0:00:00 > 0:00:00- 888
0:00:00 > 0:00:02- 888- - 888
0:00:07 > 0:00:09- The anthracite region - of Pennsylvania.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13- Once, the driving force - behind the Industrial Revolution...
0:00:13 > 0:00:17- ..that saw America become - one of the world's richest nations.
0:00:17 > 0:00:22- It was home to Welsh immigrants - lured by the promise of a new life.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28- They fled the dreadful conditions - in the mines of their homeland.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35- But in this brave new world...
0:00:36 > 0:00:39- ..the oppressed Welsh - soon became the oppressors.
0:00:39 > 0:00:45- It was the famine-fleeing Irish - who bore the brunt of their power.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52- Welsh mine owners and bosses...
0:00:53 > 0:00:56- ..contributed greatly - to the terrible conditions...
0:00:56 > 0:00:58- ..of the Pennsylvanian coalfields.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04- The situation led to the largest - mass execution in American history.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08- The hangings were the result - of a series of trials...
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- ..condemned as the most - blatant miscarriage of justice...
0:01:12 > 0:01:14- ..the nation had ever witnessed.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17- Twenty Irish miners - were condemned to the gallows.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25- The executed were alleged members - of the Molly Maguires...
0:01:25 > 0:01:29- ..a secret society - which had supposedly...
0:01:29 > 0:01:33- ..terrorized the coalfields - for the past fifty years.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36- But even to this day...
0:01:36 > 0:01:41- ..the controversy over the guilt - or innocence of those hanged...
0:01:41 > 0:01:44- ..is debated in towns - across Pennsylvania.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49- There are some who wonder whether - the ghosts of the condemned men...
0:01:49 > 0:01:52- ..still haunt the minds - of the large Welsh community...
0:01:53 > 0:01:55- ..in the anthracite region.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57- The Irish were out of favour.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03- Many Welsh bosses created - tension and bitterness...
0:02:03 > 0:02:06- ..among the Irish contingent.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10- At least two of those - who were murdered...
0:02:10 > 0:02:13- ..were supervisors - in the coal industry.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27- # With your kind attention - a song I will trill
0:02:27 > 0:02:30- # All you who must toil - with the pick and the drill
0:02:31 > 0:02:34- # And sweat for your bread - in that hole in Oak Hill
0:02:34 > 0:02:37- # It goes down, down, down #
0:02:47 > 0:02:50- During the mid-19th century...
0:02:50 > 0:02:56- ..coal mining dominated parts - of north-eastern Pennsylvania...
0:02:57 > 0:03:00- ..a region already - deforested twice over...
0:03:00 > 0:03:03- ..to feed America's - insatiable appetite for energy.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07- Mine owners were ruthless.
0:03:07 > 0:03:13- The labour laws in America - were virtually non-existent.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19- With low overheads - and cheap, expendable labour...
0:03:19 > 0:03:24- ..the profits to be made from mining - 'black diamonds' were huge.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27- During the heyday - of coal production...
0:03:27 > 0:03:30- ..thirteen millionaires lived - on this famous street...
0:03:30 > 0:03:34- ..in the village of Mauch Chunk.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43- The streets of the new mining - centres were paved with gold...
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- ..for investors - from the old money districts...
0:03:47 > 0:03:50- ..of Philadelphia, - New York and beyond.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54- Coal speculation - became an exciting industry.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58- It could result in the accumulation - of vast fortunes...
0:03:58 > 0:04:00- ..or total bankruptcy.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15- Coal was king and ruled over - by a realm of industrial barons.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- To them, money was more important - than people.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22- They completely disregarded - the safety of mine workers.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25- Miners toiled - in almost total darkness.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- Sometimes, rock falls - trapped them underground...
0:04:29 > 0:04:31- ..or squashed them to death.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35- Their bodies - had to be scraped up with shovels.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- Corpses were deposited - outside the doors of their homes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44- They were placed in boxes - if they had been dismembered.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52- It has been estimated that during - the period of the coal boom...
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- ..three miners died every two days.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04- Miners were at the mercy - of the mine owners in their homes...
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- ..as well as in the dark tunnels - underground.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17- Many large towns developed - from the patch towns...
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- ..where miners relied - on their employers for work...
0:05:20 > 0:05:23- ..their housing and their supplies.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- Some coal companies - had been known...
0:05:35 > 0:05:39- ..to make more money in a year - at their company store...
0:05:39 > 0:05:41- ..than they made - with their coal operations.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46- Dr Howard Orrind, who teaches - Economy at Penn State, Hazelton...
0:05:46 > 0:05:50- ..wrote that a coal company - made less than 100 in the year...
0:05:51 > 0:05:55- ..on their coal operations - but 35,000 on their company store.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- The company store was the business - for half of these people.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03- Over the entrance, - you see the date 1855-1931.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- This was driven in 1855, - before the Civil War.
0:06:07 > 0:06:08- Closed in 1972.
0:06:08 > 0:06:14- It was the oldest operating - deep anthracite mine in the world.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- Bar none.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- As the mines went deeper and deeper - into the ground...
0:06:22 > 0:06:25- ..the safety risks increased - and more accidents occurred.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29- Miners were also tied - to a credit system...
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- ..that bound them to the company.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- You might get what they call - a 'bobtail check'.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- You mined five tonnes of coal - at a dollar a tonne and you got 5.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- Your expenses would be - rent - a dollar...
0:06:45 > 0:06:49- ..and for everything that you use - - powder, pick, shovel, gloves...
