◆ SpookStack

i i | INTERVIE” WITH was interviewed at his residence iin : Springfield, Illinois, on September , ; fo: az » bY Special Agents was born in came 7 UATE Utes and became a 8 ates oitizen in He speaks with an accent Dut understands English well cnd can express himself well. He is slow and methodical, but it is believed he would make a satisfactory witness. {QBN is now omployod at Wino "A" and advieec he has mver beon arrested, or Tho following statoment was obtained from ST "Springfiold, Til. Sept. 12, 1943 Springficid, Ill., make tho following voluntary statement to 0 errr whom I know to be Spocial Agents of the Feder of Investigition. make it without fear of throat, force or promise of any «ind. "Y was born in , and came to the U. S. in F I bocam: a U. S. eitizcn in Springficld in "I started working in coal mines in the U. S. in Springficld, T1l., in at which time I was a member of the United Mine Workers of Amcrica Union, I started working-at the Minc "A" in Springficlc, in about In 1932 our entire UMW local wont over to the Progressive Mince Workers o Amorica Union, and I beeams & mumbcr of PMA. I joinod PMA because they obtaincd 2 contract with th: company opcretang Finc "A" and I wantcd to go back to work, I was not forecd in say way te join PMA. "I remained a PMA until Mine "A" was sold in 1941, From 1932 to 1941 I thought PUA was opcrated as an honcst union and I thought the officials were honest. JI newr noticed any unusual assessmonts and no one in any way tried to get me to join UMY, There wero no labor disputes, atrikes, close riod of timo. ~ downs or pickcting during this pe "In the Spring of 1941 Minc "A" closed dom due to the usual slack period of that time of ycar. In about August of 1941 “oe read that Elshoff had purchased Mince "A" from Ryan. The feeling omong the mon then bocame thet they would have the samo trouble which the men ot Mino “B" had, with the UMY. ‘Ye thought the company could pull the col from Mine "A® thru Mine "B" and vo thought the company would do this, Therefore, if we wanted to work at Mine "BY which would really be operating Mine "A" wo would havo to join UMW, - 420 «