◆ SpookStack

INTERV ba ITH opened in 1939 and was in a position to have a good but he had a very poor memory and was unable to recall many pertinent ! é For this reason it is not believed that he would make a good witness. as Genied having any criminal record. He furnished the following signed state~ ment: Ba a "Springficld, Ill. September 10, 1945. "I, do make the following voluntary statement to Speciai agents = of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ho threats or omises of any kind have bcen made to cause me to make this statomont. "I was born 0 i 7 an presontly employed I first started working in » abou joining United Mine Workers ed working eat Mine B about continuing and 1932 UMAA and the Mine B Officials got out at the mines fe) , of America at that time. I start my UMA membership. Between -_ % - -— BF -L a BLONE HITIghvs “John L. Lewis was the cause of the split in 1932, He went against our vote and made us take a reduction in wages. I was a delegate to the convention at Gillespie in September 1932 when we decided to form the Progres- sive Mine Workers of J never held on is union until After y er men at Mine B, At first the PMA got slong finc with the Mine B officials, but about a year before the strike Oscar Falcetti came to me on two separate occassions anc asked me if I didn't think the PMA was slipping. I just walked away. "In the Spring of 1937 our contract ron out on March 31, and o temporary agreement was signed. There was an argument between PMA and Elshoff as to whether this contract contained a retroactive clause. There were a number of men at Mine B who made an issue out of this, and wanted to form a new UMMA local, These men as I can recall were: Joe Albanese, Andrew Schrelevious, Dominic Pasquale, Pete Carter, Frank Austin, Tony Plotch, Sohn (Cotton) Ananias, John Sirtout, Gcorge & Bmory Jacaway, Charlcs Bohannon, James Fale, and Cudge Baumgorncr, The PIA then held trials for thesc men and suspended some an expelled others, There were ot least two moetings where these men were tried. I attended these meetings and recall that we suspended the men by 4 rising vote, I recall that written charges were made