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- ..and the expense would equal 5 - so your earnings would be zero.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- You went to the company store - to put yourself in debt again.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- Often, it was the women - who were left to create...
0:07:05 > 0:07:10- ..some sort of normality - in the miners' uncertain lifestyle.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14- For many Welsh families - in this area...
0:07:14 > 0:07:20- ..the wages women earned - in the mills...
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- ..were important - for the upkeep of the family.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- Mills were established - near the coalfield...
0:07:27 > 0:07:32- ..because the owners were sure they - could exploit the cheap labour...
0:07:32 > 0:07:37- ..in that area - the daughters - of Welsh and Irish families.
0:07:38 > 0:07:44- When the women married, - they would leave the mills...
0:07:44 > 0:07:46- ..to raise their families.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53- They have to maintain the patch, - the garden in front of the home.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57- And they had to go out on the coal - pile where they throw the waste.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00- The culm.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04- And there, women will go looking - for big pieces of coal...
0:08:04 > 0:08:06- ..to bring home - and give it to the pop.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10- He put it in the coal store. - to keep them warm over the winter.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15- So life for women is putting up with - pretty tough husbands, you know.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20- And they either stood by their man - or turned their back on him.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- If the mining industry - was cruel to grown men and women...
0:08:28 > 0:08:30- ..it was frightful for children.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33- Many of the older boys - worked in the mines...
0:08:33 > 0:08:37- ..guiding the mule trains used - to bring the coal to the surface.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- They spent their days - in the gloom of the tunnels...
0:08:41 > 0:08:45- ..constantly avoiding - the wheels of the coal carriages...
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- ..with only the stubborn mules - for company.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56- Younger boys were also employed - - boys of seven or eight.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01- This was the norm up to the - beginning of the 20th century.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04- Young boys would break - and separate the coal.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- There they sit - in this seven-storey building...
0:09:09 > 0:09:11- ..and as the coal comes down...
0:09:12 > 0:09:14- ..the bigger pieces - are taken off by the older men.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17- It finally comes - to these young bucks.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20- They're sucking down the coal dust.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- They're separating the pieces that - won't burn from those that do burn.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- The kids' fingertips is bustin' - open and they call them red tops.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- Many wealthy men - in the Victorian era...
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- ..were eager to contribute - to the development of society.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48- One of those was the owner - of this grand house behind me.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53- Asa Packer contributed 500,000 - to establish Lehigh University.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- The irony of the situation - was lost on him.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59- He was funding a university...
0:09:59 > 0:10:04- ..while children as young as six - were dying in his coal mines.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- In the mansions of the bosses...
0:10:15 > 0:10:17- ..there was little regard - for miners.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22- Yet, a constant influx of fresh - labour into this industry...
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- ..was vital - if the coal bosses were to prosper.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33- Without a tradition - of mine workers...
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- ..immigrants were sought - from the British Isles.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- The most important and numerous - of these came from south Wales.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45- Welsh miners rapidly became - the elite of the workforce.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49- They formed supervisory bodies - in the mines...
0:10:49 > 0:10:53- ..and organized cooperatives - which opened new mines.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- My great, great, great-grandfather - was a miner.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- He brought his family over - and they worked their way up...
0:11:01 > 0:11:05- ..to owning their own colliery which - was called the Dundus Colliery.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- The mine bosses were Welshmen.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12- They had the trade and they knew the - skill and they were the best at it.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- In the 1840s, the Irish arrived - in New York and Philadelphia.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21- The Reading Coal and Iron Company - sent trains to tell people...
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- ..that they had this work here.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29- 90% of these men were not miners - by trade when they came here.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36- The Irish were beneath the Welsh - in the social hierarchy.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40- Many had fled from the famine - and its hopeless aftermath.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47- Most Irish immigrants arrived - from an agricultural economy...
0:11:47 > 0:11:50- ..with no industrial skills - and less literacy.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- Americans regarded this - as part of the Irish psyche...
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- ..along with laziness - and hard drinking.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- The stereotype of the drunken - Catholic Irishman was exploited...
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- ..by some racist organizations.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15- They depicted foreigners, - especially Irish and Chinese...
0:12:15 > 0:12:18- ..as those who consumed - native American culture...
0:12:19 > 0:12:23- ..and transformed it - into a mutation of its pure origins.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33- We can find this prejudice - in Welsh publications of the time.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- Here, in Seren Orllewinol, the - paper of Pennsylvanian Baptists...
0:12:37 > 0:12:41- ..printed in Pottsville, we can - read about the burning of a chapel.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- "It is not known - who carried out this atrocity...
0:12:45 > 0:12:50- "..but suspicion has fallen on - the children of the Emerald Isle...
0:12:50 > 0:12:53- "..to further highlight - the spirit of the Papacy...
0:12:54 > 0:12:56- "..along with the deceit - of the Irish."
0:12:56 > 0:12:59- The Irish and Welsh - found themselves separated...
0:12:59 > 0:13:03- ..not only by mining experiences - but also by religion.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05- They formed gangs.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10- Welsh people were members of gangs - in Shenandoah and Mahanoy Hill.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14- Gangs such as the Modocs - represented the Welsh.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19- Then you had the Sheet Iron Gang - who fought against the Mollys.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- The Irish gangs - fought against each other...
0:13:23 > 0:13:25- ..as well as other ethnic groups.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33- Underground, - such conflicts could lead to death.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36- In the highly charged - ethnic atmosphere...
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- ..the Irish were given - the most dangerous jobs.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43- Even when it wasn't - a matter of life and death...
