike, the grievance committee went into
see EISHJFF, and after n while, came out, said they couldn't rec-oh an
agreement, so we wouldn't work the mine. I think the strike wits celled
to force ELSHGFF to sign the oontreot, and not especially to forcehim to fire the men Suepengggefrdn the P.L{.n., but I on-n't say positively
which it wee. I knew the men/'l0i;uiif92g' ours eho either the day of the
strike, or the day before. The reason for this was that the ocmplmy
wanted to produce 0 lot of coal, and told the drivers to bring up cars
in o hurry regardless of whether or not they were filled. The drivers
eould piek np -the erire before the diggere could fully load them. As.
I remember, this was the reason for lo:-ding short, and I don't remember
having nything ubcut loading short ea o protest B-ginet the management.
"Fran 1932 to 193'? no one upprouohed me or uskod me to join '
the U.H.W. Nobody really eparoaohed me on it until 1940 after T hadone book to work. Ri ht after the strike.
nd didn't know c pp t
ing any petitions for P.H..l». or nnydaher
...-.-..-1' 1-inn...III-FBI. IIJLTLI1 9 YBDEM 91' Sig
union. In the fell of 1937, I went out to hiine B to go to
I heard it was going to open up again. When we got out to the mine,-
we found out that EISHCFF woe going to have U.H.'i!. men work the mine
too. When we heard that we decided that we wouldn't work the mine with
U.M.1. men, und we wouldn't let the U.M.Tf. men try to work the mine.
There wasn't any trouble, because the 25 U.1l.. men there couldn't work
the nine, und went heme. When they left, we sew ELSHOFF un offered to
work the mine, but he refused to ellow us. He stayed at the mine for 50
to 55 duys, to protect our jobs and see that EIBHOFF didn't get any UJI.
Fl. men to work the mine. "Fe were more like guards than pickets, and vauntedi
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RE: JOHN L. LEWIS, RT AL.
INTERVIEJ WITH "The notice of the election in December 01'Q 1931 was published in the pper. I went
eon mu ! election voluntarily, and all but 25 men
tnin the P.M.A. as the bargaining union.
P.lE.a. because I wanted to keep that union, it was the best
U.ll.-I. had two drunks handing out pvmphlets at the electionto the
voted to re-
I voted
one for me.
and one of
them told me he had been paid $2.00 to distribute them. The eleotim
was supervised by the N.L.R.B., and it was o square election. In the
eleetion of 1941, I voted for the P.llJx. again, because I waited that
union. The U.1l.1-T. men told tho miners that they would lose their jobs
if they didn't vote for the U.M.TI. Also, if u man turned U.I=l.92T. he
was told to bring relatives to work, and they would find jobs for them.
"After the mine opened in 1939, members of the PJEJ». pit
ecmmittoo told me that they couldn't get ELSHOFF to do anything for
them. They didn't have u contract With him, I-'-nd couldn't make him do
any-thing. After I went book to work in
quite often. Be never mentioned U.ll.92I.
ergo raising for U.M..'I. in the nine. He1939 te1ked to moto mo, u oug ow he we
posed us un air inspector in
the mine, but had nothing to do. There was no such position before
the strike .
"I hove had the foregoing, consisting of upproxinutely
seventeen handwritten pages, road to no, and state it is the truth
to the best of my knowledge.
".-llitnesso ea
, F.B.I.,
Springfield, I11 ."
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Re: JOEY L. LEWIS, ET AL
. fTEH "n ' " On
and
Illinois. a time of this
in-tcrvcvicylv F -I 41 n1 eeilnlni ease u to help the gevernmen- in -ny we e W ~-~It is ts : hated that during the interview it was observed that
annoare have a reed deal of trouble understanding the questions and gave
vague and rambling gnswers rather than answering the question directly. It
is felt that he tried to de the best he could to be helpful. but that he
weuld n" be a good witness duc to his rambling tendencies and lack of under-
standing. Lo advised agents that he had ne criminal record.
The following signed statement was given by
gpringmield, Ill.
Sept. 14, 1943.
:11, {jive the following statement to
wig ave 1 -ntified themselves to me as Special igen s o
1 < u I ' -1 , , , threats er premises have been made me to give this statement.
Last Henday or Tuesday, after Labor Day, some man from U.H.3. District
Office spake to us and says we don't have to talk if we don't want. This man
said you fellows don't have any right to question us miners. I heard
that 12 men went to the Regional Bank Bldg. er U.H.H. Bldg. & they were
supposed to have taken their signatures eff whet they signed. This is what
I heard from the other miners. I also heard these men were to get paid $7.00
a day but I don't by wha they were to get paid. I am willing to talk
to you men anyway SE? I 5356 I don't get in any trouble over this as I never
been in any trouble in my life.Special
"I have been & am still there as e digger.I was born in I dame to U. S. in F'-beoame a citiz n 1 joined U.Ii.T='. in I1 . Y
& I never held anv e _ m V . 932 U.H.W. was a good union & we eeu
speak like we wanted to and I don't know if UJMJW. officials get along with
Mine B before 1932 or net. after Elsheff came in there always was s lot
of little troubles around. Before 1952 U.H.i. at Nine B was the strongest
local there was. In 1932 I went with majority to P.H.A. Q it didn't make
any difference to me & I did not help organize aver to P.H.L. Between
1932 & till Eine B closed F.E.A. had little troubles with Elsheff like U.H.?.
did. In l§32 I heard that the Communists were going to be strong in P.H.A.
but they never get in at all & I heard they, fer years, were not sure
which way they wanted to ge & I heard they than went hack to U.H.F. s teak
tales to Ray Edmnndsen. I never heard Elsheff say anything that he wanted
U.H.T. back. Between 1932 & 1937 P.N.A. was like old U.HJ7. local & it was
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Re: JOHN L. LETIS, ET.AL
INTERVIEE WITH a mens union & I trusted the P.M.h. officials. In allW unions I don't know anything about money matters. I went3_*rp on nueo, to P.Y.A. meetings once in a while. P.M.h. local 54 was
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. -I.~_: -_'_ ~, _;i.."'-92 "1F ' 1alright e I never saw anything wrong with it. Before Hine B
closed no U.H.I. men Bothered me & I never know of any U.H;W. men being there
till last day. In regard to parties by Elshoff for U.M.W. I heard ElshoffHod been at office once for parties. I heard men say th-atmade
a wrong agreement with Mine B when the contract ran out in spring o 1937.
There was no trouble at all at Mine B because of this contract running out.
I did not know if Elshoff & P.M.A. were going to got together & sign a
contract. I did not go to any meeting before Mine B closed. On day Mine B
closed I was on parting when I first heard of strike in afternoon. I heard
that some men loaded cars short but no one said anything to me about it.
That same afternoon Jim Hale asked me what was going on & I asked him what
he meant e he did not answer me. I also saw Andy Sehrelevious s Bowling
Green Chas. Behanon! ride out with the mule together that afternoon & they
were not supposed to do that. I heard that trouble was over the fact that
the men did not get fired who were expelled & I heard this several days
later while on picket on the road near the Mine B. While on picket I heard
that some Y.M.A. men were in the corn field with guns & that one was Cudge
Baumjarner & other was Italian named 'Tony' from Pawnee, Ill. I also heard
that some P.M.A. men at mine B were getting money from U.H.. I don't know
if I signed any P.M.A. petition or not in sumor of 1937 & I heard that
U.H.T. had a petition out but I never signed it & was not asked to sign it
or join U.H.?. In summer of 1957 nothing happened to me & it was all quiet.
1n fall of 193? I went to sit down strike & was forced to go otherwise P.H.A.
would fine us $5.00. I think I was out at Mine B on first day they tried
to re-open in fall of 195? e we were all ready to go to work. The sheriff we.
out there too. The U.M.I. men did not go back to work. I spent most of
my tin out there. No outsiders were brot in to help but just local men.s
It was a quiet & peaceful strike. John §chneider tried the best he could to
keep us out there. I think he was right in what he did & even tho he was
sick he stuck it out with us. I was there when Marshall came 55%; some
wanted to stay & he said they would have to leave Z we all left quietly. e
felt sad about it as we that we lost out. nine B shut off our water andlights but helped put switches back again for us miners.
To got coal rem nine a 0 keep us warm. I don't remember of going out to
Kine B when they reopened again in 1938. I voted at N.L.R.B. election the any
I wanted to & no one forced me to vote & it was by secret ballot. All of us
had made up our minds to stay with F.H.A. In fall of 1937 I get a letter
from Mine B telling me to go back to work & I did as I heard a union lawyer
told P.E.A. to go back to work otherwise we would lose. I don't know why
Elshoff would not sign a contract with ¥.R.h. About a year later I was I
boat up at local U.H.T. meeting in Springfield, I11. e this was after I
signed over to U.K.. U.H.T, had us lay track & paid us $1.00 extra an hour
k I & others were aoainst it & I opened my mouth at the meeting that it wasnot right £¢ talked against me on it. Same evening I tried
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Re: ;ro1m_1,, 1,3515, ET AL
I1TTERVIll'¥£?.'ITI1 to talk to other men as Bowling Green Chas. Bohanen,
president, fined me 50¢ because I was talking, to those
con inue men 5,: another man came up to me £1 said I should e totreasurer, dc we went 8; man told to-takethe fine off & t on eft aw hit me while I had my g asses on
& while on the floor he kicked no & me up. At a later meeting charges
were placed against" mc'ior talking about U.M.'7;'. officials 8: I never did it 8:
they fined me $150.00 & I had to pay it in 3 payments. I appealed to Ray
Edmnndson & he said that something would have to be done & next day at
Kine B Jack Faleetti changed m statement to $5.00 instead of $150.00. This
all took place after I had jwinod the U.M.T. union.
"lifter liine B opened in l939gcamc in to see me while
at work but he did not ask mo out ri~ht o Join .H.. One morning toomy air was bad. Also once came to my house &: asked
when I was going to join over o .n.n. old them I would sign when
the majority did. Later on Bowling Green Charles Bohanon came to my
neighbor's house while we were playing cards e I signed over because a lot
had signed over already. I heard that men did get beat up é I heard some
hollering for help but I never saw them get beat up.
"I signed an affidavit against Bill Sirtout as he was my driver
& he was doing everything he could to make it uncomfortable for mo & I cried
many times over it. The affidavit I signed then was made by me of my own
free will e the informatien in it is true. I saw a lot of new men at
Mine E & they would hang around in groups & I guess they were U.M.T. men.
In summer of 1940 I did not sign any cards for P.ll.A. or U.M.'-T. I paid
}".Z5.A. dues but not when Mine B reopened in 1959. I voted in next lI.L.R.B.
election 5: it was like first one 6: I voted way I wanted to. I think U..ll.'i92'.
won because the men were tired 6: I also heard that Mine B would not run
again with P.M.A. I joined over to U.H.¥. in 3 or 4 months after Hinc B
opened dc I didn't pay dues at first 6.: they all 'backed' me then. I had a
bad room toe when I went back s I figured they tried to get rid of me but
I stuck it out. Mine B was in bad shape in I939, & I never heard of a
fire at Mine B in 1939. I did not attend a meeting when Jack Glascow waskicked cut. I have had .lg',en1-.9:-sad this six ! page statement to
me & it is true k correct to t e est of my knowledge. I am signing of my
ii: Ely own free will.
