Jack Battuello Memoir #1 - University of Illinois Springfield

Sack Battuello 7 3
But the Progressive Miners got in there, the members and the other
officers and they squabbled and squawked on each other and that's
how that indictment came about. They told. They betrayed themselves.
(laughs) That's right. That's a hell of a thing to say but that's
how it came about. They squealed.
No United Mine Worker was ever tried. They killed forty-rwo of our
people. Forty-two of our people and they clubbed and they beat and
and they violated every law, every concept of civil liberties and
not one man was ever tried of the United Mine Workers. They sent us
to jail. That's it folks.
Q. T heard there were check stubs pfcked up from the United Mine
Workers that would have hel-ped in the defense of these men but they
were not used. Have you ever heard that story?
A. No, no. No nothing about it.
Q. I was wondering who your lawyer was that decided not to use this
information.
A. I don't know. I don't know nothing about chat. b don't know anything
about that. Well, T helped to raise band for them. And the
bond was real high, tom. Seventy-five thousand dollars, fifty thousand
dollars Tor each person.
Q. For cach one?
Q, What we.re they charged with?
A. Conspiracy, depredation and property destruction and interstate
violations all across everything. And 1 can tell you truthfully to
my knowledge not one of those men that went to prison . , . I don't
know of a single violation that they ever made, not one act of violence
or depredation or property destruction. I don't know any of them.
Q. How did they select thcm?
A. I don't know. I think they wanted to . . The United Mine
Worker's purpose was to establish a pattern of intimidation, They
didn't care too much for an individual. I was surprised I wasn't . . .
Q. I was going to ask you. Now dPd you stay out of the net?
A. Why, 1 don't how, except that I refused to take a religious oath
and they let me go. I've talked to them don't forget I had a two and
a half hour conference with Mr. Witiker, though, he was the chief
prosecator. And he asked me questions about Percy, he asked me
Jack Battuello Memoir -- Archives, University of Illinois at Springfield