0:13:43 > 0:13:45- ..the Irish felt that the Welsh...
0:13:45 > 0:13:49- ..were abusing their positions - of authority to exploit them.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54- He goes into the mine and he scoops - up all the coal into a coal cart.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58- He puts the big lumps on the top. - He figures he did a good day's work.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03- But the coal car is pushed out - and the fire boss levels the car.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08- He takes all the big lumps either - for himself or for the company.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13- He deducts for rock, for shale, - for moisture and dirt.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16- So the miner thinks he mined - ten tonnes of coal...
0:14:17 > 0:14:19- ..and now he's down to five tonnes.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24- After a while, this is going to get - a little aggravating to be polite.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28- He's not going to take kindly - to the man that's doing this to him.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37- There were occasional - revenge attacks on mine bosses...
0:14:37 > 0:14:42- ..to settle the scores by individual - miners or a group of workers.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45- But some wondered - whether such attacks...
0:14:46 > 0:14:48- ..were as spontaneous - as they seemed.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54- The Irish had a reputation - for reacting to their exploitation.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58- Most of these attacks - in the Molly Maguire era...
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- ..are against Welsh mine bosses.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- But it had to be personal vendetta - that created the problem.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08- Everybody is walking around - with pistols.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- It's just like Dodge City - or the old West back here.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18- The mining areas - certainly resembled the Wild West.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- Rumours began to grow - that the assaults...
0:15:21 > 0:15:24- ..were the work - of a secret Irish society...
0:15:24 > 0:15:29- ..who orchestrated these attacks - to seek revenge on the Welsh.
0:15:33 > 0:15:33- 888
0:15:33 > 0:15:35- 888- - 888
0:15:43 > 0:15:47- Faced by the challenges - of their new environment...
0:15:47 > 0:15:51- ..ethnic communities - found their religion a comfort.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54- The Irish also formed - religious organizations...
0:15:54 > 0:15:57- ..which offered help to immigrants.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- Many of them survive to this day.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04- One of oldest of these - is The Ancient Order of Hibernians.
0:16:08 > 0:16:14- To some, such institutions were a - cover for more sinister activities.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19- As I discovered with Leo Ward from - the Schuylkill Historical Society.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23- The first man to write - about the Molly Maguires...
0:16:23 > 0:16:28- ..was a journalist of Welsh descent - and owner of The Miner's Journal...
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- ..Benjamin Bannan.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- Referring to the new wave - of immigrants from Ireland...
0:16:34 > 0:16:39- ..he warned his readers about - "The Order of the Molly Maguires...
0:16:39 > 0:16:44- "..a Roman Catholic society within - the Ancient Order of Hibernians."
0:16:44 > 0:16:50- This was the first reference to - Molly Maguires in America in 1857.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55- Over the next 20 years, they loomed - ever larger in the nightmares...
0:16:55 > 0:16:59- ..of those who feared the power - of an exploited workforce.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07- Back in the homeland, Irish - peasants formed secret societies...
0:17:08 > 0:17:12- ..whose members attacked - landlords and their agents.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16- Their method of protest included - intimidation, attacks on animals...
0:17:16 > 0:17:20- ..arson and isolated incidences - of violence and murder.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22- Like the Daughters of Rebecca - in Wales...
0:17:22 > 0:17:27- ..one of these groups disguised - themselves in women's dress.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30- The Molly Maguires - took their name from a widow...
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- ..who had stoutly resisted - the intimidation...
0:17:33 > 0:17:37- ..of an oppressive landlord intent - on evicting her from her property.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- What Bannan - and the mainstream media feared...
0:17:40 > 0:17:43- ..was that this Irish capacity - for revenge...
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- ..had travelled with them - across the Atlantic.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50- Under the cover of the Ancient Order - of Hibernians...
0:17:50 > 0:17:55- ..the Mollys established themselves - in the Pennsylvanian coalfields.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09- The advent of the Civil War - gave rise to conditions...
0:18:09 > 0:18:14- ..in which such secret organizations - could prosper and grow.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19- The Irish were conscripted into - the armies in the north and south.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22- They were expected to die - on the battlefield...
0:18:22 > 0:18:26- ..even though some - were denied the right to vote.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30- The Irish opposition - to conscription was led by those...
0:18:30 > 0:18:33- ..who eventually formed - the Irish middle class.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36- These became merchants - or saloon owners.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41- John 'Black Jack' Kehoe was - a former miner and saloon owner...
0:18:41 > 0:18:43- ..and High Constable of Girardville.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47- He was a local politician - who fought for labour rights.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51- His great-grandson Joe Wayne - still runs his bar - Hibernia House.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58- The majority on both sides - of the war were of Irish descent.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02- The Irish people, when they - realized what was happening...
0:19:02 > 0:19:04- ..they fought, they rebelled...
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- ..and had what was known - as the conscription riots.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09- Many couldn't read or write.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12- They were given papers to sign...
0:19:12 > 0:19:15- ..but they didn't know - they were enlistment papers.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19- The wealthy people paid 300 for - someone else to go in their stead.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25- The Irish were indignant - that rich Americans...
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- ..could buy their way - out of enlistment.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31- But Irish anti-draft protests...
0:19:31 > 0:19:35- ..involved the assault - and murder of black people.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41- It demonstrated the kind of savagery - expected of the Irish.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48- Reports of the mass carnage - in Civil War battles...
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- ..toughened resistance - towards enlistment.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03- Anti-draft rioting - in the coalfields...
