◆ SpookStack

Ret JOHN L. LEIS, ET AL 2 by Special Arents his limited Knowledge, He claimed to have no criminal record. The following is the signed statement obtained from Riau "Springfield, Illinois August 30, 1943 make the following voluntary statement to who have identified themselves to me as mreaa of Investigation. I give this freely, without any force or violence bcing used, and no promises made. : Ba » Springfield, Til., an & horn in : I came to this country in and becane a natures iized at Sprin:field, Ill., in a "T fi oincd a union J the United Mine “Yorkers, when I was working in @& I becrm employed at “ine B in 1936, and joined the Progressive cané™.orkers of Amcrica at that time. I joined the P sa. because they Rad xtIosed shop apreement, and I had to join to go to work. "I was satisfied generally with the F.M.A., although to me, one union is just like another. I didn't attend vary many meetings, because Iowisn't esperially interested. I don't remember attending a meeting of the P.i.a. the night before the strike in May of 1937. I mirht have seen the notice of the meeting, but don't remember it. "I don't know the reason for the strike in May, 1937. I remember that I was told a strike had been called, so I quit tdith the rest of the mon. I hz:ard some talk before the strike, that some men were trying to apitete the men into joining the U.1.., and I don't know anything more about it, and no one contacted me. "I don't remember signing any petitions although J will not say I dia Act, for I might have. Neither do I remember anyone trying to get me to join the U.ihv. ~ ~ "hen the P.M.A. picketed the Mine B in the fall of 1937, I went to the picket line several times. I don’t remember if I heard about the picket line at a union meetinz or if some of the men told me, but I do ~ 252 =