◆ SpookStack

at Springfield, Ill. He works as a digger at Mine "A". He speaks end understands English poorly and would not uoke a satisfactory witness. Ke wes reluctant to sign the following statement for fear of being beaten by Uiiv men. He advised he had never been arested. “Soringfield, Ill. Sept. 18, 1943. "I, , Springfie Tll. make the following voluntary statement to nd whom I know to be Speciel apents of the Federal Bureau of Investigetion. 1 make it withcut fear cf threat, force, or promise of any kind, "IT was born in came to the 0.8. in LY] and became a U.S, citizen o in Springfield, and am working as a digger in Mine "4", "I first started to werk in coal mines in the U.S. in in Iowa, end jcined the United Mine “Vcrkers of america Union. I started to work in the Kine "4." in Springfield in{} In 1932 1 joined the Pro- gressive Mine \orkers of snerica union because John L. Lewis stole the ballots and cur whole UL local went Falt. I liked the PR4 and thought it was an honest union being opersted for its members. "In Sept. of 1941, I read that Elshoff beught Mine “A™ from Ryan and I was afraid I would lose my job unless I joined Wiv because Elshoff ran kine "B" and thet wes Ui. Some of the men from Mine “A" who I worked with told me we would have to join Uw to get cur jobs back and said Mine "4," would not open unless the men jcined Ui. No one from UMw in the com - pany ever told me I would have to join Ukw or ever tcld me Mine "4" would not open except as Uw. I also heard the men talking that they would haul coal from “«a" thru "B" if we did not join WW, "I think I went to a PRA meeting where a committee was appointed to see Elsheff, but I do not remember anything that heppened. I read there wes going to be a meeting at the Flk‘s Club and some cf the men told me abcut it, and go I went to that meeting end voted to join IW. I voted Ua be - cause I wanted my job back and I thought I would lose it if I didn't vote for IM. Edmundson ceme in and meade a talk after we voted, and then I signed with Ua. I remembered the trouble the men at Mine "B" had and I did not want trouble like that. =~ 4835 -