0:20:03 > 0:20:06- ..led to the murder - of mine owner George Smith.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- He was accused of providing - the names of mine workers...
0:20:10 > 0:20:13- ..for conscription - into the Union Army.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16- Benjamin Bannan, - in The Miner's Journal...
0:20:16 > 0:20:19- ..accused the Molly Maguires - of Smith's murder.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24- The New York Times published - an article claiming that Smith...
0:20:24 > 0:20:28- ..had incurred the wrath - of Irish miners by his opposition...
0:20:29 > 0:20:32- ..to "a secret organization, - that has as its object...
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- "..the exclusion of workers - of other countries".
0:20:37 > 0:20:41- The Maguires were now perceived as - a national threat to law and order.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48- The end of the Civil War - led to a lowering of coal prices...
0:20:48 > 0:20:51- ..and an increase in unemployment.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53- This caused a decrease in wages...
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- ..and even less concern - for miners' safety.
0:20:58 > 0:21:05- 110 miners died in a mine fire - at Avondale in 1869.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- Most of the dead were Welsh.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12- Attempts were made to blame - the Mollys for the fire.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- Pennsylvania's governor - refused to accept that.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20- He roundly condemned the Avondale - mine owners for their negligence.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25- The Avondale fire...
0:21:25 > 0:21:29- ..was one of the factors which - helped turn miners' attention...
0:21:30 > 0:21:32- ..towards the formation of a union.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35- Despite the fact - that unions were illegal...
0:21:35 > 0:21:39- ..the Workingmen's Benevolent - Association was founded.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46- But if unions were being formed, - so too was capitalism.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50- A powerful personality - began to assert his influence.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54- Franklin Gowen heavily - influenced the coal industry.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58- Mr Gowen was a lawyer, - a very flamboyant individual.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01- He enjoyed being in the limelight.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06- He was an excellent - courtroom attorney.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12- Very fluent, - very dramatic, very eloquent.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17- But Gowen was a new breed - of corporate executive.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22- He offered his backers and investors - complete control of coal...
0:22:22 > 0:22:26- ..from the mining of raw material - to delivery to the consumer.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29- He brought railroad owners - together...
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- ..to raise the price - of transporting coal...
0:22:32 > 0:22:35- ..and control how much - would reach the markets.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40- Small collieries decreased output - and became less economically viable.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- They eventually sold out - to the corporations.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- Once this was achieved, only one - obstacle stood in the way...
0:22:54 > 0:22:57- ..of their complete control - of the coal industry.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05- The workforce and the corporations - were heading for a showdown.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09- The Workingmen's Benevolent - Association prepared...
0:23:10 > 0:23:14- ..for the battle which would become - known as the Long Strike of 1875.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22- Threats, beatings, - shootings and theft...
0:23:22 > 0:23:26- ..were commonplace - during the dispute.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30- The strike lasted six months - but the employers refused to yield.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35- When the pit gates were re-opened, - the miners returned to work.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39- Wages were 50% lower than they were - five years previously.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43- The owners had shown their strength.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- The Welsh played a prominent role...
0:23:47 > 0:23:52- ..in creating unions - within the coal industry...
0:23:53 > 0:23:54- ..in the 1860s and 1870s.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59- They were leaders within the - Workingmen's Benevolent Association.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03- There was a strike in 1875.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07- During the strike, the union - failed to gain the support...
0:24:07 > 0:24:11- ..of the Welsh and the Irish - as a collective.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- When the strike - begins to break down...
0:24:15 > 0:24:21- ..and the Mollys become more active - with their attacks and shootings...
0:24:21 > 0:24:26- ..the union and society - starts to fall apart.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32- With the failure of the union...
0:24:32 > 0:24:36- ..violence seemed to be - the only weapon left to workers.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40- Death notices were distributed - to the enemies of Irish labour.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45- The ethnic tensions which were held - in check during the Long Strike...
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- ..not only resurfaced - but seemed to intensify.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51- The Irish found themselves - marginalized...
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- ..by the authorities, - who seemed to punish them...
0:24:55 > 0:24:59- ..while turning a blind eye - to the crimes of the Welsh.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07- The most colourful character - was William 'Bully Bill' Thomas.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- He had a reputation - as a heavy drinker and a brawler.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- He often fought - against the Irish.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18- The Irish tried to shoot him - on numerous occasions...
0:25:19 > 0:25:23- ..but he managed to survive - every attempt on his life.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26- In the end, - he sided with the authorities...
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- ..and gave evidence - against the Mollys.
0:25:30 > 0:25:36- That was an important aspect - in the battle against the Irish.
0:25:36 > 0:25:41- Even though he was a character who'd - been involved in the fighting...
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- ..he never ended up - in front of a judge himself.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47- It was one law for the Welsh - and another law for the Irish.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54- In Mahanoy, the city was divided - along ethnic lines.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- Welsh firefighters - and Irish firefighters...
0:25:58 > 0:26:01- ..would fight for the right - to extinguish a fire.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05- Welshman George Major was killed - as a result of these disputes.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- This incident led - to a sustained period of revenge.
0:26:10 > 0:26:15- During this period, Welsh mine - supervisor John P Jones was killed.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18- The Irish claimed, - and not without reason...
0:26:18 > 0:26:23- ..that Jones favoured Welsh workers - over Irish workers.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30- By now, journalists like Bannan - and mine bosses like Gowen...
0:26:30 > 0:26:34- ..were attributing any gang fights, - mine collapses or fires...
0:26:35 > 0:26:36- ..to the Mollys.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41- The term 'Molly Maguirism' was - applied to any violent activity...
