◆ SpookStack

hes JOIN L, LEWIS, LT AL. a é ; ae He was or TT =< is a naturalized izen of the United States. It is not believed he will make a good SN cit _ witness cue to his inability to speak English very well and his age, poeted as interpreter during the interview. tinal record, He submitted the following signed statement, "Springfieid, Jll. a September 6, 1943 "TY 4 male the follow- ing volunta —_ who are Special agents of t! nves Tpation. Were threats or promises have been made to zet me to make a statement. pce "i was boy & ‘ nana I came to U.S. in and an ed citizen of U eat received my citizen- ship pest "T first joined U.N.v. when I first started in the mines soon after I came to U.S. 4T began working at -iine '3! about I joined P.éM.4. in 1932 because my local changed and we nad to change to P.M.a. to work at ine 'Bf, since P.lGa,. had the contract with Mine '3t, "T had no difficulty with either UMe or P.MA. anc as far as I knew everything was ok between Elshoff and the unions or the miners before the strike in 1937. "T was working at liine '3' the day of the strike and we were called out before the whistle blew and as near as I know the strike was called because we could not get back pay. No one contacted me about joining U.M.W. prior to the strike in 1927. I heard that some men were contacting the younger men and attempting to get them to join U.N... so they could get a higher wage scale, Some of the men talking to the younger men were Dominico Pasquale, .ndrew Schrele- vious, Pete Carter, Tony Plotch, Cotton ananias, John Sirtout, George Jacaway, Ch&s. Bohanron, and James Hale. "J saw cars with not a full load of coal in them being taken out past me but I don't know why they vere so loaded, #T signed a petition shortly after the strike to show that the majority of the miners belonged to P.M.A. - 38 -