◆ SpookStack

ee Re: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL | ve , interviewed at his residence by Snecial Agents on September 17, 1943. ante . presently em lo Springfield, Illinois. He had little understanding a e matter under inguiry, caly went to the Elks Club eeting and was not me mentally alert. He made the following statement: ee See Sere Ye see resgS Ferree e "Springfield, Illinois September 17, 1945 OOe—E—EEEEeEe "I, , make the following voluntary state- ment to whom I know to be Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. eida f—9 bai OO ees ee ee ty + a 62 was employe ’ irst mine union I joined was the UMy at Mine A. en Mine A went over the the Progressive Mine Workers of America, referred to hereinafter as the PRE, in 1932, I went with the majority as I was glad to get away from John L. Lewis. I was satisfied with the PMA. "In 1941, when Elshoff bought Mine A, I heard about it by word of wmnath T 2212 T eect eather heave eneked fae Ur . + Len ee mouth. JI felt I would rather have worked for Mr. Ryan because I knew he was good to work for, I thought we would have to join the United Mine Workers of America, referred to hereinafter as the UMW to keep our jobs because Elshoff was the operator of Mine B which was signed up with the UMW. No one tried to get me to join the UMW. JI liked the working conditions at Mine A under the PMA. I heard the rumor that Elshoff would operate Mine A through Eine B but I did not believe it. HE heard a rumor he would open Mine A on the condition the miners joined TM. I believed this because I think the same union is in all mines under the same operators. He had ~ mena ar2_.. & a oO; ne es — on Hine B under the DMA, and would probably want Line A under the same union. "The only PMA meeting I attended when the Mine A miners were talking about what to do about joining the UMW, was at the Elks Club in September, 1941. I learned of the meeting from the other miners, CE ost) presided at the meeting. There were no OMT organizers pre + I do not remember what was said. The vote was in favor of the UMW, and Edmundson was called into the meeting to ake the miners jn as a UM local. He came with another man who I did not imow, & end he made a talk, but I don't remember what he said, - 494 - Cee den aienniteiien ee . Raat ieetns omen nn meeieiiialneenienm tm a0 nate belneinenie in tdtt aie 2 ne ame