0:26:41 > 0:26:46- ..often with no rationale - or evidence.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- But there was an increase - in violence.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51- The violence - continued to escalate...
0:26:52 > 0:26:56- ..fuelled by ethnic tensions and - unfair practices in the workplace.
0:26:56 > 0:27:02- The situation came to a head on - 'The Night of Terror' in Shenandoah.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06- On October 9, 1875, - an Irishman named John Heffernan...
0:27:07 > 0:27:11- ..tried to shoot Welsh bartender - Daniel Williams.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16- In revenge, Irishman Richard Finnen - was shot by an unknown assassin.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20- James Johns, a Welshman, was shot.
0:27:20 > 0:27:26- To ensure his demise, - the Irish cut his throat.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- As gun battles broke out - all over town...
0:27:29 > 0:27:34- ..fifteen shots were fired - into Muff Lawler's Irish Tavern.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40- The media - and the Welsh communities...
0:27:40 > 0:27:44- ..were growing increasingly - concerned about the reign of fear...
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- ..the Molly Maguires imposed - on the coalfields.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50- Gowen could now play - the good citizen...
0:27:50 > 0:27:53- ..as well as neutralize - what he perceived...
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- ..as the last remaining threat - to his control of the coalfields.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01- His next step was to alienate - the labour agitators...
0:28:01 > 0:28:03- ..from their communities.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08- He turned to an old friend - - Archbishop Wood of Philadelphia.
0:28:17 > 0:28:17- 888
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- 888- - 888
0:28:21 > 0:28:27- With the Catholic Church desperately - seeking acceptance in America...
0:28:27 > 0:28:32- ..the idea of harbouring - secret societies was unacceptable...
0:28:32 > 0:28:37- ..especially since respected - members such as Archbishop Wood...
0:28:37 > 0:28:40- ..were totally unsympathetic - to militant labour.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43- In 1864, - Archbishop Wood of Philadelphia...
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- ..issued a pastoral letter - condemning the Molly Maguires.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52- In 1875, the Molly Maguires - were formally excommunicated...
0:28:53 > 0:28:55- ..from the Catholic Church.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59- The first Molly Maguire trials - took place a month later...
0:28:59 > 0:29:04- ..and the prosecution benefited - from the Church's condemnation.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09- Gowen went to Mount St Mary's, - in Emmitsburg, Maryland...
0:29:09 > 0:29:12- ..a Catholic school, - that you would think...
0:29:12 > 0:29:17- ..would be socially unacceptable - to a Protestant of that time.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22- Archbishop Wood also went to Mount - St Mary's and they became friends.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27- Not only did Gowen and Wood...
0:29:28 > 0:29:32- ..manage to distance the accused - from their fraternal community...
0:29:32 > 0:29:36- ..they separated them from - the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40- Under pressure from the bishops - and the coal owners...
0:29:41 > 0:29:45- ..the Ancient Order suspended - its operations in the coalfields.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47- This was tantamount - to an admission...
0:29:47 > 0:29:50- ..of their association - with the Molly Maguires.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58- With the support of coal owners - and the Welsh mining community...
0:29:58 > 0:30:02- ..Gowen began the final phase of his - campaign against the Molly Maguires.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07- Irish mine workers were arrested - and jailed. Trials were organized.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12- Members of a society with a - reputation of killing its enemies...
0:30:12 > 0:30:16- ..the way other men "might grind - a worm beneath their heel"...
0:30:16 > 0:30:19- ..had to be brought to justice, - according to the newspapers.
0:30:20 > 0:30:26- In this climate of fear, the idea - of proper justice was forgotten.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46- None of them were ever apprehended - in an act of violence.
0:30:46 > 0:30:52- The prosecutor was the president of - the Reading Coal and Iron Company.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55- If you put it in a historical - context, it would be like...
0:30:55 > 0:31:00- ..the President of General Motors - prosecuting the United Auto Workers.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02- They were kangaroo courts.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06- Many jurors didn't speak English - - they were Pennsylvanian Dutch.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09- When somebody would go to testify...
0:31:09 > 0:31:13- ..and say that this defendant was - not there on such and such a day...
0:31:13 > 0:31:17- ..they literally took - those defence witnesses...
0:31:17 > 0:31:20- ..and took them - to the next court room...
0:31:20 > 0:31:22- ..and convicted them of perjury.
0:31:23 > 0:31:28- None of those accused were called - as witnesses in their own defence.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31- The prosecution were lawyers - of the rail and mining companies.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34- Police witnesses - were salaried employees.
0:31:34 > 0:31:39- Other witnesses - included Pinkerton detectives...
0:31:39 > 0:31:40- ..also paid by the mine bosses.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44- The star witness among these - was James McParlan...
0:31:44 > 0:31:48- ..an undercover agent - in the coalfields...
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- ..for the two years - before the trials.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55- The Pinkerton detective agency - were men that were hired...
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- ..some of them coming - right out of prison.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01- They would crack your skull - for a dollar.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05- Since the introduction - of the Pinkerton detectives...
0:32:05 > 0:32:09- ..crime increased 700% - in Schuylkill and Carbon Counties.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15- Did you or did you not? - I want an answer.
0:32:15 > 0:32:16- Of course I did not.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21- Defence lawyers singled McParlan - out for hostile cross-examination.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26- He was accused of being - a provocateur if not a murderer.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29- He was accused - of escalating the violence.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33- Despite this, judges endorsed him - as a credible witness.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42- The statements of informers - and Pinkerton detectives...