"Signed signed!
pee a 1_=;en , F. .1.
St. Paul lfinn.
pecia gen I Milne!
Springfield, I11. 9/14/Q3
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JOHIT L. LEUIS, ET AL
IIHERVIHT WITH The following investiiotion was conducted 13*; Specie-.1
Agents and ate Springfileu, moms, on 5epte5_ er B and 5, 1943.
I
Or Se tenber 1943, Agents went to the residence of
Springfield, Illinois, and his wife
owd at Mine B and she acid he get!
hone around 4:45 P-H. -However, she said she did not know for sure
if he would be hone that evening as he might go to a U.1.£.N- meeting
that was be ing held.
On Scntombor 9, 1945, Agents, about 414:0 P-H» went to theresidence of and upon identifying themselves to him, hesaid that he dn much to say and suaiosed it was in regard to that
investigation and he was told it wees then told As,-ems that theywould have to see his Attorney, FITZG%nd that he had nothing
to say to Agents. He admitted, however, he was working; there at
Pine B when the strike occurred but he said nothing happened that he
lc1e'w oi". He further told Agents to just go and see FITZGERAD, his
Attornegr. He also stated to Agents that FITZGE§a:I'.D p8!"E0 I
him to have Agents go and see him, FITZGEEJJ.-IL This was in response
to s question es to whether or not all the men all the men had beentold this at Eiine B or at a meeting. -was then asked by Agents
what the full none of FITZGEELLD was and ne sei he ciidnit know hishegioes are in thefirst none but that he is la little old fellow. ~.-.'e.s also sdked
where FITZGERALD has his Offices and he said t _Earns Building, on top oi Wa1gren's and it is on the ninth floor.
further rernerlzed that he would not ensue: en}; questions and saidgor Agents to go end see his Attorney,
It was noted by Agents theigsppeared to be somewhat A
intelligent and was not illiterate and spoke the English language
Qlrighto
Stenogrdphis notes of Agent_B.re being retained in
the exhibit section of this oase-
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RE: JOHN 1.. Lens, er AL.
ILTERVIEI WITH The follow investi stion was conducted
by Special wants i " henct Springfield, Illinois on op m r 8, .
J V at his 1'agents interviews s never been arrested
in his 11.-s. - scmewhnt old, understood the majoriiw
of the questions dily and his answers were understandable and
it is felt that he would make e. fair witness if his testimony is neces-
sary. He furnished agents with the following sigied statement:
Sept. B, 1943.
J"1 I
this free and voluntary statemEv-'ho are known to no to be Speo ng;-on
t es s or promises hve been mode me to give this statement.
"In July 1941 I we-s laid off at Mine B as they think Iwas too old .5: I should go on pension. In June -I first started
as cool digger at Mine B at Springfield, Ill. »
"I was born & cane to U.S. in . pa, become citizen I was 1. miner n old
country but did no e ong o any union. joined U.M.92'i. at Spring-
field, Ill. when I first cane here E: I never held any union office..No
1
"Before 1932 ELSHOFF 1!: U.l£.'I. got along fine end everybody
was happy and we got whet we wt-ntdd 8: it who u union for the men.
Then the split come in 1932 I went with the majority 6: was glad to go
over A: no one forced no to join.P.H.s. & I didn't take any sotive
port in going over. Between 1933 J. 1957 P.1£.1.. got along; fine too
with EISHOFF 8|: there were no strikes or troubles. _EI.SHUF'F 6:
g FJLLCETTI never osoid to me that P.H.1.. was no good 5: I never hoard
of then saying anything against P.I£.h. lie P.ll.¢.. miners felt our
officers of P.1~!.n. were alright. P.M..u. was run by the nen 6: they
were O.K. I would go"-to meetings only onoe Ln 0. while. -Io non
could oy whet we wished to soy 6: no one stopped us. I never knew o
thlng about those bcmbings by P.M.o. men dc I don't believe they did
it 6: I think there was something crooked there. hoe in u while
there was o special assessment for o convention or something bet they
were not often. The P.M.1-. officials always told us at the meetings
-shot they did with the money. Before Mine B closed U.H.1£. never
-181-Springfield, Illinois,
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R3: J01-Hi L. LFIFIS, ET AL.
INTEIRVIEI WITH pioketed Mine B 6: I never sew any literature being given out by them. Before Mine B closed there were '
wontinueo ; icizi-5 P.1..-.. men, about 15 or so, -who were for U-.H.¥.'.
Some me CHAS: Bl-!H.f*.IBH1I' BOILING GREEN, TONY PLUICH,
CJETJN 1LNJx.NL'.S JOHN do BILL & JOHN JR., SIRTOUT, GEO. & HIGIY J1.G:J.'z.Y,
S.»d'i the Italian, ..N'DY SCHRELEVIOUS, IMIIONIC P-h5QUJ92.LE, PEIE G1.IiT'£R;
FRJIK AUSTIN 1!: JIM ELLE. That was the bunch. I never heard of erg
parties by ELSHOFF or U.M.I. In Spring of 1937 we were told in the
Mine that we were working on a temporary agreement like old cont:-no-92-,,
I just dent recall if anything was said about book puy. Us felt that
our P.M..-I. officers could do ea good for us us U.hI.. Just before
Hine B closed there was no trouble about the wages. PLo'reH &"COTT¬!N
came to my hcme before Mine B closed Lind they told me that we could
not work without an £1-greement but that 11.11.17. could get I-n agreement.
I told them I would not sign my none to anything. Mine B never said
to me onjhing about the wage agreement. Before Mine B closed I did
not o to any meeting; but there might have been one. I worked in Boxgon day Mine B elosed and I loaded 2 oars 8: ha-d no more
cool OJ--1 up to porting and sow some old mun who-also did not
know of uny trouble. Ho one came to our section J: sLid mine was to be
closed. after I got on top I hoard all the men were culled out. I heard
the trouble woe booouse on &f;r6e* cI1t was not signed. That is ell I
know about it. I heard that in some ports they were loading short but
in my ourt we all loaded full oi-rs. Next day I:-ter liino B closed I
don't remember if they pioketed or not at liine E. I never signed any
U.I!.'.'. Petition in earner oi I937 dz I don't know if I signed one for
P.}l..o.. or not as I still wus Progressive. No one asked me to join
U.;-1.3. loco]. 6: I her-rd they had opened it from the papers. During
sunner of 195? I don"-: L-new of anything happening. I also hoard t-hot
some men from Nine B went to work ct Jefferson liine éo I else heard that
F...LCET'lI woe there too 6: I 1.180 hoard that EIBHUFF WE-s running it for
e while. In full of 1937 I went out first day 6: they wouldn't let
any 2.}-5. . men go down but did let that some bunch of 15 or so go
down 6: next day we started the strike: that lasted for some time.
FRLCETTI let then go down. I went out to the strike about half the
time & I would go hcme when I wanted to. Ho one forced no to go out.
The nen were all from loool 54. I went to protect my job ll-s I bed
$25.00 worth of tools in the mine. I donit see any 'U.Ii.I'. non t I-iine
during the strike. It was 1; quiet and peaceful strike. We protected
mine property & took 3 hr. wv-toh ouch night. We hnd no guns. I was
not Qt Mine B when U. S. ML"-rshnll oune out us I hlld left 5 dtkye before.
I did not go out to Mine B lomzroe I reed in paper they were going,
to ooen it us U.M. T. no I didn't go out. I voted at first 1i.L.R.I~i.
election at .'.rmory in Springfield, Ill. J: I voted for P.H..I.. I was
in meeting hell & we wont over in groups of about ten. No one told
no new to vote. he were told to get our bullets at the armory. Between
Armory Ic our hull I sow sevorul men giving out ppers but I did not
take any. -It was by secret ballot 8: it ID-5 1. good election - no
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ma. d0'1'Z1'92' L. LEWIS, ET L.
INTERVIFF TITH trouble ut ell. I heard that later Mine B was toq be re-opened but I didn't go out. I heard that
continue ! 7 EISHOFF would have nothing to do with Progressives
even tho they won the election. In fall of 1939
I think I ct u letter tolling me to go out to work. I went out afterc¬;m6 to my house & said I hod to go out in 3 days & I
wen ou on second day 6: I was told my place had caved in &= thtt they
would let me lmcrw in u week or so 8:: sane one later told me to go out 8:
I did. I paid to P.1l.n. $33.00 in dues after I returned to work. after
I worked u while T<I*'*Bq_xUaI§i=..HTE~I asked me in the wash room ct Mine B
when 1 wus going to Sign over to v.Mnr. s I did Be I figured I bed bet-
ter sign before some one punched me. Ho just told me it was better to
join. This was about Jen. or Feb. 16-th, 1941 when I signed up. At
Mine B, BILL SIRTOUT, who is new in the army, asked me almost every
day when I was going to join U.H..H'. but he never threatened me. This
was before TONY sow me. No one hurt me or did C11;-ago to my cool.
EIBHJFF 8: FALCETTI never asked no to join U.H..'I. I didn't sign any
card for U.2.{.lT. in Blnr of I940 but I new S.e.1!1TY go around in Mine B
with some kind of curds but I never signed. I belonged to P.L£.1..
so didn't have to sign any cords with them. I voted at second H.L.R.B.
election at nrmory. Before we hud to go to big meeting at Redmt-.n's
Hell 6: Edmundson 4!: wus , there A: we ht-d to go 6:
vote in groups of ten. i no pey any attention to their speeches
=5: I still voted for P.l!.h. It ms u good election. U.Ii.'":'. bod non P-ll
around the election booth. U.1-Hi. brot all kinds of new men to I-{inc
B and they cu-me fran all pl£.oes é: that is how U.I.!."I. won as they got
more men in at Mine B. Ho one forced me to vote ct second N .l1.B.
election. -Then I returned to Mine B they he-d bod air. Box was ingood condition but Boxgever were opened. I never he d of 21
fire at Iiine B while it wus c osed. nfter I joined U.1~{.TI they fined
me 50 cents for not going to u meeting E: I complained to BOH.»1TN~J1~T
about it because I was too old to go. I don't think I attended 0.
meeting 'wheretI11ked .
"I hove hud gent-'reud this seven '7! pt-go stl-tonent
to me end it is correct to the best of my recollection é: I hove signed
it of my own free will. <
"witnesses:
S 00¢ Isgtu F0301; '
Specie]. Agent, St. Poul, Minn.
Springfield, Ill.
Sept. 8, 1943.
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Re: J01-N L. LEWIS, ET AL.
E~$TERVIEw +1 H The followin invest ation was conducted Special
Agents an|- ' Spring nois on Sept 91-h, 1943
I
and
He stated he had never
that although he is rather old he
swerecl them intelligently, and if
make a good witness if necessary.
