| Show l I rr 4 44 44 4 4 i ACCURACY OF O HERALD REPORTS r 1 ESTABLISHED BY I the undersigned Nicol Hood of Sugar ward being duly dilly sworn depose and say That I was at Scofield and at the Winter Quarters mine during the first few days immediately following the explosion in the Pleas Pleasant Pleasant Pleasant ant Villey V Coal mine that there I met Thomas superintendent of th Coke Colfe Coal company of Dia Diamondville Diamondville Wyo and State Mine Inspector Gomer Thomas of Salt lake that I discussed with these men the causes causes of the explosion and an talked talk d over the matter matt r generally State Coal Mine Inspector Thomas said to me e repeatedly that the explosion was caused by the accumulation of dust in the th mine and that if the Pleasant Valley Coal company had been careful enough nough of the lives of its employees and the th safety of its property and had sprinkled and dampened the dust properly there would have been no explosion He said that in its failure to do this the Pleas Pleasant Pleasant Pleasant ant Valley Coal company was was guilty of neglect but that the neg neglect neglect neglect lect was waa not great enough to tobe be of a criminal c nal character He said me that he had been at war with the th company over the dust for some time 7 Thomas said to me during duri g the conversations with him that the company have hav sprinkled or dampened the dust in 4 its mines and that had it done so so o there would have been no ex explosion explosion explosion On one occasion my brother James Jam s Hood who has been ac as acquainted 4 with Mr for eighteen years said to him Tom Tomis is it not your opinion as an expert that the company was neglect fulP ml Mr replied It most decidedly was wasI I did not hear the statements made mads by Mr and Mr 4 Thomas to The Herald correspondent at Scofield but I declare re that that 4 these statements as published in The Herald were wele made to tc me and t were not in such strong language as had been used by Mr Sned don and Mr Thomas when discussing the matter with us And I declare that their contradiction of these these statements is untruthful 4 NICOL m HOOD 4 State of Utah County of Salt Lake ss On this day of May Nay 1900 personally appeared before me H HS S Stowe a notary public in and for said Salt Lake county state of Utah Nicol Hood who upon his oath acknowledged and de declared declared dared that the foregoing statement is true and correct Subscribed and sworn swo to before b fore me the undersigned the day and year first above written H B S STOWE 4 4 Notary Public in and for Salt Lake County Seal J 4 My Ny commission Expires Sept 1903 i iI 4 I James tames Hood of Salt Lake being first duly sworn depose and 4 say 4 sayI I have known Thomas superintendent of the Diamond Diamondville Diamondville 4 ville Coke Coal company of Wyo for eighteen years and I met him at Winter Quarters mine after the explosion explosion 4 sion I discussed with him the cause of this explosion and the mat matter matter 4 ter generally knowing him to be De an expert on coal mines I said 4 to him Tom is it not your opinion that the company was neg neglectful 4 p pHe 4 He said It most decidedly isy is 4 He further said When I go back to Diamondville I will win have havethe havethe havethe the mine ine of I am superintendent sprinkled at once thice nce because it itis itis I is easier to water the mine than I to pack dead bodies out outI JAMES HOOD 4 State of Utah County of Salt Lake Lak ss 1 On this day of o May 1900 personally appeared before me m mH mea H a S SO Stowe Stow a notary public in and for said Salt Lake county state 4 of Utah James Ja S Hood who upon p n his oath acknowledged d and aud de declared dared the foregoing statement to be true and correct t Subscribed and nd sworn to before me nie the undersigned the day and year first above bove written H S STOWE 4 I Notary Public in li and for the County Ct of Salt Lake 4 Seat f My expired exire Sept S pt 1903 4 4 These affidavits were we e signed by Nicol and James Hood yester yesterday yesterday 4 day Both Doth of them know Coal Mine Inspector Thomas and Superintendent Superintendent Sned on onI 4 I t Both Roth Thomas and were quoted in p The Herald erald as having havi g 4 said tha thai the th e Pleasant Valley VaIl Coal company was as neglectful Af Afterwards Afterwards Afterwards they declared that they had been misquoted misquote But Rut it so F happens that the two Hood Brothers and also John Hood of Sali Sail Salina 4 I na talked with these gentlemen James Fames and Nicol Ni ol Hood talked with Mr M and John and Nicol Hood with Mr Thomas They have made affidavits to their statements which show that Mr Sned Sued don and Mr Thomas said to them hem what they were quoted as ats s having 4 said in The Herald HeraldA A dispatch was sent to find John Hood at Salina SaUna yesterday by 4 his brother Nicol Hood in order that it might be ascertained if 4 he would permit the use of his name in these statements But he I 4 was not found Tribune reporters saw flaw the two Hoods Roods Sunday evening and 1 asked them to support the statement that The Herald had mis In misquoted s 4 quoted Coal Mine Inspector Thomas Nicol Hood replied substantially n nI 4 I I will sign a statement that Gomer Thomas has lied if the Tribune wants it The Tribune want it 9 I |