0:32:42 > 0:32:46- ..formed the basis of - the prosecution against the Mollys.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49- Ten crucial witnesses - had connections with the Mollys.
0:32:49 > 0:32:54- They turned States evidence - in return for a pardon.
0:32:54 > 0:32:59- Some informers were even paid - handsomely for their testimony.
0:33:01 > 0:33:06- Trials degenerated into farces - where juries...
0:33:06 > 0:33:11- ..took as little as 20 minutes - to bring in their guilty verdicts.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16- The result of the collective trials - of the Molly Maguires...
0:33:16 > 0:33:21- ..culminated in ten Irishmen being - sentenced to be hanged in 1877.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29- In Mauch Chunk and Pottsville...
0:33:29 > 0:33:34- ..the condemned men awaited their - fate in damp, dark prison cells.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41- In the days before - their executions...
0:33:41 > 0:33:45- ..the condemned endured - the noise of the scaffold...
0:33:45 > 0:33:48- ..being erected - outside their cell doors.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52- The families of the men - had to pass the scaffold...
0:33:52 > 0:33:55- ..on their way - to visit their loved ones.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00- One prisoner's wife collapsed - in a fit of convulsions...
0:34:00 > 0:34:05- ..when she saw the 'death machine' - which lay in wait for her husband.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16- As he left his cell for the last - time, Alexander Campbell...
0:34:17 > 0:34:21- ..convicted of the murders - of John P Jones and Morgan Powell...
0:34:21 > 0:34:23- ..declared "I'm innocent.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27- "I was nowhere near - the scene of the crime."
0:34:28 > 0:34:32- One of the men, probably Alexander - Campbell, said, "I am innocent.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35- "My handprint is going to stay here - to show I'm innocent."
0:34:36 > 0:34:38- The handprint has been there - since that time.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41- The handprint - has been washed off and come back.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44- It has been painted over - and come back.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47- The wall has been dug out - and re-plastered.
0:34:47 > 0:34:48- But the handprint remains.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52- The last warden to live here said, - "You don't believe it...
0:34:52 > 0:34:56- "..and I don't believe it but there - it is - the handprint on the wall."
0:35:07 > 0:35:11- Whatever one thinks - of the supernatural resonance...
0:35:11 > 0:35:14- ..of past events, - psychic researchers...
0:35:14 > 0:35:18- ..from all over America - visit Carbon County Jail.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21- Even for the sceptic, - it's not difficult to imagine...
0:35:22 > 0:35:27- ..the gruesome events which took - place here on that infamous day.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39- At the end of the day, - the condemned men...
0:35:39 > 0:35:44- ..were mostly betrayed - by their own communities...
0:35:44 > 0:35:46- ..and the Catholic Church.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58- They turned on them - and they excommunicated them.
0:35:58 > 0:36:03- So imagine that day - June 21, 1877, - every Molly Maguire...
0:36:03 > 0:36:06- ..before they hung him by the rope - is standing there.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10- And they say, - "Do you have any last words?"
0:36:10 > 0:36:14- They say, "I'd like to beg pardon - from the Roman Catholic Church...
0:36:14 > 0:36:17- .."for all the sins - that I have committed."
0:36:17 > 0:36:20- And they had a crucifix - in their hands.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27- Leaving aside the innocence - or guilt of the convicted...
0:36:28 > 0:36:32- ..their trials had been - a travesty of legal procedures...
0:36:32 > 0:36:35- ..orchestrated by Franklin Gowen - and the coal owners.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37- As one commentator said...
0:36:37 > 0:36:39- "..The State of Pennsylvania - merely provided...
0:36:39 > 0:36:42- "..the courtroom and the gallows."
0:36:42 > 0:36:46- There were very few - dissenting voices as Jack Donahue...
0:36:46 > 0:36:50- ..Alexander Campbell, - Edward Kelly and Michael Doyle...
0:36:50 > 0:36:56- ..awaited the release of the - lever that would end their lives.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58- Then, one by one... cling.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02- They hung 'em.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05- On Black Thursday, six more men - were hung in Pottsville...
0:37:06 > 0:37:08- ..following a procession - to the scaffold.
0:37:08 > 0:37:13- Another ten convicted members - of the Molly Maguires...
0:37:14 > 0:37:18- ..faced a similar fate - over the next two years.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22- Perhaps the most - heartbreaking story to emerge...
0:37:22 > 0:37:25- ..was the trial - and execution of John Kehoe...
0:37:25 > 0:37:29- ..the man accused of being - the head of the Molly Maguires.
0:37:36 > 0:37:36- 888
0:37:36 > 0:37:38- 888- - 888
0:37:41 > 0:37:45- After nineteen death sentences - in the Molly Maguire trials...
0:37:45 > 0:37:49- ..John Kehoe was tried - in Pottsville courthouse...
0:37:49 > 0:37:52- ..for the murder of Frank Langdon...
0:37:52 > 0:37:55- ..who had died fourteen years - prior to the trial.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58- This is the most - important trial of all.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02- In Gowen's mind, - victory over the labour agitators...
0:38:02 > 0:38:05- ..would not be complete - until Kehoe had been executed.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10- Mine supervisor Frank Langdon - had fallen foul...
0:38:10 > 0:38:14- ..of anti-conscription protestors - during the Civil War.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18- He was badly beaten - but regained consciousness...
