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i . é 1 ‘ *. CG Ch bd Re: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL INTERV WITH was interviewed Special Agent ae and Spectel Arent 8 - appears to have slightly more intelligence t e average miner, andrelated his story in a clear manner. He would be a satisfactory witness to testify to those matters contained in the following statement which he signed: (be b27D 4 Aner i "Sept. 1, 1943 ' oe Springfield, Zl.- nT make the following voluntary statement Kip od s being both of whom have identified themselves a Special Agents of the Federal. Bureau of Investigation. No threats or promises have been made to induce me to make a statement. "I was born on and became | a U. S. citizen when I was @fyears old. I presently reside at (iy The first union that T joined was the U.M.W. in t Rave jie an office in any union. I started working for Mine B in about and joined the PMA union when it was formed in 1932. I believe the union was formed in 1932 because the men figured they were getting a raw deal from John Lewis and the U.M.¥. After the PHA was started, things seemed to be going along good wntil 1937 when the strike took place. "I don't remember anything about the wage contract expiring in the aprine of 1937. As far as I know the strike was called when the PMA men discovered that some of their men were acting as spies. I remember that Tony Plotch, PetesCanter, Frank Austin and others were the men who were supposed‘to be' spies. These men would come to our meetings and try to break up the meetings. I have heard Pasquale make the remark that "there wouldn't be any progressive pretty soon". I was never asked by any of these men to join the UU... I used to attend the meetings quite regularly. I was at the union mecting when our union expelled the spies from our local. As I remember it this was a regular union meeting and it took place about a month before the strike. Je held a trial for the men after one of these meetings and several of our men testified that those men were working for united and trying to break up our union. I believe that Pete Carter was There and he didn't offer any defense. "I went to work on the day of the strike, which was in May of 1937, ‘and started my work as a ogee I don't remember any arguments or anything when I first went to work, worked along as usual & didn't load any cars short that day. I didn't hear of any cars being loaded short until after the strike. When I came to the top after my work was over I ras told the mine was on strike. = 366 »