◆ SpookStack

He: JOHN L. LEIS, ET AL INTEEVIE™ WITH because they had no contract. Some time later on I heard too about the men being expelled. I don't care to say which was THe the real reason of the strike as it would just be my opinion as I really don't know the real reason. On day it closed_ practically all the cars came up with short loads & I don't know why it was done then. In summer of 1937 & later I worked on the W.P.A. for 8 months & around town. 1 never signed any petition for P.iLA. & U.M.W. as both of them Knew I didn't like either of them at all. I have been shown an affidavit a-ted 8-25-37 & I recognize my signature on it but I never read it then but just signed it & TI never beard +22 me to po to a U.M.W. meeting. That affidavit is not true as I never heard that man say it. I was not forced to sign it. QR 2skea me to sign it & I just signed it to get away from hin % to pet on to work. I never heard “of UM. forming a local in Sprinsfield & no one bothered me about the strike during the summer of 1937, Iwis at sit-down strike one night but I was not there on first day. I was asked several times to fo out but I never wis threatencd or beaten up if I wouldn't go out. while there it was quiet & peaceful & there was no trouble out there. I don't know half of men so don't know if outsiders were there or not and I was not there when the U. S$. Marshall came out. Between then & 11-5-39 I hed not been out to Mine B at all & I heard they tried to reopen it but I never went out as I felt they would not re-open. I voted in N.L.R.E. election in 5prin field, Il]. It looked like an honest election to me & I voted way I felt & no one forced me to vote. In Nov. 1939 I received a letter on Sat. to report to work & I went out to work on Sun, It was an open shop & I did not psy dues to either mion. I saw quite a fer new men around but J don't know if they were P.M.A. or U.M.W. men. Nothing 2s said to me about wheat wares I was to receive § after being out for several years I just wanted to work. I never heard of attempts to join either UM. or P.N.A. after Mine B reopened. In the summer of 1940 1 did not sign card for either P.L.A. or U.U.W. I never saw any men get beat up but I heard of it. P.¥.a. did not ask me why I didn't pay dues to them. I voted at next N,L.R.B. election & it looked about the same to me & I voted just the opposite from before. No one forced me to vote & it was by secret ballot. when I first went to work in Nov. 1939 I never went down into the mine. I started on Sunday & coal started to come out Tues. They were taking carc of sine B while it wos closed &TI don't think it was in such bad shane. I never heard of any fire at Mine B_ nen it w2s closed down. I did not attend any U.k.W. meeting in my life. I joined U.M.W. as it looked like that was the only solution _ Otherwise it might be c]osed down again & that was my opinion. I never was bothered at all & it didn't matter to me which union was there & I always felt it would have been better to have hed no union at all there, "I have had scont RR -<-3 this (5) five page stotement to me &it is tru to t of my knowledge and as I gave it to Agents