Agents obtained from him the following signed statement
Sept 9, 1943 '
the
the
out I
Noth sor
"I was born
-and became a
at Springfield in
bo
since which time I have not
"During the 5 years from 1932 to 1937, the P,1£1*. and the
Mine '3 officials had no unusual trouble, there were no shut--downs
or work stoppages during this time. Neither Elshofi or Falsettir B, 1943 in
ents were advised bylhat he B
wen - 19-., __ .__ he was -ll
hstions of Agents
been arrested in his life, It was noted
readily understood the questions and a.n-
it were not for his illness, he would
Ill make
enough to talk
have been made to me to procure this statement
Icameto the-US in
JOJ.1'18d a mine U1'1lOf1
'1e.r.c: a union office. I flfu
and worked there until 1937
except for one month in
1939 after the mine opened Prior to 1932 the U M .1, at Fine B
a ma 1-. an-f. .-.11 nnn nu 92-1+}? F.ishnff' so far as T know In 1932 I GD I'92 _ uvvauuu wv bww ----D 1. . ----- _i------ ~- _7- __ _ -i _ _ __ _ _
joined the P.H.A. when all the others d1d__I felt then that there should
be only one union for the min rs, I took no active part in changing
' to P,1.{,A.. just went along with the rest,I have
went to work in ' a ut
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R8: JOHJ L. LEWIS, ET LL.
EL; MITH ever said anything to me about wanting to get P.I£.A.
out at Mine B and getting U.M.H. back. I heard that
the union officials had some trouble with Elshoff
over the contract and his wanting to get U.M..J. back.
Before 1937 the P.M.n. seemed to get along OK with their own officials.
F.H.a. dad not seem to have any more trouble with crooked leaders than
any other union; there are always some men in every uion trying to get some
thing out of it. I heard at this time there were some men in P.H.A.
carrying stories to the Bosses about what happened in the union. I
did not go to P.H.A. meetings because I lived out in the country and
under the agreement did not have to. I would attend election meetings
and that was about all. There was never any question in my mind as to
the dealings of Piia. officials with union money; assessments in P.n,a.
were about the sane as in any union. From 1932 to I937 I don't recall
the U.H;J. ever picketing at Mine '3' nor do I remember any U.M.W.
literature being distributed at the nine. I don't know whether there
were any men in the P.M.a. trying to organize for the U.H.W. Before
the mine closed I heard some P.M.a. board nembers say they did not want
the nine to close. There were 12 men in the P.N.a. before the mine
closee organizing for the U.M.h. they never asked me to join over
but I heard of their activities,-I dont recall their names now. I
never knew about Els *ff giving any parties for U.H{I. officials or
they for him.
"I remember hearing about the contract running out in the
Spring of 1937. I heard they had a temporary agreement, but never
heard anything about back pay. I was satisfied with the nay our union
officials were handling this matter. The miners were mad about there
being no eortract but there were no fights or other trouble. I never
heard anything about what the Co. had to say about the wage contract.
"I did not go to any meeting the night before the mine shut
down. I heard about it and about some U.H.E. men being chased out of
the union. I worked on Hay 12, 1937. I did not know anything about the
fact that there would be a strike on that day, I uorked'a1l day and
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Re: JOIN L. LENIS, ET AL.
iwwsnvzsw MITH "1 did not return to work when they tried to open the
mine in Sept. 1937. _ T301113 two weeks after the strike
!UOI113lIHl&:C§; started Jolwa Sé'§ieder"'a.nd a couple of men came and
asked me what kind of a union member I was not to be
at the mj_11¬:. 1. day or so later another member took me out and I stayed
for A days an then rah off and went home. I asked this other man to takeme out after ¬zFi1i'§BerE' and the others had called to see me. I would
root have gone if it hadn't been for this. They did not threaten me just
talked kind of rough. The men I saw at the strike were all local 54 men.
I don't know of anyone else who was rude to go
t'n<.- min=;' when the mrshsll came and chased the
"I did not go to the mine when they
1937. I don 't know whether I Lem-: about it orto the mine, I was not at
men cut.
tried to open it in Sept.
nut. '
"I voted in the first N.L.R.B. election. I went from home '
to the armory, nobody forced no to go. It was a good honest election
by secret ballot. I think I voted P.H.r.. I never saw any U.!=E..c. men near
the ..rmory when I went to vote.
"I did not go to the mine when they tried to open in Jen. 1938.
"I hoard the reason the mine was not opened after FALL.
won the election was because Elshoff didn't want P.H.£.. I heard the
reason Elshoff could keep the mine closed was because John Lewis was
paying him. I heard something about Elshoff opening up the Jefferson
Mire and not being able to make it so he closed.
mfhcn the nine opened in 193-3, came to my room
and 5'1id I had to come to work in two days or I we o_o_5e my job; I ms
sick at that time. I had previously had a letter telling mo to come
sack to work but had not gone. I went out after came tosee me; I we sick walking with a cane. Fails! L la! me go back___I wentback in bozzgf-.s boiiwhere I had worked was caved in __ I made L44 for 4
days work 3 befor quite as I was unable to work. Aft-er I Went
back to work nobody asked nento join the u.n.n. I did not vote at the
second N.L.R.B. election as I was out when this was held. T-"hen I Went
back to Zine 'B' I guess the mine was in fair shape. I never did rejoin
the U. 1151'.
"1 have had igcnt read to mo
written statement to me as I have some trouble
of my knowledge it is all true and correct. Ithis eight page hand-
reading. To the best
on therefore signing
this of my own free will.
Simod __. J . h
"'.itn<.-ssed:
/S/ Socc. 1181». F.B.I. Hi1w.!
Special ..gent, F.B.I- St. Paul, Inn.
Sprirg 1C , . Sept. 9, 1943
-186-
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view it was o p is an intelligent person and possesses a
very good nmsry. no t anxious to cooperate in every my pos-sible. He Lmpres s as being a thoroughly honest and reliable sort oi I
e._ M _ II if WITH 5 1943, Special. ,1 '92" interviewed home,Springfield, this inter-1
furni hel some very interes ' information and it is believed that hiorscn, and it is believed that the izzfomstion given by him is the truth.
wcu .. make on excellent witness. dvises that he has no criminalrecord. The following signed stotemon! was furnished by_
! I l e! p ing 1
.q|~.r92+ 12"UrIuj .|,v
give the following information to
and ore known to me to be Special Agents o e . . .
three or pr ses have boon mode no to give this information.
_ "Since Doc. I938 I have been o digger <1: company man at Panther Creek
#5. I storted at Nine s in 1954 s worked till Lib-Y 1951' when 1; r~ Iwas e member of P.I-1.1%. when I str-1-ted ut Mine B. I was born
6: cane to U. 3. int-'6: became e citizen int . lzrst JolrleoU.1'¬.'="!. around linois 6: I never hs.TB office. Between
I954 E: 193? I 1 P.l.!.A. miners got along fine with P.H..A. officials k
officials of Mine B. I remember that some time before Mine B closed I had n
cold 8: I went out to Mine B 6: told them I wasn't going down to work. While I
was in the wash-house, DOKIHIC PASQUALE, PETE CJZRTER, FRAIIK AUSTIN A: a few
other men all of whom favored U.k1.W. were el so in the wash-house 5: after the
P.l~I.!.. miners went down when the whistle blew OSCAR FLLCETTI cone into the
wash-house 6: I sow: him win}: at FRANK AUSTIN s he .-ma It didn't work" eI.USII192' said, we will got them tomorrow. I told this lifter to the }'.I~.-'...F:. officials. I don't recoil of anything happening that day but I think CARTER
4!: AUSTIN had been expelled from P.M.A. already. Between 1934 6: 195? to the
best of my knowledge most of the P.M.!.. minors were satisfied with local #54
8: it was run by tho men 6: not by a few. I was not native but did gopto e lot
of the meetings. In regard to the men sent to jail for the bombing I 8: others
felt that they were roilroeded & wore not guilty. 13.11.11. officials made re-
ports as to what they did with the money. Once they had a IO? essesmnent but -
otherwise there were no outstanding spogisl assessments. Before Mine B closed
U.l.I.W. men never picketod the iiine B. "ut before iiine B closed there was n
group around Mine B who were for U.H.W. and they were SAIMY; ANDY SCHOELEVIOUS:
?.:'&SQU.!LLE} CARTER; AUSTIN; TONY PLOTCH; "COTTON" ANANIAS; B SIRTOUT§; E. E
mom JACAWAY; BOWLING GREEN as JIM HALE and I heard that these men were try-
ing to get the Mine B closed A: were supposed to have said that if tho Mine
didnt go ove_r to U.M.W. it would be closed and I heard they bod gone around
' -137-
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PE: JOHN L. LEWIS, El AL
c ntinuc about that. I never heard oi any parties ELSHOFF gave for
U.I.h. but I used ts see lot cf wiske bottles in the rearof the office of Mine B 6: I heard that ELSHOFF l-. FIICETII did have parties at
Mine B for U.li.'-3. men. _ ' -INTEP. J WITH & talked ts men but they never contacted me. I guess about
6 or 7 of the above were expelled from P.l.l.A. us I heard
In spring of 193? I recall that the contract ran out 8: we were told
we were working pending a settlement 8: that it would be retro-active to April
lst 6: thet the contract would be based on the Illinois contract. The P.H..A.cnnmittee of-and others tcld us this. I thet things would be as they
always were in reg:-.rd to the contract. I never heard any men complaining n-
bout their wn,;es over this contract 6: there were no slow-downs ever it. I
hoard that svme of the abcve expelled men were not fired dc that FLLCETTI told
the 1'.M.h. Cerrmittee that he would not fire them. I never heard management
say e thing about wages.
I don't recall if I attended 0. meeting on 5-ll-37 er not. I did
net lmcw there vms to be a strike when Mine B closed on 5-12-37. That morn-
ing there was some rumor nrouncl that there night be some trouble. If I re-
cell PJ.-I.A. was supposed to see ELSHOFF ebeut these expelled men. I loaded
full curs but because of n full the driver teak out several short cars. No
cne told me to load any short nor did I know it was being dnne. Around 2:30
cr 2:45 p.m. cur driver told us it was quitting time 6: we ccne out. After Igot cn bf-p I heard the mine was cn strike. I heard "mated to have the
Company re-instete the contra-ct 8: they wouldn't so e cu ed the men out. I
did net hear it was ever those expelled men. For severel 9292reek__ the mine was
picketed. I never sigqed any petition for U.H.¢'-'., but I did sign one for
1- .M.1.. es there was s rumor that U.l-5.?"-. was claiming s lot 8: petition Wes got-
ten up to see haw riywers fcr P.l!.A. 6: I signed it at union officeof my own
free will. I heard vi 0. U.l.I.'1'-. petition being cut. I recall of signing; a
P-.H.A. petiticn in the 1-'-ll of 1937 & no one forced me tc sign it. I heard
of U,l.{.lJ. forming e new local 6: I heard they were going from home to hens but
I never was approached. I~.2l.A. held their regular meetings as usual in summer
of l937 6: I don't recall cf Ln hinv unusual happening in summer of 193?. Iheard the of a fellow named # gottinr beet u b csss. summon8: sncthe? fellow. I heard the some ino men ! worked
at Jefferson Aline while 1-Iine B was clc-sad. I thi ear u ILCETTI
being there. In fall of 193? I went to I-Iine B first day they tried to reopen
6: I heard from the ether miners I would have to sign up with U.M.f.". in order
to 50 down so I didn't gc do-Wn as I would nct sign over to U.l=!.1T. I had not
attended any previous meeting when they decided whet to do." I read cf Hins B
re-opening in the papers. I heard u ca;-:0 cr two of men went dawn. Both JAM»
HAYS went down 6: I think TONY PLOTCH tee es I saw them myself. The law Ins
out there too but things were quiet. Next naming the sit down strike started
dz the group who went down first day were in office 8: sheriff lot them go out.
