◆ SpookStack

Rot JOEN L. LEwlS, ET £L b ICU b77 who resides at INTERVIES WITH seroma! . pringiicid, incis, was intorviewed } Special Agents and ¥ Wa: born but became an dAmerlean citizen jzetion at Springfield, nois, eer rrar-rors easton cL ot Raowied lieved that he would make a good witness because o 6 lack of knowledge stout unions and Mine "EB" and his inebility to spaak English. He admitted no criminal record and furnished the fcollowirg signed statements "Springfield, Ill. September 4, 1943. "Tl, , do volurtiriiy give the following signed statemcnt te da of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ke Teces or promises > bos mGe to cause mo to make this statement. ®l was born in and came to america in , I wos naturalized in Springficic, - ’ My present address is Springfield, Illinois. "I first started working in the mines in we: Illinois, join- snp the United Hine workers of snerica. I have worked at Mine "B" since 7 Between 1 | und 1932 the UN got a.ong fine with the Mine "B® officials. ™r had nothing to do with the formation of the new Progressive Mine workers of dmerica and don't know how or why they organized. However, I joined the Progressives because everyone clse at Mine "BS did. So far es I imow the Progressives got along oke wich Mr. Elshoff, The PaM& Union wes just the seme as Wid, both settled my grievences oke and the dues were about the same. “I hardly evor attended union meetings for oither union, and never held an office for either UWA or PMA. I just worked and minded my own business and know vory little about the Mino "B™ troublos. "I think the strike in Mey of 1937 was caused by the Progressives Auspending some men end the Co, wouldn't fire them, The mon who were sus= pended as best I can remember were Joo 4lbonese, Dominic Pasquals, Andrew Schrclevious. I don't cw why these men were susponded. The first I kmew of the strike was when Ginnie --: everybody out, I don't imow any- thing about coal being “loaded short” that day. *T don't remember signing any petitions for either PMA or UMnA. = 298 «=