At this time it was calculated by those who had every facility for knowing, that there were thirty thousand members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians—otherwise the Mollie Maguires—in the State of Pennsylvania, and, in the county of Schuylkill alone, where my agents were most actively operating, some two thousand five hundred. These figures may be exaggerated, or may not, but it is undoubtedly true that there were enough in the Commonwealth to carry the elections and to produce wide-spread terror in the coal regions. So invincible was their power, that they had but to say the word and a priceless life was thenceforth worth no more than the powder burnt in its destruction. The County Delegate, Kehoe, needed only to crook his little finger or call upon the officers of any adjoining county for help, in any nefarious undertaking, and it was forthcoming. From the assassination of a man to the burning of a breaker, or the whipping of a boss who refused to obey an order to leave the country, he had but to command to be obeyed. The same rule applied—only not to so wide an extent—with the Bodymasters of the different divisions. Over their subordinates these officials exercised complete control. Sometimes, it was true, as in the matter of Gomer James, at Shenandoah, the members undertook to lead. But in McAndrew the vengeful McHugh and Hurley found their match. He, when repeatedly urged, even as late as the first of May, 1875, utterly refused to have anything done, ending all cavil by once more promising that, when the resumption came—if ever it did come—and the attention of the people would be diverted from their society, he would get the men from Northumberland County and have the Welshman silenced. Finding that they had not sufficient force at command to put him out, the bloodthirsty trio were compelled to wait. That is, for a time, they did wait, and McAndrew still remained at the head of affairs.