-188-
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RE: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL
IEFTERVIE-" WITH I went out for lst week :1 sit down & then went to Detroit
fur n month &= then returned tn Bit-dcnwn fer few days 1!: liar-
shnll came out 8; told us to leave 1: there was no trouble.
-L stew nc nutsiders -- just local #54 men were on sit-dorm strike. Ho one
i:-reed mt tc :0 nut. I that ELSHOFF might get tired of us & sign e contract.
It was quict E: pes.c0fL11..- There were rumors that U.H.W. were going to bring
men in but it never teak place. I heard of re-opening the mine in Dec. 193'?
but did n.-t 3-: ;ut because r.--i the injunction being served on us. I voted at
192I.L.I-;.B. electien in Amery. It was by secret ballot E: I voted because I
vmnted to be with I-.M.!1. e ne one forced me to vote 8: it was an ht-nest elec-
ti'in. I thin}: we went ts unicn hall first 6: then went over in groups. We
had heard U.L£.W might have some men out so we went in groups. A meeting washeld <1: Explained purp-"so cf electicn & he said to us we can vcto theany we wnnct"; n <2: he did nzt say tn me tr vcte for l.l.I.I.. Across from llrnrt-ry
& rn inside I saw n fmv U.H.}T. men 6: FRJJEK AUSTIN was an inside but I did not
see than -jive nut literature 8: they Cid ntt bother us. I heard again that they;
tried tn re-open it in Jan. 19258 as U.I.I.-:1. 6: that was why I didn't go out. I 3
heard that EI..SI:£>FF would net sign any .1 .M.i.. cfntrz-.ct & another rumcr was ELS- .HOFF get mr ney from U.LI..Yv'. I went ts. wcrk in -Uec. 1958 at 1-anther Creek Mine. i
I :1cn't recall of gutting n letter from Ziine B saying for me tr come to work.
I later went out tc I -line B tn get my tools Z: FALCETTI asked me if I was com-
ing back 5: I tcld him I never wculd under U.H.Y¢'. & he just grinned at no.
I never had anything mere t:. dc with line B since then. llltho Ican re-ac. English I have h:.6. Agentqrcnd this seven ! page statement to
me rt it is true & er. rest ta the b-:5 *1 recr-llecticn and I also recall thatAu"-ust 937 1 6* W&I'O walking ..1m5Fin 3 ri -T '01" 1. sew in tei : OSCAR FALCYT
ed both .2 us :ver to the car w 1C was parked dz we asked. him whc.c_T
he was doing 6: he said they wentei tc see 1'1"W many nen were gning ta the U.M.W¢f
nesting & he asked us why we were not up there 6: we told hit: we had no busin-
ess up there 6: he vented to take us out ts buy us a drink but we refused. I
have hm. I92.[92Cl tn no this nditiwll information too &- I em signing this of my
:wn free will ."
. J nx _ A _
peciel Agcn r.1.>.I.,I '" ' -i __Spec . -gt . F. .I . l=11lw.!
Springfield, I11.
sapt. 13, 1943'
- 189 -
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Re: JOHN L. Lens, ET AL -,
at his residence,
Springfield, Illinois on the
7 19 S cial Agents|iiiuEiuliiH!rwould not, an a r memory. H
self very well. He furnished the following signed
"Springfield, I11
September 7, 1943.
I was hm at
th following statement to and
who ha ' ' u ve identified therse ves o me 0 be
Bureau of Investigation. No promises,
threats, or consideration of any kind has been made to me to have me
sign this statement.i
err ma e a goo I ss
does not expess hrs
statement:
SO
"I started to wcnk at Mine B in July 1940. My father was
working there at that time and took me out to work. I had been working
at the Jefferson mine before I went to Mine B. It was a UMW mine, and
I was a member of the UEW when I went to work out there at mine B.
The Jefferson min was the first mine that I had everxlworked at.
While I was at Mine B, I did not see any violence or fights
of any kind. I did not hear anything about organizing at Mine B. I
thought it was already a mindne, and I did not talk to anyone about
switching, and no one talked to me about the unions. I did not see
any organizing on company property. I heard about such things going on,
but do not know of it personally. I voted at the election held for mine
B at the Annory in 1941. That was a fair election as far as I know.
I never saw any preference or favoritism of th copany for one union
over the other. I never saw any violence out there by either union.
"I have read the above statement on this page. It is all
true and accurate.
<eeed> l
Agent FBI
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C
ms: JOHN L. LETIS, ET AL-
iiI'lEHV I ET "IITHr-viewed st
_...IJUU q'f"t|'U 'lUlII
cooperative. If deemed necessary, he would be a satisfactory witness
to testify to those matters set out in the following statement:
!5P L gr
$ make the following voluntary state-ment to , both of sham have identified them-
selves as sing Special Agents o the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
No threats or premises _gr_. been made to induce me to make 0- statement.
was
$ide u
sinceand oresently re-
lieve been u miner off and cm
S. I became e. citizen in_und the U-.M.'n'. in 9 I have never held an office in ny
union. I first started wor ng ut Mine B in about July of 1940 as a
timbcrmun. I worked es a Timber-mun et Peabody 1-E59 frcm about 1930 until
1940. I had not been getting along very well at Peabody, which we-s
o. United Mine, and decided I would go over to Hine B to get u job.
F.~a.LCEIII had promised me u job at Mine B in about 1928 or 1929, but
I never -ot the job then. I blew OSCAR FALCETTI of course, but
didn't KAUW him very well.
"»Tnen I went out to see FhLCE'I'TI About it job in 194-0, he E-sked
me whet kind of o job I wanted, und I sr-id I had been o timbemnn, so
he said he needei timbermen, because the mine wus in bud shepe. FnI£E{TI
didn't ask me whet union I belonged to and didn't any anything as to
whet union I should join. About the next day after I started work
ct iiino B, one of the Committeemen from United asked me whet union I
belonged to.
standing I told them I
of o cord and they had
B. I worked at Mine 3
_...__.. T -._|-_ _._ l92 |._£...92-LU -USU .L W4-*5 K-ll-I» H LLLBILU
my old job be-ck at #59
pleyee at #59.Since I was u member of the UJMI. ut Peabody in good
was n U.I~E.'J. mun. I than signed acme kind
my curd transferred from Peabody over to Mine
until January of 1942 and quit at tht-t time be-I
ehift and didn't like to work nights; I got
than because I could work days. I mm still em-
"whilo I ems at Mine B I never hod uny trouble with ay Of
the men about union hctivities. I don't know ugything about mgr
trouble Lt the Mine - I heard about men fighting, but I didn't see
any of it. I wile never u member of Progressive, but always got f-long
fine with the member of Progressives. I've olxmys been friends with
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i;j1'j'§%ff1:. -=1-E 3 *1-t=3 - - - -4!OOn"C|1IU.18Q Ias: JOHN L. I..E I1S, ET AL.
INTERVIET TITH everybody and didn't oare what union I1 men be-
longed to us long I--e he was n friend of mine»
"I voted in the election of February 19$].
while employed at Mine B. This election was at the Armory und waspeeceable as for as I know. I do not know anything about the strike
-it H1118 B in 193792-
"This 5u¢<.imen'£ of 5 pages hlls been rend to me l_
and it is true to the best of my memory.
"Witncssed: -
o
Speoiel Agents, F¢B-I .,
:1UISO Dgpto of JuS15i06-
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n- _ rm-r|.1 THE: U92ll'1192 -I-I
INTEHVIEK TITH
was presently making
mentioned instant investigat
bad situation at the mines.
an independent thinker and
not because of any threats.
speaks good Englalthough his ini'ormation is rather1;
.
cial igenq
stated
had not
his t was a
stated that he had always been I
.21.-T. because he wanted to and
ish and is above average in intelligence,
limited. There is set forth below the
signed statement executed by -2t the time of this interview.
H .
u_/ my pg!-92-92-vi 92
or promises have been made to me to Springfield, Illinois
September E; 1943
the following voluntary statement to
both oi whom have identified themselves
.Bu.re-an of Investigation, Bo threats
induce me to make a statement.
"I was
my home address is
Arm for the .st 3 pa two years.in about Ausust, 1940. My father, Mseen irrt e ni e States
recall I started to "work at 33i.ne B
is a miner and hadworked at Hine B for a long tine. I eon -nor mg for
and was only making about in-"In dollars a week and I thou: t cou e
more money in the mines. I had neverta -i 1 .1 onged to any uni on before var inb , a. 0
not remember whether I joined as so-on as I stzrted to work or whether it
was Later.
"I was not threatened in any way nor did I see anyone else beaten or
thre otened. I joined U.H.=-'. because my Dad belonged to that union. I
worked at Mine B until the latter part of September, 1 41 t which tine-_ . . G .
0 ' '. -r '
"I do not remember who hired me at ine B. I Just went to some
man and told hie that I wanted a job. He put ne to t'ork- as a digger.
No one told me I had to join any un
anything about any union trouble at
it. 'ion in order to work. I don't knot
the mine, I never paid any attention to
"I have read the above statement and declare it to be true and
§ - 3 " '
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Re- mm L. m»1'5, ET AL
DITEHVIET. -,,;I-T correct to the best 0/==-/ j
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RE! L0 ET M-Lo
INTERVIEW! WITH was
s resides -Illinois; was cooperative and Be could be '
used es a witness, if necessary, although the information furnished
by him is not particularly petinent. His statement is as follows:
"Springfield, Illinois
September 9, 1943.
i . .. .... I"' meme the '1O.L.LUWiD-g volmtery Statement
to both of when have identified
themse ves as rel Bureau of Investigation.
No threats or premises have been made to induce me to make e stilts-
ments
I1I was born and came to the
I b 1. now reside T I U. s. in ec me 1 as
I A I started mining
. "'11E'!!!!'!"n .M.W'. I st
and prior to thut I hud worked at the
years. The Old Nest Mine shut down
B and see if I eould get e job. I went to see CBCAR FJ~.LCElTI, went
. .. . .. 1. .J92 .__,_1_1_ -r92_.11D66l..L_ztto 586 him two or three tunes, hn ne guve me u Jon. J. Ii--0
of work for about two ears. I had belonged to Progressive when Iwas at the * 1 got ca job ne timbermun at Mine a for
tw o thre n s 'n then I tnrtod to di coal o r o mo , s e g .
"When I went to Mine B I was n member of Progressive, I went
every month and registered when I wee out of work.