0:38:18 > 0:38:21- ..and talked about - his assault before his death.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26- He never mentioned Kehoe - as a potential assailant.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32- The mineowners and the coal barons - had to get John Kehoe.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35- He was a very significant - political figure.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39- He was the elected democratic - constable of Girardville.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43- He was a leader in the Workingmen's - Benevolent Association...
0:38:44 > 0:38:46- ..which was broken in 1875...
0:38:46 > 0:38:49- ..when miners returned to work - at half wages.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53- He was the county-wide leader - of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58- The coal operators admitted that - they spent 4m to break the union.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00- That's a lot of money at any time.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05- If you can extrapolate from that, - it's billions of dollars.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09- By the time of Kehoe's trial...
0:39:09 > 0:39:16- ..Franklin Gowen had already - secured two convictions against him.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19- Kehoe was accused of being - a member of an organization...
0:39:20 > 0:39:25- ..for which "murder was but child's - play and arson but a pleasure."
0:39:29 > 0:39:33- The evidence against Kehoe - was entirely circumstantial...
0:39:33 > 0:39:38- ..and relied solely on verbal - threats Kehoe supposedly made...
0:39:38 > 0:39:41- ..against mine supervisor - Frank Langdon.
0:39:41 > 0:39:46- No witnesses placed him - at the scene of Langdon's beating.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49- There was no evidence to suggest...
0:39:49 > 0:39:52- ..that he had conspired - to have him beaten.
0:39:52 > 0:39:57- Nobody puts Kehoe - actually assaulting Langdon.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00- It's all made to be - a matter of conspiracy.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04- He talked to these - other fellows about doing it.
0:40:04 > 0:40:09- He was not charged for conspiracy, - he was charged for murder.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13- In a final testament - to the extraordinary hysteria...
0:40:13 > 0:40:17- ..that surrounded the trials, - John Kehoe was also sentenced...
0:40:17 > 0:40:19- ..to hang in Pottsville County Jail.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24- Locked in Pottsville County Jail...
0:40:25 > 0:40:27- ..Kehoe struggled - to avoid becoming...
0:40:28 > 0:40:30- ..the next victim - of the Molly witch-hunt.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36- New evidence in the form - of an alibi witness was discovered.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- Two men also accused - of Langdon's murder...
0:40:40 > 0:40:44- ..signed an affidavit - stating that they acted alone.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46- Yellow Jack Donahue stated that...
0:40:46 > 0:40:50- "..Jack Kehoe wasn't there - and knew nothing about it".
0:40:50 > 0:40:54- Donahue's testimony was ignored - and the coal establishment...
0:40:54 > 0:40:58- ..rapidly closed off - all Kehoe's avenues of reprieve.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04- The Board of Pardons - convened in April 1878...
0:41:04 > 0:41:11- ..and voted 4-0 to commute Kehoe - to life imprisonment.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15- They decided not to announce - the decision at that time.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18- The coal operators went to work.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21- They had one of the members - of the Board of Pardons removed...
0:41:22 > 0:41:24- ..and another one changed his vote.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27- When they voted again, - they voted 2-2.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30- If they vote 2-2, - they affirm the court below.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33- This was fixed at multiple levels, - at multiple stages.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- The most invidious, - insidious miscarriage of justice...
0:41:38 > 0:41:40- ..perhaps in the history - of this country.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44- Having exhausted - all forms of appeal...
0:41:44 > 0:41:49- ..Kehoe was sentenced to meet - his end on December 18, 1878.
0:41:50 > 0:41:55- Approaching the time of his - execution, his nerves were jangled.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59- He slapped the daughter - that had been so dear to him...
0:41:59 > 0:42:00- ..and made her cry.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03- She said, "He picked me up - and started crying...
0:42:04 > 0:42:08- .."and said 'It's something - my darling will never forget'."
0:42:08 > 0:42:12- When she told this story, - she would break down and cry.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16- How could she ever forget. - The next day, he was executed.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25- Kehoe was blindfolded and hung...
0:42:25 > 0:42:28- ..still bitterly declaring - his innocence.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34- The great Pennsylvanian - anthracite mines are closed now...
0:42:34 > 0:42:39- ..and nature is busily healing the - scars they inflicted on the land.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43- The last generation of miners now - guide tourists into the depths...
0:42:43 > 0:42:47- ..of the mines and regale them - with stories of the past.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56- The ethnic communities - of the coal region...
0:42:56 > 0:42:59- ..are generally at peace - with each other.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03- But old wounds occasionally throb at - the mention of the Molly Maguires.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08- Women who were descendants - of a Molly accosted me...
0:43:08 > 0:43:11- ..about my views - on the Molly Maguires.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14- One stared yelling at me - and screaming.
0:43:14 > 0:43:19- She came out with, "You're just - Welsh and you're all the same."
0:43:20 > 0:43:23- Time has been kind to the Mollys...
0:43:23 > 0:43:28- ..and some now regard them as heroes - of the American labour movement.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32- Some still see them as responsible - for the murder and mayhem...
0:43:32 > 0:43:35- ..that ravaged - the anthracite areas.
0:43:35 > 0:43:42- For others, they were unfortunate - martyrs of corporate America.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47- It wasn't the Welsh and it wasn't, - later on in the trials...
0:43:47 > 0:43:50- ..the German Protestants, - who got involved here.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52- It was the coal barons that used...
0:43:52 > 0:43:56- ..the ethnic and religious - background of these people...
0:43:56 > 0:44:00- ..going back to the old countries - to divide and conquer.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04- They sat back and got the riches - and the rest fought over the crumbs.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07- It goes on to this day.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10- The names change and the faces - change but it's the same thing.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14- The little guy always does the - fighting for the corporate interest.
