New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-08
COLLAPSE OF THE STRIKE.
FREIGHr-HANDLERs RETURNING TO WORK.

|
strike were performed last night at Military Hall
in the Bowory During the day hundreds of tho
men had gone back TO the piers begging for work
at any price that the companies wee willing to
give. President Murphy and the leaders
were disheartened and the men grew completely
demoralized Their condition had become
pitlable The grocers, bakers and landlords had re-
fused continue to give them credit; the funds In
the treasury have become almost exhausted; and
| the promises of President Murphy have turned out
| to be the statements of man who has deludHd the
strikers by keeping them idle for three weeks beyond
the time when there any possibility OF success
The little group OF men at Military HAN
WAS composed of the leaders of the
STRIKE with the exception OF Mr.. McNama-
IA, of the Jersey City union. 1t was said that he
felt too badly over the result to attend the meeting
| To a reporter of THE TRIBUNE who entered the
room MI Murphy attempted to explain his part in
| the matter as a subordinate but the other leaders
of the strike who sat behind him laughed audby
at the statements of the man who had assumed the
leadership, and finally one of them said: We'll,
| jerry, you might well give 1t to him straight,
| now that the thing is all over"
| 1t was then that.Murphy made plain statement
| for the first time of the actual condition OF the
strike " confess" he SAID, that We have been
| beaten. We have fought this matter TO the bitter
| end-untll we are hungry-and we can do no more.
| The men are going back TO work but they can't
| help II. Landlords and butchers are atler them,
| and they must live some way. But you may say
this: The railroads will hear from me again, and
when they do, 1t VIII be in way TO make them
| feel how strong this movement is"
| President Murphy was asked to show the books
| in order that the amount of money received and
disbursed might he known. bnt he refused to do So
Come around III couple of DAYS." he SAID, ana
| will give all the information asked for" He also
refused to acknowledge hat the strike had practi-
callJ been at end for two or three weeks until be
! was forced by cOnscien tIOus members 10 say
| that such the He denied, however. that
| he lad any personal ambition in the matter except
| Tor welfare OF the strikers.
There "A general rush of the strikers back to
! the piers and freight depOts Yesterday tor work.
| The men who, under the guidance Of President
| Murphy and other demagOgueS, had refused 10
work for less than 20 cents an hour, went to the
freight agents and begged TO be taken back to
work. The railroad companies had anticipated tins
action OF The strikers. but thoy were not prepared
to rclns ate all OF them, Tor the reason that many OF
the new men have become efficient and
capable of aoing the work, and TIE
agents were opposed to displacng a man who
had proved to be good freIght-handlcr by a
striker. The result was that comparatively few
men we're taken back yesterday. This morning the
companies Will discharge many OF the poorer men
to make room for the better class of the strikers
The discrimination maie by The freight agents
will PROBABLY surprise many or the strikers VINO
have believed the statements OF President
Murphy IN regard to the bc condition hdDa
been made to beileye that the railroad companies
could not receive freight at all readily without
their services, were dumOfonnded when they were
were dong the work III crcdltaOe manner Inc
fact In that most OF the piers the new men have
become well trained IN handl ny freight That
il will require some discrimination on the part OF
the foremcn to recruit their gangs with the best
men from bOtn the stu kers ana those who have
replaced them. The frcl GIs agents however, say
that they will not disc Iarge a pable man 10 make
for a striker, no matter what his qualifications
have been.
taken back 10 WORK. Only few were received at
1t. johns Park ADout thirty were taken ut Piers
Nos. 30 and 80. by the Pennsylvania Rallroa and
the star Union transportation Line. Supennten-
dent Hoffman, OF the Erie Piers Nos. 70
and II, refused to reinsiate any of the
old men Yesterday but he may do 30
to-day lie said thu as long as the new men were
handling Lhe freight readily there no reason
why he should take back the sOrl kers very IN
telligent gang of Germans have been at work on
these piers for tlIne and they will doubtless
be retained. but the ltanans will probably have to
give pace to such of the old men are not obec-
tiohaoe 10 Ihe COMPANY "l.hIh q lew uI{ ,: "
piers Nos. l. and OF the Pennsylvania Railroad
COMPANY 70 mary ioo ee were toa Kon
Is no doubt that a large number of the freight
handlers will have to seek employment at once at
some other business than their former calling
The subscriptions at Military Hall yesterday
dwIudlcd 10 almost nothing. member of th5 FL
nanclaI Committee said in ans yer to the inquiry
why subscriptions were still solicited Why. tine
men nave got 10 live or month without money
even after they go back TO work, and we expect
to help them some by the bench $ at Harry hllPs
and the Alnanbra theatres, winch VIII take place
tins week"
There was only q small attendance at the meeting
yesterday morning the jersey CITY strikers. Inc
trcasu reported having received since the begin
ming of the strike S6,J43 ~. or tins amount
TG,j35 10 bad been paid OUT, leaving balance OF
1898. One of the strikers questioned the correct
ness Of this statement. and wanted 10 know what
mad become oil the money. lie was informed by the
secretary that he hlmae had received 81 of 1T and
If every other man IN the Union had received the
same the amount paId out would have been $4,000
This seemed TO satisfy the dOubter, and he took MS
seat amid laughter. he usual speeches coun selling
fle nm 40 To-
Namara, jeremiah Murphy and Thomas Walsh.
The froight-handlers' strike began eight weeks |
ago at the Ihlrtleth-5t yard of the York Ten |
trail aud Hudson River Railroad Company. About |
800 men struck there and at the six ty-itGh-st |
yard. Two days later the men at II. Johns Park |
joined the movement, ana the strike lmmedIatey |
extended along the waterfront, and within week
the freight haDders Of jersey City were included
III The strike For week there was |
almost complete blockade of freight ut !
the depOts and piers. The green" Icen wnOm the |
railroads were compelled to poy were at the time
inadequate to han .le the freight. They mostly
Italians and Russian Jews. Since then the COM
Danles ave been chan Sng that class OF men for |
better class They now employing great many |
Germans and lrshInen, VINO have proved capable |
and trustworthy men. The strikers nave received |
mach sympathy because OF their quiet |
been well known bv those who have watched the |
matter that the Struggle OF the men has been hope
less Tor az least inree weeks Contributions |
amounting to thousands of dollars have been re-
ceV by the men. but they have Oeon insufficient
TO support 5000 OF them Iii deness.
Lhotuy Dchpscy, age IhIIIy nlhe, Oi NO, -
Westinghouse, taken before Justice Gardner
yesterday, AT tine rOmDs Police Court, on complaint
OF Samuel Leyoy, OF No. 81 Aye-B, for having
struck MIN twice the head with an nkstand at
Pier No. t. North River. When asked by the JUS
tee why he committed such wantOn assault,
Dempsey said that Levey by ptIng employment
The pier, taking the bread out o! che mouths
OF his live children. The Justice reminded hun that
Levey had perfect right 10 make hls own terms
ana to work wherever employed. Dempsey
fined $40, and committed III default.
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