"men FALCETTI hired me he didn't say anything about any
union. After I had worked for about two or three days. S0.nmy
came and asked me to join U.Id.l?. I told him I would and I signed
up with U.1£.f¥. I joined because I thought the majority belonged
to U.14.'I. I heard that; there were fights at the Mine but I never saw
any and no one ever bothered me. I
I voted in the HIRE election at the State A1!-'01'Y in 1941.
The eleetion was quiet and there was no trouble of any kind. No one
told me to vote or threatened ne in any W-ye I have neter held
en office in any union; l
"I never sew FIILCETTI at Punther Creek Mine, but I did
see him at =1 picnic ubeu-our ego. When he hired me he
-196-
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5 RE: JGHN 1.. mus, ET ALL-
I<
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-1.ill INTERVIEW "ma an not know me, I told him I had met him an n ' d t "boo loan a o he couldn't x _ pzonio but he an 1 ms 5 5 ,
" Qoontlnuedg reme.":.ber=
5"I have :_'en.d the above atatemant and declare it to be trus
8-nd correct to the best of my memory-
aA _
"Witnesses:
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Re: JOHN L. 1_.'~:<;'1s, er AL
who resides 1 K _ ' rtvir": WITH
= l was
Q tement. He is friendly toward the
government and related how hisfather, many years ago was "railrcoded" into
the penitentiary by John L. Lev».-is. He further related confidentially that
he Izne-.-: Lewis and Edmundson and that neither were "worth the powder to '
blow thew. to hell".
-executed the following signed statement:
"Springfield, Illinois
September 8, 191.3. '
I make the following voluntary statement to Dnd , both of Whom have identified themsel
as Special Agen s in .0 _e es-:11 Bureau of Investigation. No threats or
promises have been made to me to induce me to make a statement.
"I was born on
I have worked in co-:1 mines for years, and joined the
U.Z.I.'.f. in about 1927. I never e any o ice in any union. I started at
iine B in December, 1939 or January 19.10 and got a Job as a digger. I
had been sick before that and hadn't worked for a year or so. '
"I heard that Liine B was hiring men so I went t o Oscar Falcetti
and asked him for a job. I didn't know him before this. He asked me
what union I intended to join and I told him I didn't think it was any
of his buinoss, that when the time came I would make up my mind. He did
ask me if I was a member in good standing in U.H..~T. and I told him that I
w':snt. However, he gave me a job. T
"After I had been there for about a month I was approached by
both unions, each wanting me to join. The U.1£.?!. men told me they had a
majori ty but I was not threatened or intimidated in any way by either group.
"After about six or eight reeks I finally joined U.!i.B. The
reason I joined this union was because I had been a United line Worker
before, I had no peISOI1£11 likes or dislikes for either group.
"I worked at line B for about six months and during this time I hadconsulted :1 doctor concerning some trouble I had 'Ihe
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at no time was Ic <5
Re: J0i-Bi L. IE-TIS, ET AL
doctor told me I couldn't work in the 31111168 anymore, so
1 guit Kine B.
"I know nothing directly concerning the
ever subjected to any violence or abuse
read the above statement end dealer
correct to the best of my memory.
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rSpecu gents, FBI
U. S. Dept. of Justice
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RE: JOH L. LEWIS, ET AL
was interviewed st his residenne,
Spe- ii WITH
September 7, 1945.
He started working in the
of union activity at Nine "B". He understands and speaks English well
advised that when a young man he was arrested on e disorderly conduct
for being drunk, and spent several days in jail.born
springriela, I11. - -
Sept; '1], P
make the follw st-, Sprin field 111.,teen whom I know to be Special Agents of the F of Inves iga ion.
make it without fear of threat, force or praniss of any kind.
I first started
when I first
e member of I was born
working in coal mines
joined the United Mine 5 of America
UMW ever since. I have never been e member of any other union.
For about years before the susr of 1940 I didn't work andin thes e1 I11..
who name nno s e, HERB. n.-.. Qwhere I was ivin on e farm tht Mine "B" was hiri a ecu e a ob. _ 1 E a E50 I cane up to Springfield and went to work in Minen§B". Ho one ever saidanything about me working there because I was UHF. Ive been wnrking at Hine
B ever since.
During the time I have been employed at line "B" I have never seen
any efforts on the pert of either UMW or PKL, the Progressive Union, to organ-
ize at Kine "B". Bock in 1940 I heard there were some fights, but I never
have seen any.
I remember voting in n Notional Labor Relations Board election
in Feb. of 1941 when UMH beat PML. I was not forced or threatened in any way
end I believe it was s fair election.
I have never held an office in any local around Springfield, and
I do not false any interest in union activities and I attend very few UH meet-
ings.
"1 think the UHW is the best organization in the World, altho I do
believe some of the officials are not true to the organization. I would not
work in the mines under any other union.
n
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RE: JOHN L. LETIS, ET AL
INTEPwii* wiii I am certain I know nothing of any organizing orunion activities at Kine "B", especially from the timnzcontinued, I went to work there until the NLRB eiection
"This statanent of two pages has been read to me and it in true and
correct to the best of my knowiedge.
. ' SIGNED -
5 Special igent - F51
pecial Agent, F.3.I»
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LEIIIS, er 14..1. - - .. ,- --» ....,_ _ -..-- _"_._.-. A
o
INTZRVIET '-iITI-I WEB interviewed S eoiel
**B@=*== and
stated
to poor health and that since that time he had not been interestedin any type oi work. Hseemed to be highly resentful of
this fact end it is be eve e has e rather distorted view
point town life in general. Although he stated he had never been
arrested, stated he had been aooused on several oooasiens
' in tools e ' -of steal 5that he had been P6390666 ey tne hy one 92
the mine. It is believed he would make an un
reliable witness. There is being set forth below the signed state-
ment exo outed by
ment
themselves us pec"Springfield, Illinois
September 8, 1943.
the following voluntary state-
both of whom hi-we identified
n.gG1'1C5 Bureau of Inve stigation.
No threats or prcnises have been mode to me to induce me to make a
stotenent.
born in
field
yea
H _J-15
worked there
IIICield, Illinois and was
I have lived in Spring-hool after We years
nd'doddjbf 1 r orE I '
d 1 o s or a ooup e o years. 1 ether,
s working at Mine 3 and had been there for about
to his retirement about two years hgo
I reooll I went to work at Mine B in nugust, L-3&0 and
working at until about n ril 1942. I had been
£1 881'} WOTOD ' and ust bet r I we
My father asked meF5
if I wanted to go to work at Mine B, I would, so I
went out with him. When I started to work my father belonged to U.
M85. I don't remember who hired me, but I guess it was the Superintendent.
I went to work us a digger. I don't remember just when I joined U.H.92'I.
but that was the union I joined. The reason that I joined U.I!.92'I.___i . ._..~-was because I felt that u.Li.u. was in the majority. I -s-as no-rer eoaten
or threatened in any-way to get me to join any union. The only fights
I was in at the mine was about sane tools Iwus aocused of stealing.
"I voted in the NLRB oleetion in the Armory, probably in
February 1941, but there was no trouble and no one told mo how to
vote.
.
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RE; JOHN L. LEWIS, E1 AI.-1
INTERVIEE "I have read the nbove atutement an it is
' true to the best of my memory. I don't know- continued an bin about the strike or whbt unused it and Ft E I
I have never been aware of uny unto fights» I
its never bothered in anyway by either uio and didn't have to join
any union to get my job at Mine B,
"iitnessod
Specie agents, F.B-1.,
U. S. Dent. of Justioeq"
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Re: JOHN L. nzwzs, ET AL
5 IIIT"i_3i'*i1~[. IITH was interviewed by Sicial Agents
,;.: ~-. aw._ x
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1-.coo rat-!ve an :.n!1!!!!! mngnP£.government. Although the information furnished by him is not believed to be
particularly vital, it is felt that he would be a satisfactory witness totestify to those matters set out in the following statement which he furnished- - ° aP=*""a ¢I - d e assist the
' ' "Springfield, I11__
Sept-__ s, 1943 -
- "T. make the following voluntary statement to
of whom have identified themselves as
ederal Bureau of Investigation. No threats or
PQlnstl !r>e|l t Fromises have been made to induce me to make a statement.
"mined H" U I W
the time when Elshoff was the receiver for the
about 75% of our wages and the 25$ was kept by
Falcetti around there a lot and I guess he wasI started minine in a
for Elshoff when he opera
on and off except when as shut"1 was born
to the U. S. in
presently live at
'_' ,ne .d.U. a
com. .a mine c osed about inmbut
I worked at the Jefferson Mine for a .reeI and came
. in a
and
I h ne 111$years and worked there
mine. e were only paid
the mine or Elshoff. I saw
the manager of the mine.
' "lifter I left the Jefferson & Brewenton mines I worked one winter
J-.4»-e
thine: after ens? I not a job at _ for lui _..-, .. .. - _ _. _ V _about that place and was out of work
of 1940 when I got a job at Mine B. I have been at Mine B since that time.
'-fhile we ran the Jefferson mine on a cooperative basis there was no union,
but when it was taken over by Elshoff it was nrogressive. When the mine
was operated by Brewenton he kept $10 back from each pay check § he was
supposed to give the men a deed for some land. I think there were fivetrustees elected; ho now works at
Peabody 59; and the ree me remem r. These menhandled all the details Q I believe they were to receive deeds for oil or
mineral rights in return for Brewenton keeping -$10 from each pay check.
"In August of 191.0 I -went to see Faloetti about getting a ob
at mine B. I had been on the t committee at before2 L I nus also trustee for the U.M..".'. focal at dine o rms, t
up until the last election.
"I had seen Falcetti several times in 1940 before he finally gave
me a job as a digger in August of l91;0. When I first got my job there was
no check off and nobody said I had to join e union. I had always been a
' @204-
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Re: JOHN L. LE-HS, ET AL
IHTEHVIE? KEIH strong united gen, although I did belong to ErogressivsI for e short time, when I started at Mine B I was
92con inued not a member of any union, but I think I signed up
before I started to work. I believe it was Albanese
or Cotton Ananias who asked me to sign a U.E.W. card so I signed it. I
don't like the idea of two unions in the coal business and I don't believe
I would have joined Erogressive even if they were the only one there. I
was not forced or threatened in any way to join any union. I never was
involved in any arguments at the mine g never saw any fighting during the
time I've been there.
"I haven't seen much of Fslcetti since I started at Hine B and so
I can't say if he favored any union at the mine-
"As I recall it now, the Jefferson mine was first run by
and then was operated by Elshoff under receivership, and during the time _ '"Elshofi was there it was 21-ogressive. After that, _g0t a loan
from the government and th mine was run by U.H.} men.
M1 ..____! &_ L» 1-we--:4-4-"i useu uu us quluc
union election in about July,
After reading this
now that Elshoff didn't startf92lI+-:I'P92 4»G-¢l:J.v5 LA!
I haven't
statementunion affairs, but since the lest
been attending union meetings.
I want to correct it by stating
operating unti1 about 1917-
-IIIIIIIIIII
"I have read over this statement of é pages and wish to state it
is true to the best of my memory.
