Show REIGN OF TERROR EXISTED Testimony Showing This Condition of Affairs in tho Pennsylvania Pennsyl-vania Coal Region Scranton Pa Dec 1SThe coal strike commission listened today to further testimony tending to show that a relRii of terror existed In the anthracite an-thracite coal fields during the five and a half months of the mineworkers strike About a score of witnesses were called during the two sessions by the attorneys for the nonunion men They told of serious boycotts brutal attacks by crowds of men women and boys and an attempt to burn the house of a nonunion man In most Instance the witness testified that the alleged offenders were members of the miners union The lawyers for the miners objected frequently to the admission of testimony testi-mony on hearsay and sometimes objected ob-jected because of Irrelevancy of certain cer-tain other statements Chairman Gray said the commission was not bound by any strict rules of evidence but asked counsel to confine themselves In examining witnesses as far as possible to direct evidence He said It was too difficult In trying to prove that boycotts existed to get information In-formation on the subject The commission he said wanted to know whether a reign of terror existed In the anthracite region and It could not get that Information If the strict I rules of evidence were applied I The coward who will go to tho storekeepers store-keepers he said and tell them not to sell the necessaries of life to a poor woman usually seeks the obscurity that the law of evidence throws around him If a girl Is discharged from her position In a store because she rode in a street car In Inclement weather while a street car strike was on the coward who discharged her Is coward enough to refuse to testify He recognized he said why some merchants will not come forward and tell who forced him to refuse to sell necessaries of life to certain boycotted persons but If he Chairman Gray were a storekeeper he thought he would I risk his all In order to assist In breaking break-Ing up the cowardly business The lawyers for the nonunion men said tonight they would continue callIng call-Ing witnesses to prove that a reign of terror existed during the strike The contmlsslon will adjourn about noon Saturday and will resume In Philadelphia Phila-delphia January Gth |