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V7. ~ \? 7 illinois, was — i home by — Agents aq * was cooperative and might make a good witness as to the dismissal o Bowe ee Pe en ee eee ee ry C wn RE; JOM! L. LEWIS, ETAL. 7 Springfield, leged spies inasmuch as he was a trial board member at that time. His scope as a Witness i owever, since he never returned to Mine B after Ss iim} eae any criminal record. He furnished the following signec statement. . Kay 12, 1927. "Springfield, Ill. September 9, 1943. "I ae feld 1. do volun- on 3 tarilv pive the following statement to Special Agents a -: the Federal Bureau of Investigation. No threats’ or promises of any kind have been made to cause me to make this statement. I first started working in the mines in he United Mine workers of America in began out at Mine B about an From that date until 1932 the U.K.wW.A. got along alright with the Mine 5 officials. UI was born in "As I understand it the U.W.W.A. split up in 1932 because the second referendum vote on the wage scale was stolen and JOHN 1. LE.IS came in and signed a contract amyway. I attended a meeting at Reservoir Park at Gillespic and was on the way to West Frankfort when we were turned back by the Sheriff. After the Progressives was formed I joined up along with all of the other men at Kine B. I liked the new Progressives better. It was a cleaner cu: organization, altogether. Iwas in fevor of its officers and democratic policies. Between 1932 and 1937 the Progressives get along just fine until some paid "bugs" came in to cause trouble. "The trouble in 1937 started because the Progressives kicked out some men for trying to organize for U.X.«.A. The ones that I recall being sus- pended were: CHARLES BOHANNAN, ANDREW SCHRELEVIOUS, GEORGE JACAwAY and one other that I believe was PETE CARTER. I was on the Trial Board at the time along with a. and a man whose first name was The men mentioned above Sal at they wouldn't be tried by us but wou tried only at U.M.u.A. hall. These men had been going around in the mine trying to gct the miners to join U.M.W.A. The local then suspended these men for 99 yoars. Mr. ELSHOFF was asked to dismi refused, and the men went out on strike ordered by The failure of Mr. ELSHOFF to fire the suspended F.b.A,. men bs cause of the strike. Tf have no knowledge of any short loads on the day of the strike. The strike occurred about 2:30 p.m. on May 12, 1937. - 42 -