1 I Ll L- ' 5
itnesses1% FBI
U, 5, pent of Justice"--IIIIIIIIIIIIIV - i-if
0 - _'
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Re: JOHN L. mas, m" AL.
f-_r_:.- meavzew mm: "as interviewed s cial Agents
- appeared
iv __ coopera ive possess no n orma on o value. He
92 Q could be used, however, if desirable, to testify to those matters contained
" in the following statement, which he furnished.
H" "I was born and presently live at
' 4;.-Ll Q ' ' - %-- -- - - 1In . . . Sept. 9, 1943
, - - Springfield, In.
both of whom have identified themselves
ederal Bureau of Investigation. No threats
or promises have been made to induce me to make any statement.make the following voluntary statement to
I
lne the ear{av J- 1-ec..-_ it no" I was first mploye_
of 1940 and quit in the spring of 1942.
S . _ I was working at ju t before I went to work at liine B
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-I2: -'| NI92I wasn't making any money at the
I went out quite a few times before I finally
a Job. I never knew Elshoff very well
knew himand wanted to qui
was given
a job working nights as a clean up I had never been a member of
any coal miners union before I worked there.VBHEE.
"As I recall it now, I worked there about two weeks before I
Joined the U.H.., I believe Bohannon was president of the local and a manby the name of r asked me to join. I was not threatened in any
way by emrone to" oih any union. I was not approached by anyone from
Progressive to Join their union. I figured 11.}-1-if, were in the majority
and joined them because of that fact, and also because I was asked to Join
progressive. I hoard there was a lot of fighting after I first started
but since I was working nights I didn't see many of those men. After I
worked there for about six months I was given a job as digger.
"Since I was a roofer by trade I decided I would tr;-' and get a Job
at that business. after the fire at liine B in 1942 I decided that was a
good time to quit so I got a job with th
"I voted in the ELRJ3 election in 1941 and as far as I know every-
thing was all right. I do not know anything about the strike in 1937.
when I first started at Zline B there was nothing said by either Elshoff
or Falcetti as to what union I should join and I never saw any acts of
favoritism by them towards either union.
-206-
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Re: L. wins, ALI
d1,1-1' statement of 3 P3895 anmEv In TH 5, gltgaiiaigaitoiirtruzsto the best of W memoryW S
Continued! /S/
"'j.Yitness8 S---1-Z'*1_ '
' Special agents, FBI
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RE: 303313. LEWIS, EI'..l.L-
1N'IERVIEfiiiITH was interviewed s s @111 Agent:-an dds; not speak very good never paid much attention to union
activities; that es fer as he was concerned they should only allow one unionto operate and that union should be the U.li.ii. It is believed that
would be e. poor witness. There is being set forth below the following
signed statement executed hy-
'September 9, 1945
Springfield, Illinois
ing voluntary s!a!
e have identified themselv s asvcstigation. Ho threats or promises have been made to induce me to make e.
statement.
and came to the e.s. in-
mining in about-and at"I was born
I became 0. U.S. citizen
that time I joined U.M.'..'.
"I started at Mine B in August of 1940. I had worked at Peabody
T-#53 for many years and I had to quit there because of a rupture. I had an
operation several times for this and didn't go back to Peabody.
"I worked on '{i.P..z~.. for a while and then I thought I could get a
job at Mine B. was working there but I didn't say anything
to- I went to Oscar Falcetti and asked him for a job. I know Faloetti,
but not very well. ivhen I asked him for e. job as digger he told me to bring
my tools. He asked me where I had worked before, and I told him. Faloetti.
didn't say anything to mo about joining any union.
Nobody said anything to me about joining any union but I wanted
to join U.H.?1'. so I did. No one asked me to join, or threatened me in any-
way. I had always been a United Kine Iiorker so that is why I joined agein-
. b.ed worked at ljiae B for a long time but I don't
think that is why I got the job. They needed men and hired me. I never saw
any fights at lline B, or had any trouble of any kind. I know nothing about
the strike in 1937.
"I have read the above statement and declare it to be true and
correct to the beet of my memory.
<-1 _
H1, l|g¬ntB' FoBnI0g U030 °£ Jutides .Tiitne
-208-_~A J "7---'-.' '.'* "_ " ,. - ~. I" -,1, '-_-_I_-_-r~_1-.."_ _' " - - ~ ; . -make the follow-
both of whom
era ureau of In-
t -.,..,.,_--.». '- - kl
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JOHN 1.. LFEIIS, er AL
INTERVIE:-I Y-TITH : 5P -n field; Illinois, was interviewed at his home, '
tembe 9 1943 by Special Agents-
teted he did not have a criminal
record. as a i cu time understanding and speaking
English an-1 would be e poor government witness as he is a member ofE.-1-
av -- a.-- __-$1-u>¢;v~1|__§"-
-.I ....__.
H: - vérlong standing in U151.
fnrnished the following statement:
' Springfield! I11.
September 9, 1943.
"I- 1@l<1- 111-- make the follclwing vclun er}; s a amen o end m:ho:n I know to be Special Agents o e edera reau o_ threats or rcmises have been made in obtain- V05 igation, no force, ping this statement and I knew that what I may say may be used in a
court of lav.
e1 was born i emigrated to theU. S. in-and became a no ura ize oi izen of the U. S. Ln
I became a member of the U117 in the U. S. in-and I have
been a member of 1'8?! since that date.
I em not active in the union and I have never held office.
-_ _-.- - .. . I -1 was e .LOT8 at the Springfield, In 1940 mp ,I11. This mine was only working a few Md that
line "B" was working every day and for that reason I went to Hine
"B" to obtain employment. In the Sumner of 1940 Oscar Faleetti gave
me 0. job at Line "B". I was not asked by Falcetti if I was a member
oi a union, but I showed him my UHT card as I was a member of U2?-'
at the Capitol Line.
I did not see an attempt to organize anyone at Iline "B"
nor did I see any fights over union matters. F0 one contacted me as
I was a member of U.1l.W.
I voted in the N.L.R.B. election in Feb. 1941 for UB7.
So far as I know the election was fair.
Ho one attempted to get me to join PIJA.
I to:-nod workinz at line B in I-ay 1943 and returned to' g If as than liine nee working every day and the
- 209 '-
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"B sinceJOHN L. LETIS, er LL
ine was not as hard as Mineo . :1» oi.continue I-tine E? is mine. I have had this statement consisting of two pages read tome and it is tzue and correct to the best of my knowledge.
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==- desirable witness. The following signed statement was obtained from him
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_as in erviewed is hone by Special Agent . W_ _' ! _ at h . ' e* * Illinois. he was
92 unable to furnish any informal ion o va ue. In n, he does not
3 xmderstand questions clearly and it is not felt that he would be a xi}
Re: JOHN L.LE.iiIS, ET AL.
ep . , 1943
I the following voluntary state-mcnt to wcial agents of the Federal
Bureau o nves 1g.- ion. o oa s or promises have been made
to induce me to make any statement.
I1 born and gang {.9 the; LS:in -ve been a H. o. C1.!1ZEn !'or years. I presently
live a
H
In about August of 1940 I went to sec Falcetti about a job
at line B. I had not worked in a mine for about l2 years, but be-
fore that time I had worked in the South I-line for many years. Ijoined the 'U.I-3.-1. in 1nd never belonged to any other union
besides the U.M.~'.
"I had been on the u'.P.A. just before 1 got job at iiine B.
I 1-cr;e'.'.' both Oscar & Jack Falcetti when they were working at the_ rrgine :1boutQ years ago. I heard they were hiring men
so went out to Iiine and saw "scar. He didn't ask me anything
about unions 8: told no to cone to work the next day. I worked there
a day or two when one of the United men came to me and asked me to
join United. 4-obody asked me to join the progressive union. I _
never saw any fighting while I was at Line B and nobody forced me
to join United. I do not know anything about the strike at lline B
in 1937.
"This statement has been read to me by
_. and it is true to the bc-st of my memory.8
M
"Tfitzicsse-s
1- 1 in 4fa] ! 1:-ial Agents, FBII > - en- or -m=e~'
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e_é -: born i and presently reside on I have been a member oi the . .3. union off and on for the
"- as years.F."
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RE: J9-mg 1__ .u:r*r1S, ET AL.
I1T'1ERVIE7;T;ITH at Rochester, Illinois was interviewed by ~ 1 j em »»==iea@=<=' '1 92 . his story in a ca and collected manner an seemed to "
have c. "":d recollection of events at the mine during the time he was em-pIcyod.- seems to be of average intelligence and stated he would be "fill-
ing to testify as to the facts related by him. It is believed he would be
a good witness fox-the government. ' '
Subsequent to the time he executed his statemcnt,*stated that
re-
ten days later Falcctti rehired him and so t in to a section in be re-
ferred to by the men as Progressive Row stated this particular
section had dirty coal when found, and ii found the drivers couldn'tpick it up. W said further he was in this section with about ten men in-cluding a nan and his son fr0m that men who had been vigorously 1
in favor of Progressive were sen c spot. Alter working about ten E
days in this spot, and after receiving, numerous "ioc1-cs",- stated he '
decided to quit lline B.he had appealed his discharge before a commit ee of union an company rep
sentativos, at which time he was reinstated. stated further that about .
'
There is being sot forth below the following signed statement
ex-cuted by-
i I11-
Sept. 9, 1945.
..; "I, make the following voluntary statement t5 and both of when have identified themselves as__;=i agon :3 of the edera ureau oi Investigation. N0 threats or promises have
" been made to get me to make a statement.
"I 1. as
At the present time I am wnr1cing; '
"I had Ifurked at the Brenerton hiine before I went to work at Mine
B. I had heard that Falcetti was at the Browertcn mine, but he loft before
I started and I never really knew Falcetti until I went out to Nine B. ~I'
1 ft the B exert
O 4 'I . _
' cm wor as was S10 for about 6 months after it closed. '1"_='- '
"1 believe I started at Kine B in the fall of 1940 and left in
about Hay oi 1941. I was on IIPA when I heard that Kine B was going to hiremen. I sa at the mine and asked for a job driving. qtold
me to wait un 1 scar came in so when Oscar came in I talked to him a out e.job. I am ptetty sure I told him about my being at Brewer-ton and _
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!.TERVIE¬a WITH F This information was volunteered by mew an a cetti never asked me as to what union I was going
ctntinued. to join. I was given a job and told to start the next "
day. '
. Within a day or two after I started at the mine I talked about my
union statue with Bcharmen, Plotch, Cotton and a few others. They had known
mo for some time inasmuch as they all worked with me at -Brewerton. They
id th id t t 'th i 1 c 1 t Kine B and thus I would so .ey1sou reinsaomevn unon ea a
save the $10 initiation fee. I was issued e. card by the UJ-1.71 . local atLlino B and I was a ointed by Bohannon, P1-es%i'ent of tlm local, 9 I believe this as about about 30 ays er
s or ea work. kept LC. job until I was discharged in iiay of 1941. -
I know that there were some fights at the mine, but never actually
saw any of the fighting. I did see some men who had been beaten up. I was
quite active at the lline in trying to organize for the U.Li.' J. I had gone
around to various employees and tried to get them to join the union.
