◆ SpookStack

MS. JOUW L. LEWIS, ET AT. — “ ‘LEWD a? 13943 re, MYO LGL Bi yeiive - ppeared to be fee intéiiig ent & ad a lair erstanding o e events under inquiry. Jt is believed that he will make a good witness. He disclaims any criminal record. wn Street, [ae ee eee pringfield, Illinois, was 1 2 ber Greetal A-rante His statement is as follows: "Springfield, Illinois la: ee ie | 319n75 Se tember 17, 1943 Springf ield ’ "T, Tllinois do mak. th: following voluntar; stutomcat to and MER 00 T know to be Special Agents o ce Federa Burcau Cee SCRE Teetron. No threats or promiscs of any kind have been made to me; I. have been told I necd not make any statemcnt and that this statement can be uscd in court, ®T resi rinvficild, Tilinois and ves born in employed et Min } timc. United Mine “orkers but I have never neid any othe any union. I am presently employod . at Mine "A" as a digger. I have been employed at Mine "A" since Fi 4 u Prior to 1932 I was not satisficd with the United Mine Worker's Orzanizatiou because the officials did not truly reprvsent the miners and they scemed to play into th: hands of the minc operators. Being dis- satisfied with the union I was in favor of the switch over to thc Frogrcs- sive Mine Workers.vrI felt tht the Progrcssive Mine “orkers Union was a good org:nization, represented the miners and was conscicntious in handling yrievanecs. There was no trouble between P.M.', and the operator of Minc "A" yp until the sale of Mine "4", "I first read about the scle of Mine "A" by reuding it in the newspapers. I knew immediatcly that Elshoff would operate the mins with mincrs from the United Mine “orkers and thut my job was probebly gone un- less I was able to join UM TT. . . "Tl hoard thet blshoff was going to operzste Mine "A" through Minc "BY" and thiut he would only operctc Mine A" with U KW miners, TI heard thesc rumors at the mectings the employeos of Mine "a" hold to de- cide whet they were going to do. I fiurcd thit these storics wore truc and that I had bettcr join the U.N... if I wanted to keop my job. = 335 «=