The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-04-21
A DETECTIYE'S STORx.
THE SECRET ORGANIZATION WHICH MAY
DEVELOP INTO A COMMUNE.
N. Y. World, April IA.


Mr.. Lonergan, of Lonergan & ThiePs
Railway Secret Service Agency, believes
that he has discovered the existence of
secret order styling itself the Knights OF
Labor, which, springing up since the
strikes, has united the discontented labor
ere into eecret, oath. bound orothernooa
with signs and passwords that are bonds OF
fraternity with 1000 members scattered
through every State in the Union.
Mr.. Lonergan says the railway strikes
failed, not on account Of any inherent
deficiency in the organizations that pro-
jected them, but because those who had
not been taken into the secrets of the
movement precipitsted a collision between
labor and capital. He says that months
before the, crisis occurred he advised the
managers of trunk line railways employ
ing him that the engineers and fremen OF
their locomot designed quitting work
upon q certain day. This day fixed by the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
long postdated that of the actual strike.
There was an unaccounted factor in the
problem, namely, the Trainmen's Union,
composed of brake men and other railway
employ ees, who, too hard pressed by the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, brought
about the conflict before the men were
able to carry it through to Success. When
the trou bic began men Of all grades and
conditions of railway service enlisted upon
what proved to be losing campaign. One
of the most Influential of the strikers,
according to Mr.. Lonergan, was P. NJ.
Macarthur, President of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers. Lonergan goes
OF to cay
"Tbe muskets of mapy thousands of militia
wrought destruction and disorgariE alton
among the strikers. Recognizing the faot
that they had misoa1cn1atgt power OF the
National Guard factor of the problem, they
sought to repair their omission and prepare
for better considered contest by means Of iron
Glad oaths, passwords and the other binding
Influences of secret organization. An import
ant element in this new association has been
drafted from tie disoontented Granger Hocie-
| ties of the West. National and State organi.
zstion has been perfected, and local lodges OF
the Knights of Labor are styled assemblies.
Each of the last-pamed bodies il governed by
Master Workman, Worthy Foreman, Venera-
BILE Sage (diBpenser of signs, grips and pass
| wordsS, Unknown Knight, director of secret
expeditions aud transact ions, } an Assistant Un-
known knight, Outer Esquire, Inner Esquire
financial and recording secretaries, Statisti-
| clan Almoner, Treasurer and Worthy 1nspec-
| tor
| q guiding spirit in the strikes, is National
! Master Workmsn. George Blair is the Master
| Workman of New York Assemblies. Ralph
Beaumont, editor of the Adsocafs. is also high
| authority in New York"
| 'The purpose of the association 10 the eleVa
| ton of labor by means of electing mem bers oi
| Congress and of State Legislatures. Acknowl
edging no party fealty, they support any nom
| fnee who is pledged to their ohiects"
| At O recent meeting of o conven ton of the
knights certain refugees OF the Commune
| were excluded, although Justus Schwab wal
| permitted to participate. Still cir. Lonergar
| asser.s that whenever the plans OF the organ
| iRation are ripe for general leveflinR, thos'
! lately described in The World as foremost il
| the atrocities ef the Paris Commune are to bG
| the chosen leaders for the now risipg.