"J;ftr.r the election in Feb. of 1941, the company didn't seen to be
living up to their ccntract as far as the men were concerned, that is laying
cf track, etc. I got up at a union meeting and said the men shouldn't have
to lay their own track. The union conmitteonen were standing for it and the
Progressives were raising the dickens. I said at the meeting that the U.H.'S..
had promised the men better conditions, etc; that we should try to help theProgressive men who had joined our union. said after the meeting,
to no that I would have to do as I was told ii wan ed to work at the mine.
He had said in the meeting that Falcotti wanted it that way, so I told him
after that it wasn't living up to the contract to work like that and I 1rouldn'
work unless we worked according to the contract. y
"I resigned my union office at that same meeting, but they told me
to put it in writing which I did. I turned in my resignation and at the _
ext e==t' the fusel to acce t t s I s id I ldn't t n 1:1-. ing y re or 1 , o a wcu go c any more
meetings until a new vas appointed.
libcut a week or so after I was told by the company that I had set
a "windy shot . One morning I went to start work andwras told to report to
the office and get my line check. Falcetti said I had a bad shot the nits. -
before; .that it had blown off a couple doors and almost killed a man. Falcetti
said the nine examiner had determined it was my shot. He said he wouldn't I'
let no gc down into the mine so I could see for myself that it was rqr shot.
Falcetti said I had been talking too much anyway and that he had to fire me._ was working with me at the time and he is new in Africa with theer-zrqr. hey never did fire and he told no afterwards that he didn't think
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RE: JOHN I» LEXIS. W 41»-
z INTERVIEJ LITH I had set a windy shot. I haven't worked as a miner since
that time in this district. I did work as a miner in
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¢.!e;n!1_r| ,u<;!; _ since that time however.
;_, "I feel that I was fired by Falcetti on orders of*a.f'ber se.w he couldn't get me out of the union. I also feel at the
i " - ' * P 92 i ' th 1 ti 01' b.i,..¢. men imew exactly who had voted for regress ve 1.11 e e ec on
1941 end that they decided they would work hardships on these men and thus
get them docked cr fired by the company. Instead of letting things go along
smoothly I believe the United men were determined tc get rid of all those
whe had been progressive.
I have attended a lot of the meetings of U.1i..'i. which meetings
were called to discuss organizational plans during the membership drive be-
fore the election in 19¢;-1. usual]. took charge of those meet- Yings and I be1ieHs s his bodyguard andgrss usually
the one who would to sen o convert those progressives who were rd to
convince. I knew that he was given orders to get rough ii he had to to get
the men to join United. I knew that I never threatened anyone and scared
them into joining; United, but I knew it was done. It was generally under-
stood by all of the ergenizers and officers of United that Falcctti and the
company fnv<.rod the U.!.I.T.'. union. Tie used to hold meetings cf the organizers
and United officials in one of the small hells in the union building. Seme-
times they were on special nites and other times they were after the regularmeetings. I know thet Fnlcetti, I'.}1shoif,%Eoh.':.nnen and some of the
others all used to hung; out at a selc-on on 1 Ave. near the Lincoln Hotel,
but I never attended any of those gatherings. T3-zen I said that I new men
beaten up I meant that I saw bcth progressive and united men beaten up.
"1 have read ever this entire statement of 6 pages and wish to state
it is true. to the be-st of my rzemcry.
8! _
hitnessoss i
Special Agents, FBI, U.S. Dept. of Justice.
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RE: JOHN L. E715, ET AL
I 1
- 1I inois, s lI1 erviewe
1943 b Special Agents_ ¥stated he did not have a erimi
' 2. go government witness as he cannot remember important
' memb =-r of U'!~£'..'.Spri ngf 10111,
and is a loyal
provided the following statement: ~
"Springfield, Ill.
September 11, 1943
111,
make the folioveing vo unter; eta
whom I know to be Special Aéontsof the F
force, threats or prom-csee have been made in u
I know that whet I may say may be used in a courtion.
s statement en.d obtaining thi
t oi law.
"I was born in"I am now em loved at "-pringiield, Ill. and have I
been employed at since April 1942.
'! was employed at Him; "B" in either the Summer of 191,0 or theSpring of 19/J-. by fothorwobteiined the job for me at ii.u"'iE"B". I was urumployed- at e me av father got me the job. I never Worked
in a mine prior to the time I went to Mine "B". A few days a1i12*-11 1,?"--5 91!!-
plo;'ed at Kine "B" I voluntarily joined J15? through Btunprnrar. No oneasked me to join, so far as I rOm'::nb';-I Mine "B" was é UM? mine at the time
I went to work. I did not see any orgamizin-, for either U2!-' or PEA when I
was employed at Hine "B", nor did I see any fights over tmion matter.
I do not rezzxeubsrzr votin._., in a N L R B election in Feb. 1941 and
cannot re:.ez:.b.;r if I -ms employed at Iiiee "B" at the time of the eiection.
"I stopped wori<in,_g at Mine "B" in kpril 1942 as it was destroying
my hez-.lth in the nine.
"I an at the }3I¢.5tL-;1|£- time e member of the U15; union at Q
ood union. mlthinkitiseveryg
"I have reed this st-eteziient eonsisting of two pages and it is true
-215-
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R3; JOHN L. 15318, 1 -T -KL
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'§ ng? r" and correct to the best Of my knowledge
fr-2 PW? T '
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1'-U3: JOHN L. ET AL
IrzT1::~:vn:'.' <."1r? I
and able to
; . soeak and understand8, 1
and would make a fair
~92 - 7
* stated he did not have a criminal record. '
urnished the following statement:
"Illiopolis, I11.
September 8, 1943
_, Springfield 111., make
whom I know to be Special Agents of No
force, threats or promises have been made in obtaining this statement and I
know that what I may say may be used in a court of law.4.3. -92 -I-1 . -o--D115 J.L!..L.LU92'92
born employed
a t the - and
I have been
or . - 'J * * "* a:'~:e1- L :~.-I was em lo EU at mine o in the laI was employed by at $18 jer month. I as employed at Mine "B" inorder to make more money. My fath-er, deceased, got mo a job
at Mine "B", helping him dig coal. I Joino . e few days prior to the
time I went to work at Line "B". !$'father gave me the application card so
that I could join U H U. My father joined U H I about the same time I did.
I do not know whether my father joined U HI s0 that I could get a job at
Mine "B" or not. Union matters were never discussed batweon my father and I.ll_n .__- ..... 1.- L.-.# Qua01. 1!Z4.G. Fzyiur ou tlidb t '.|..mu
"Khan I went to work at Mine "B" I thought almost all the miners were
mcmberof U LIX} I heard that some of the miners were threatened and beat be-
cause they did not want to join U H U, but I did not see them threatened
or beat.
"I took no interest in union activities and I ivar worked in a mine
prior to the fall of 1940.
"I did not vote in the N.L.R.B. election in Feb. 1941 as I was sick
at the time and it made no diffurcnc to me whether I voted or not. My father
died about two weeks after I Went to work at Mine "B", therefore, he never
furnished me any information about the union activity. after my father's
death I was employed at the mine after my father's death as a trapper. I
stopped workin; at ine "B" in the pring of l%&2 as the conditions in the
mine were not-good for my health,
217 - '
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n1;= JOHN L. mas, ET AL
H"-* I A . "TITP. "1 did not take any interest in union activities and, _ it made no difference to me what union I was a." >~ connnue member of. I only became a. member of U 1! II because
cw father told me join U.1E..1T.
2: and correct to the best of my knowledge." -
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"Witnessed
Special Ab-ant F.H.I.
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Re: JO!-III L. l...h'?v'IS; ET AL
Springfield,
I1 mois, was ini 10, 1943,
by Special Agents Qc der-stated he did not have a crix
s an English very well and would make e. very poor ss-
refused to sign a statement because he could not read
English. tcted he would only sign a statement upon advice of an
attorney which could be provided by UMW. .ITITIRVI:-Tu WITH
furnished the following information in the form of a state-
ment which he refused to sign, although he admitted the information contained
therein was correct,
"Springfield, 111. '
September 10, 1943
-1. Qmake the following vo un ary
her I know to be Special Agents can!nvcs!1gaticn, no force, threats or promises have been made in obtaining
this statement and I knew that that I neg,-r say may be need in a court of law.
"I was born in emigrated to the U. S. in
nd became a naturalizc citizen of the U '§-
"I became a member of UMYT in Ill. ingt which time I started
mining cool in the U. S. I remained e member of U115? until 1932 when I
became a member of P1-{An because any local Ul union changed to FHA.
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Re: J01-Bi L. LEWIS, ET AL
Ii"? ii"'| I EITII "I have never seen anyone attempting to got anyone to
<{h §*hF nu: hf PMA at Mine "B", nor have I seenJ¥lL-ll 92d.b_ll92pl 92¢l.lI- v- -@ -- ___. _ _ continued: any fights at Mine "B" over union matterl.
I voted in the N.L.R.B. election in Fab. 1941 fof UNI. I
think the election was fair and I voted the way I wanted to.
"I have had this statement consisting of three pages read to me
and it is true and correct to the best of any knowledge.
" ."Jibnes Bed : -
nThi8 statement was read toq September 10, 1943
at which time he st-tod the contents was true, u refused to sign thestatement without :1 lawyer of U111? advising, him. Q2-tatod no onetold him not to sign :1 stxtcmcnt concerning union ma ers at Mine "B".
Special Agent, F.B.I. signed!
, Special Agent, F.B.I." sig,ncd!
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ITZTEFWIPF
"S
emeye 0. 'ina B , a.
rstands English well, but is definitely
lacking in mental ability and would therefore mks a poor witness
He advised he has never been arrested- I .".. - .--~- --'~'k' - -r'- 0 - .-_' w...- '- -e...-L ' . .....: ..I_._s t { e
r
interviews d at his
Springfield,
s
lher
The following signed statement was executed b-
,,_,___ ;_- Sgringfield, I11-
? Sept. 9, 1943
.'.~=§a- ; I, Springfield,I11. wake the owir vo urtar ' statement t d ,7 , .. . ' zg . - 3 . RIO" whom I know to be Special Ago!! s O e ederal
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=.= =*>==*==Io-v. oi 1939 Bowling green o nnon cane 0 our house and asked ngr
father to join the United " inc orkere
get e Job at Lire "B" LJ father told
Bohermon 1"01...lc get no a job. Bohan. on
I would _]0l.n U11": he could got no s. job
Saturday that Bohannon talked to us at
I t 1: '1 *2 of America Union and he could
Bohnnnon he would join ii
told 1:1,; father and me that if
at Line "B". It was on 0.
our hem and the next llendeywen o no &nd g£we me a job as digger-
Iiethin was said to me ere e ou any union. But after seeing
I sew Bohannen who told we to sign up with U151, and I did.
I was not threatened in any Y-fey, but I
U1? to got reg; job. That was the firstween o nves igetion. I make it vithout fear of threat, force or
promise of any kind.
'I was bor
'.'- - ' ' ~ 7
knew I would have to join
tine I ever joined any mine
union and the UM! is the only union to which I have ever belonged.
