Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1909 — SAY MINE OFFICIALS KIDNAPED EMPLOYES [ARTICLE]

SAY MINE OFFICIALS KIDNAPED EMPLOYES

RspcrSTha! Men Who Knew How Firs Started Are Hidden. 0 Cherry, 111., Nov. 26 —An attempt to prevent a thorough investigation of the St. Paul mine horror by Coroner Malm through the kidnaping and intimidation of witnesses is ascribed to the mine officials by the United Mine Workers' union. Robert Deans, the assistant eager of the mine, who. witnessed the starting of the fire which snuffed out the lives of hundreds of his fellow workers, has left Cherry under mysterious circumstances and is the third man to disap pear since the day of the catastrophe. His relatives and members of the union said that Deans was kidnaped and forced to leave this county under threats of violence and blame of being held responsible for the fire. Mss. John Love, a sister of Deans, at whose home he lived and whose husband was killed in the third vein, received a letter from Deans. The letter bore a Chicago postmark and in it Deans told his sister that he was going to leave Chicago at once, but did not know’ where he was going. "The true story of how- the mine caught on fire was told me by Bob.” says Mrs. Love. “He said that for three weeks previous to the fire the electric light wires had been useless and that large torches were hung in the mine In their places. “Alexander Rosenjack was the eager in charge and Bob worked under him. He took his torch from his hat and hung it on a peg. The oil from the lamp fell on the car, containing five bales of hay (/ and set it on fire. “Rosenjack -was taken away from Cherry directly afterward. John Crowley, the mine engineer, has also left the village.” Explosion Entombs 228 Japanese. Tokyo, Nov. 26.—Fifteen men are dead and 228 entombed as the result of an explosion In the Onoura coal mine.