Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-11-24
THE CITY
DOWN ON THE STRIKERS.
Judge Duling. Fines Them $40 Each
The Case 90 be Tried TO-MOrrOw BE.
fore Justice Baskette.

Judge Duiing. Fines Them $40 Each
The Case 90 be Tried TO-MOrrOw BE.
fore Justice Baskette.
Yesterday the case of the men who were
arrested for interfering with the departure
Of freight trains on the Chattanooga road,
last Friday, was tried before Judge Duling.
There were warrants out for Sam Womble,
j. c. Thompson, S. K. Bennett, ID. Lap
pin, Gus Austin and ]. NJ. Lappin, and
these parties all answered to their names
in the court room, but Superintendent
Thomas Withdrew the charges against
Womble, Thompson and Austin, leaving
only Bennett and the two Lappins to be
tried.
The railroad was represented by Gen.
Bate and the defendants by MIR. w. g..
Brien. The following is the substance of
the testimony ELECTED:
Mai. Thomas testifed-About o'clock
Friday evening, Mr.. Bennett and several
others came 70 the door and asked me
whether l intended to pay them anything
additional for their services as brakemen.
told them had no authority in the prem
ises, as the Board of Directors set their
wages. Half an hour afterwards, l heard
there was some trouble outside, and, on go
ing out, found these men, with a num-
ber Of others, evidently making arrange
ments 70 interfere with the tram going ont.
l talked TO them and told them they had
acted rashly and that they had better do
nothing rash. Finding they paid no heed
10 my instructions, l had Mr.. Green Saw
yers bring some Of his men. Some fifteen
or twenty men were assembled along the
train at about regular intervals. The train
was cut, but / had it coupled.
When the train started some fourteen of
them got on the train, and l had it stopped.
Then they got of. but when | had it
started the second time they got on again,
but were put down for a second time.
Then had the train started suddenly, and
kept them from getting on again. We had
intended to take out seventeen cars, but
finally took only two stock cars and a Ca
bOOse. II was when went out and found
Bennett and his men in the cabOOse that l
told them the Board of Directors had re-
duced their pay and they only had the
power TO raise it to the old price. When
these men were employed they were told
what they would be paid, and bad told
them that as soon as there was a vacancy
among The conductors they should be pro-
NOTED.
Mike Wrenne, train dispatcher, stated
that Conductor Beech had come to him
Friday evening and reported that the
brakesmen were interfering with the de-
parture of the train, and that he couldn't
take it out, but be was finally induced to
90 out with two stock cars and the cabOOse,
after Mr.. Sawyers had come out with a
party of men from the shops. These
brakeSmen, who were interfering with the
train, did not belong to this train, but
some of them belonged to the train which
should have gone next, but which did not
go out.
Mr.. Green Sawyers, superintendent Of
the wOOd-shops, eOrTobOrated the state
ments of Mr.. Thomas and Mr.. Wrenne.
Davis and WOmble, two brakemen en-
ployed to 90 out on this train which was
DELAYED. testified that they had not gone
out with the train because of the demon
stration made by these men, though they
heard no threats made and no violence was
used. They said they declined going out
because they diJn't care 10 be mixed up IN
the strike, not because Of fear of personal
violence.
S. X. Bennett, who seemed 10 be the
leader in the demonstration, made the fol-
lowing statement:
1--WE wanted to get our wages raised, and
so went to see Mr.. Thomas TO get him TO
raise our wages. He told us no. and told
us we could quit if we wanted TO. We
went out of his Office and to the eaboose
car where we stay. When we got there,
Mr.. Wrenne and the conductor were there.
We had all agreed not to 90 out, but we
did not agree TO stop the train, and there
was no violence used and no threats to stop
the train. When the train started out, L
got into the caboOse to see who was in it.
Al the conclusion of the testimony, the
court imposed fiue of SO each on the de-
PENDANTS, and the case was then taken be
fore Justice Baskette on State warrant,
and the trial set for L o'clock Wednesday.