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ee meng a i a ce te alti ae _ set: LIC 61D Re: JOHN L, LEwIS, ET AL a - ¥ oy ; oringfield, Illinois. nglish well, he states he has never been arrested \ : The following signed statement was obtained from » lil. sept. &, 1943 e the following voluntary statement t ee whom I know to be Special Agents of the p gation. I make it without fear of threat, force or promise of any kind, I am presently employed "I first started working in mines in about iene I then joined the United line Workers of Amcrica Union and belonged to UM until 1932 when I joined the Progressive Mine Workers of America Union, JI was working ot Panther Crcek Mine #1, auburn, Ill., at the timo, I joined PMA because I didn't like the actions of UMV¥. I rcfcr to the time in 1932 when John L, Lewis' men stole the ballot box. JI remained a PMA until August of 1938 t when I quit mining and stopped paying ducs. I did not join any mine union a or work in any minc from August of 1938 until sbout July 27, 1940, when 1. i went to work ss @ diggor in the “ine "B", Springfield, Tll., at which timo, i I joined UM. . "In July of 1940 I was working for the «.PA and a neighbor, who was working at “ine "B" told me they were p yt ifine "B® so I went out to Mino "B™ on about July 27, 1940, ance” “Gapointed out & man whom I later found out was Ou gt Bungarn d A was the fellow to sce about a job, : "T went up to Cudge and asked him for a job, He took me to soe Csoar Feleetti and then Eudgo told me to come out and bring my tools. “Nothing wes said about any union ct that time, I got some tools and started working & couple of days lator. a : "About three or four days efter I started working ‘footeay camo up , : : to me and told me to join UMW by signing with a little Italian fellow whose ° pamo I cannot remember. Fo onc forced me or threatencd me physically, but told me if I wanted to work at Vine "B" I would have to sign with ™,, 80 I sig with UMi,. I joined UM) because I knew if I did not join | .7 AT @ en re ada ar im am gu I Am Ng orm ong Oe OR RE A OEE pe ee a ee ee ee a