0:44:14 > 0:44:19- The Welsh had a small part to play - in the prosecution of the Mollys...
0:44:19 > 0:44:22- ..in terms of bringing them - to justice...
0:44:23 > 0:44:26- ..which ultimately led - to some of them being executed.
0:44:26 > 0:44:31- However, the Welsh were - part of the original conflict...
0:44:31 > 0:44:36- ..and the tensions - within the coal mining industry.
0:44:36 > 0:44:41- Some Welsh people were bosses - and mine supervisors.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45- The Irish suffered - from unfavourable policies...
0:44:45 > 0:44:49- ..with most of the work - being offered to the Welsh.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54- The struggle by descendants - of people like John Kehoe...
0:44:54 > 0:44:59- ..to prove their innocence, - continued into the 20th Century.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02- John Kehoe - was eventually pardoned...
0:45:02 > 0:45:06- ..on January 11, 1979, - by the Governor of Pennsylvania.
0:45:07 > 0:45:08- He praised him...
0:45:09 > 0:45:12- ..for his efforts to improve - the conditions of Irish immigrants.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16- Franklin Gowen's reputation - has fared less well.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19- Four years after the last - Molly Maguire was hanged...
0:45:20 > 0:45:23- ..Gowen's coal and railroad empire - collapsed.
0:45:23 > 0:45:28- He returned to being - an ordinary lawyer.
0:45:29 > 0:45:34- Eventually, they got rid of Mr Gowen - because of his reckless spending.
0:45:34 > 0:45:39- When he took over the Philadelphia - and Reading Railroad in 1869...
0:45:39 > 0:45:41- ..they carried a debt of 5m.
0:45:42 > 0:45:48- When he left in 1880, they were - in debt to the tune of 197m.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53- He eventually - committed suicide in 1889.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58- Some say he was haunted by guilt - at the innocent lives he had taken.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03- Alan Pinkerton, - of the Pinkerton Detective Agency...
0:46:03 > 0:46:07- ..later admitted that members of - the Ancient Order of Hibernians...
0:46:07 > 0:46:09- ..had been "quietly murdered."
0:46:10 > 0:46:13- James McParlan continued - as an undercover agent...
0:46:13 > 0:46:16- ..until the 1907 trials - of the United Mine Workers.
0:46:17 > 0:46:22- The defence lawyer quickly unmasked - McParlan as a professional liar...
0:46:23 > 0:46:25- ..and an agent provocateur.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33- Mine workers continued - their struggle...
0:46:33 > 0:46:37- ..and eventually organized - more effective bargaining methods.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42- In 1890, the United Mine Workers - of America...
0:46:43 > 0:46:46- ..issued a strike call - to its 9,000 members.
0:46:46 > 0:46:51- Within one week, 125,000 anthracite - coal miners had left their jobs...
0:46:51 > 0:46:55- ..and 96% of coal mine production - ceased.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58- As the 20th Century advanced...
0:46:58 > 0:47:04- ..the struggle for higher wages - and better safety conditions...
0:47:04 > 0:47:10- ..made progress against the tough - resistance of owners and Government.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17- The Irish eventually came to rule - the mining industry.
0:47:17 > 0:47:21- In the early 1930s, - they participated in the trial...
0:47:21 > 0:47:24- ..and imprisonment - of many Slav and Italian workers...
0:47:25 > 0:47:28- ..on the same - flimsy kind of evidence...
0:47:28 > 0:47:31- ..that doomed the Molly Maguires.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39- The Welsh start to gain - more respect.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42- Many become part - of the middle class.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45- They start moving - up the social ladder...
0:47:46 > 0:47:53- ..becoming mine owners or reaching - the higher levels of industry.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55- Some also leave completely.
0:47:55 > 0:48:00- Back in the 1870s, the son would - follow the father into the mine.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03- By the end of the century, - that wasn't the case.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07- In the meantime, the Irish also - rose up the social ladder.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11- They became the bosses - and the mine supervisors.
0:48:11 > 0:48:17- The Irish bosses over Slavic miners - on the low end of the totem pole.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22- The Irish eventually became one of - the largest minorities in America...
0:48:22 > 0:48:26- ..and wielded the political muscle - appropriate to their numbers.
0:48:26 > 0:48:31- The Irish gave up their language - but retained their ethnic identity.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35- The Welsh - kept their language longer...
0:48:35 > 0:48:40- ..but integrated themselves - into their new homeland.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44- They are well remembered - in many ways...
0:48:45 > 0:48:48- ..not least among the graveyards - that dot the coalfields.
0:48:48 > 0:48:53- And buried here are many stories - of light and darkness...
0:48:53 > 0:49:00- ..that may yet surface to disturb - the cosy assumptions of our history.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10- # "When I was a boy," - said my Daddy to me
0:49:10 > 0:49:14- # "Stay out of the mines, - take my warnin'," said he
0:49:14 > 0:49:17- # Or with dust you'll be choked - and a pauper you'll be
0:49:17 > 0:49:20- # Broken down, down, down
0:49:20 > 0:49:23- # But I went to Oak Hill - and I asked for a job
0:49:23 > 0:49:27- # A mule for to drive - or a gangway to rob
0:49:27 > 0:49:29- # The boss said, - "Come out, Bill, and follow the mob
0:49:30 > 0:49:32- # "That goes down, down, down" #
0:49:32 > 0:49:35- S4C Subtitles by Simian 04
0:49:35 > 0:49:36- .