I have never been an officer in any union.
ll 9292III worked at liine B for almost n year and than quit to get
n ob e. In il I a v j ? "h e w e xerking in Kine B during thistzi."-ne I knew: ; . was organizing there, but I saw very little of it.
I kne-1 x-as organizing and I saw a fellow named whoselast mzne ! do no! know,_a1ter he was hit by some Ul men to ge! him
to join U131", but I do not }:nor.= who hit
hit hi-3'14hi-n and I did not see anyone
I voted in e National Labor Relations Board Election held
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JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL
1T~-'-LVIZYI ~.'ITII in about February of 1941, when UH? won.
I "v.-an not forced it threatened in we. @116 Y
continued! and I thought the election was fair.
r Four days ago I started working at Mine "B" again and I still
an e marine?" of UL!-I.
11*; fe.t1'1er,H had been a member of Progressive
Iline Workers of Amer ca but he oined U17? to get work at liine '8'
and so I could get work there. 13y father had been working, at liino "B"
'."'nen it closed darn in Bay bi 1937»
This statement of three pages has been read to me and it is
true and correct to the be st of my knowledge.
. /Si
3itness:
S3CCiE11.A-gllt, Fe B010
Cpocial igent, F-B.I."
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Re: JUHE L. LIITJIS, ET AL
Springfield, Illinois, IJTE§WILTf WITH
by Special agents
nervous. advised he has no x__ Y .8 Engl1sh__wel_.1 but is
92i criminal record._ undo
The following signed statement was obtained from
I11~
Sept. 8, 1943
.__ j ... . -- - - --u u no I,- S'gringl'1ClE1, 111., maice tnefollowing volun and wh<;-mI know to be Sc-ecial Agents of 0 nvos iga ion. I make
it without fear of throat, force or promise of an kind.
I was born in I presently
ork at _
"I first starts d working in coal mines in Springfield, Ill., when
I then joined the United Liinc Workers of America I was years old.Union. I only worked in the mines for aboutqyoars when I left to go
to school. I did not return to tne mines until a out 1956 when I went towork in -fine .-Es with my father. _ 1 apnlied to join the4- 92 nvu-I 92--{T +-In 1rT-rogressive T.-iine workers of America onion at that time I-l-lulu *"e..Iie ...e_, were
deciding they found out I was over 21 years of ago and could not work there-
fore as an apprentice under my father, and so they refused me membership in
PTA. As a result of this I could not work in Kine "E" with my father. I
had worked at Q-Zine "B" for about two months before I had to leave.
In the Spring of 1946 Joe Albanese and some other men whom I
cannot remember, except one was Dominic Pasquale, came to me at my home and
asked me if I wanted to work. I was not working and so I said yes. Joe
said if I'd help him organize for mm" I would get a job in inns W when
there was room. Joe, and others, said the Fine "B" would not stay open
unless it would =/.-ork under U1-T-'='. I was told to go around to all the men
who were workinv at Mine "B" and get them to sign up with UHW. I was told~23oy Joe to tell these men that the mine would not stay open unless ha_._d 7
the majority of the vote. I was to contact all men .~:hom I knew, especially
the Italians. ie would travel together, that is I have been with Joe
Albaneso, Dominic Pasquale, Tony Chapolus, whose name I cannot spell, and
sometimes Bowling Green Bohannon.- I saw all of these men organize for U15-F.
ve were able to get rather many of the men to sign UNIX. I went to work inMine "B" in June or July of 1940. 1 was told by Joe Albanese and_
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" Re: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL
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'5' I!*TERVIE'- - WITH °w1ing Green and Cddgs Burngarner and others to keep on trying to organize for UIIIN at Mine B .
continued!. -'1 would see go into the office
car aloetti or Carl _,j of the comneny every morning an a k w ei er Os F
'7 Elshoff. I assumed they were talking about mm organizing progress at
Kine "E" ."I tried to organise the following men for U311! while I was wggking 92at lzine "E" - a fellow named Q, whose real mime I do not know,q~ Qv-hose name I cannot spell, an many more whose names I cannot remem er. I ried to organize both at the Tine "B" and by talking with the men atH - " their homes. I was not able to get: to join mm but later
got him to join U131. -
I-i Tfhile the organizing was going on I know many men were beat up. One "1 morning a bunch of men were beat up in the wash house. Ono of the men beat
I-»= . . i -- _- up was A men named : woe. one oi the men who beat-_ It--'up but er who else did the beating. Bowlin Green mighthave been there but I am not sure. These men vould askf he wasgoing to join and when he would not answer they would hi . There were
many miners around Er. I could not see too well.
._;__I "While the liine "B" was operating, I saw the fell ' men organize
for U121 at liino "B": Bowling Green Bohannon,._-P.-r. _ Dominic Pasquale, Joe Albaneso, Tony Chepolus, an
of and"C92}1dgT.~ Bumgerner.I
"1 was ncvcr paid to organize for mm. 1 am 11> to get my job
.=- at I-fine "B". I never hit a man out there while organizing. I worked for
about nine months at "ine "E" and than I got hurt. I filed suit against" the comp-any and then they gave mo a job I couldn't do. They wanted me to:; g_ go back as digger, so I quit. I have never gone back into the mines since
. that tine .
*3"T. hile I was working at Fine "E" I noticed that the men who were organizing for UHF and those -who would sign for U1-§I would get good rooms.<~"- Those who were strong PLEA would got bad rooms. While I was organizing I
1 '- had a good room.
it I have read this statement of four pages and it is true and
correct to the best of my lcnowledge. I
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I /S/ S eciel Agent, I-.B.I. s/ Special Agent - F.B.I."'
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He: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL.
INTEHVIE'WITH erviewed by Special Agents|l||||||||||||| and speaks good' de-_ . English and appears rien y a coopera ive. If
sirable he could be used as a witness, although the information furnished
by him in the following statement, is not particularly pertinent.
~ "Springfield , Illinois
September 9, 1943.
make the following voluntary statement toq both of whom have identified them-
0 ' Bureau of Investigation. Ho a" agents in t e -ederal
threats or promises have been made to me to induce me to make a
statement. ' -
"I was born On and came to the U.S.
became a citizen
III
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HI
a year
union.at that time joined
held offices in thestarted coal mining in Illinois in
I have mind ever since. Prior
but not since.
started at Nine B in July, 1940 but I had not worked for over
prior to that. Uhen I went to Nine B I did not belong to any
Prior to going to work there I had seen a friend of mine donn-town, a fellow calledi possibly l and he told m they werehiring at Mine B. I wen out an saw Bscar Faloetti about a job and
he told me I got to work on the night shift.
III
Two or
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No one
wasn't
"1
Mine Bwent to work nights as timberman and joined U.H;D. right away.
three men saw me, one was Bohannon, and they asked me to join
They were nice about it an_ didn't threaten me in anyway.
from P.H.A. approached me. I worked nights for about a year and
around when most of the men were there.
voted in the NLRB election in February, 1941. I am still at
and am now digging coal at that place. .
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IRVIE.-'I .T.[ "I have read the above statement and declare it to
be true and correct to the best of my memory.
, Continued
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Re: JOE]? L. LEWIS, ET AL
WI TH
tated he was employed at Mine "B" sometime in 1940 u
a timbermem that he did not see or hear oi any organizing for um.
'= i h information without advice oi qstqted he would not furn s any
U13? e ornoya; that he would furnish any information desired to UMW attorneys,
who could in turn furnish the information to the F.B.I.
- teted he is at the present time employed by UllW,_
as an organizer.
92
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Springfield, Illinois,
' was con ac e e to er , by Special Agents--ii,-_-at he hm-
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eeeee ee iniiinois es inyeqgge I
by Special Agents? gqat inientime it was noted he ad a great deal oi i ficulty under-
standing the English language. tated his information was limited as
to anything that too}: place at Nine B. It is believed he would make a poor
witness There is being set forth below the signed statement esecuted byxv. ,1
»
"I was born
- I became a citizen in -.
the "U ii "ff. n _-"or about two year then went
, _ -H.--,9292'f1""'_ _T . 7 _ft; _at the time of the interview-
! se$1f1i§43
"I, make the following voluntary statement toF and pecial Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investi-
t r ats r romses have been made to induce me to make any state- ga ion. No he o p
ment-
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s andU. S. in
I Joined
If-Q
I VII 1 1' J. - I 'that I we t to !an!her Creek #1 and then to Peebod met Falcettiin about kt.-hen he was Mine whichdis noto e longer oper ing. I used . L11 e a 1 e rm and use so
him a lot after the mine shut down. I have never woeked in a mine operatedby progressive men. When the state went progressive in I932 I was in a 6.6.0.
Camp and never joined their union. I went for over 8 years without working
in a mine--I just worked at odd job. In the early part of 1940 I went out
to see Faloetti three or four
digger, and I*n still working
to a union. He knew me quite well and knew I had been in
believe I had worked there a few days when Sammy Albanese
me to sign a U.L§.T+'. card, which I did. I was never asked
unions I heard shout s lot of men being beaten up, but I
fighting while I was there. Nobody ever threatened me or,..a- u.-...-. n 1'. ' Ian n..|.u':= up rltntll Gtimes before he finally gave me a job as A
ask -..92.s if I belonged
the U.ll.'H. I
came to me and asked
to join the progressive
never new am]
beat me up or forced
me to join any union. I attended my last union meeting about a month ago.
"I worked at Panther Creek n-em about _e.nd during thai
time Falcetti did not work for Panther Creek.
"This statement has been read to me by§ it is true
to the best of my memory. ~ '
! Special Agents, FBI
! U. S. Dept. of Justice
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witness as he not have a c d not
understanding E1351 ieh.
-1. ...._..... ..pee=.92-.:ing
fu1-niehed the following signed statement:
Springfield , I11 . ,
September 8, 1943.
1==> hwwn 1- '5 . o a.
q eiil I11 iake the following voluntary statement .. d , wh I know to b 3_ 1 1
v ' ' . '2111 an e pec a
Agents of the Federal In estigation ho force, threats or promises
have been made in obtaining this statement and I know that what I my any may
be used in a court of law.
w.I was born in errmi rated to theU. S. about -end became a citizen of t e . . a out
I became a member of UIM in - in Springfield, I11. and I have
'l_u;a;m;__ g m@b:_a;- of UMW sine that time. -
"I was employed at tq-"line, springfield, I11. inobootgono worked at that mine as e. mam er of mm until the strike at the
mine n a out 19§57.l
"I was unemployed fr-cm about 1951 to July 1940 at which time I
obtained a job as u. digger at Mine "B". I Went to Mine "B" in July 1940 and
obtained e job from OSCAR FALCETTI the mine aupt. I was not asked whet union
I was a. maznber of. but I showed my UMN union card to §_cmeone at the mine. I
had the U.£Ju' card es I was a mambo} of F627 at the
I have never seen anyone organizing for Univ? at Hine "B" nor have
I ever seen my fights at lline "B" over union matters-,
"1 voted in the H.L.R.B. election in Feb. 1941 .for_Ull'I. I think
it was 0. fair election and I voted for the union I wished. ' ..
"1 am at the present time employed at lline "B" as e digger. '
I have had this etatement ooneisting of two pages read to me and
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t the best of my 1mowledS°
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