◆ SpookStack

it, s At Auburn, Illinois was interviewed by Special Agents vr a L is person reads English with difficulty bw apocars to be ert. Many details at Mine B are well fixed in his memory, particularly during that period when UMT was attempting to gain control, from 1939 to 1941. It is felt that he would make 4 satisfactory witness to testify to those matters set out in the following statement: Tllinois September 2, 1943 e following voluntary statement to both of whom have identified themselves ro Deseans af Tr : &5 epeciar. Agents in the rederai Bureau of Investigation, No threats or rises have been mac c to me to Bet me to make a stat ent. — de at "I first started mining in ma: joined the United Mine Workers that year. J have never held any office in any union. I joined Progressive in 1932 and started working at Mine B in 1934, When I first started at ‘ine B evurything seemed all right at the mine with the Union, P.M.i. I neve: "T] do not recall much about any contract expiring on Narch 31, 1937, TI never went to many meetings of the union and I just barely remember that there was to be a new contract, "Tl remember that about this time there were men in the P,M.aA. that were supposed to be working against P.M.4. and for U.M.’. Andy was one of thesc, also Charles Bohannon, and Frank Austin were others. I heard that there was about twelve of them and that thev werc working for TUM. ee ee ere ee Oe ee OS we wiatg pete) was Sy Pe Be a a es trying to organize P.I.A, men into the United. They never talked to me though, "T remember that there was some kind of an argument about these men and I also neard that these men had guns in the mine office. I never heard that those men were kicked out of the union but I know that there was some kind of an argument about thcir working, - Ron the day of the ik = Box As I ronenber the P.W.A. men n didntt “want “these men, “the spi jes, to - go to work. I loaded thrce cars, not full, and the driver would take them away. As I remember, I workcd until my regular quitting time and went on top. thon I got on top I found that thers was trouble. Some of the men - 99m oh ty a a ee od i th ore ~ rte Ce a a me