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Re: JOHX L. LEWIS, ET AL al t Spr Ce Illinois, on September 17 ii Durin +E ro Ww TOUPSe Of this jn Wee a view ti st Wan defin nL CELY bate Vous and agitated and although he expressed a willingness to give the Agents any inforration he could and was outwardly entirely cordial, he refused to answ2r any questions concerning the events that happened at the meeting held at the Elks Club, At the corglusion of the interview he was asked if ne had been approached cencerning this case and told not to talk to Agente. He denied this repeatedly. He was also asked why he was scared to tell Acunts about the meeting at the Elks Club, and while he deniec bcing frightened, it wis noted that this question gave him a cefinite start, It is rot believed thst was telling all that he knows concerning this case and it is suggested thet he be orought bo fore the Grand Jury for further questioning. He advised he has no criminal record, He refused to sigm the statement, which vill be set out balov, although he stated that it was all truc and tat thro was no reason why he should not sign the statement, rive the following information to “ho sre known to me to be Spec, Agents of the f,B.T. o throe2ts or promises have bein made me to get this statement. I am now vorking 2t Minc a as @ @river I have been there since 1932 or 1933, I ¥25 born eager rser wrrccen inser I joined the P.U,A, because I wanted to, I had no preferance of one Union over the other. "J hoard through gossip that Lishoff was taking over Mine ‘At, JI never paid any attention to it at the time, J figured if I didn't work there I'd work someplace else. From 1932 to 1941 I was satisfied with the way F.l.a, wis handling things. when Elshoff took over Mine 'A‘ nobody came to my house at all to ask me about it or which union I wanted, I don't recall hearing anything at th: time to the effect that Elshoff was going to take coal from Vine ‘A!’ through aine 'B' nor do I recall hearing that he would only operate Mine a with a U.iL.4. union, "lhe only meeting I remembir attinding was at the Elks Club_ I dont recill how 1 hecrd about this. JI don't remember at this time who hid charge of this meting. I am not sure why this meeting was held at the Elks Club ard i dont want to say what the purpose of the meeting ‘vas. I was not 2 member of any committces appointed at this time and I] did not go to Elshoff's, or Edmmdson's office or to the Leland “otel after the meting. I joined the U.P, at Mine 'A' about the time it opened. I joined U.U.4, of my orm froc will. Conditions at Mince A are the same under UM... as they were under P.k.4, so far as I an concerned. - 450 - i.