◆ SpookStack

Re: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET aL NTERVIE.” ¥ Springfield, Tllinois, was interviewed at_his none by Specia? scent iS -< Say He was cooperative but it is not felt that he would make a goo Witness because of his lack of knowledge of the pertinent facts in this ease and his inability to speak English well. He admitted no criminal record. WHE fer nishes the following signed statement: "Springfield, Tl. September 7,1943 "tT do voluntarily give the following state- ment to Special Agents — the Federal Bureau of Investigation. No threats or promises of any kind have been made to cause me to make this statement. and came to America in I am ti wus born in I was naturalized at presently residing at 4 Springfield, Illinois. "J have worked in the Coal ifines in Lincoln and Springfield, M11. since Gi starting at kine B in I joined the United Mine ‘orkers of America when I first started workine in the_mines a and stayedd with this union until 1932. Between and 1932 the UA had no trouble with the Mine B officials. "The theft of the ballots on the wage scale was the reason for the start of the Progressive ‘fine ‘Yorkers of America so fer as I know. I had no part in the formation of PMa but I did attend a meeting at Reservois Park when the men were talking about a new union. I never held an office in either PUA or UNTA. I joined FHA along with all the other miners at kine B in 1932, and so far as I know this wnion got along swell with Er. Elshoff and Oscar Falcetti, and I never heard either of them talk arainst "I thoupnt the Pha wis'a food union, well run and I liked the officers. I ..ttenced most of the meetings and had a rigst tc Salk and vote for whom I plcasec. The dues and Snecial assessments wecc 2123: the sama in PHYA as in UMWA. . "about two weeks before the strike in May of 1937 James Hale came into my room where I was loadine coil and asked me to si. uo with UWA, saying that everyone was signing up. I was scared and sirmnac up. I was surprised and couldn't think, and signed up to save my 7c». I was afraid to tell anyone about this. GD °° signed up