The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-27

left the Office they did not go with them be-
cause they were not members of the Brother
hood, and though they had discussed the
reasons for the strike and were in sympathy
with the strikers, they had not decided what
they themselves should do. Appeals were
made to them by the Brotherhood to come
out, but up to last Saturday they had not de-
termined what they would do. On Saturday
afternoon notice was posted in
the Western Union office informing those
then at work that double pay
for the time they worked would be given to
all those whose names were found on the
payroll at the end of the month. These op-
orators looked upon it as a direct attempt to
bribe them, and as a result of the irdigna-
ton with which it was received seven OF
them drew up and signed paper, IN which
they pledged themselves that unless reasona-
Bile and proper concessions were made to the
Brotherhood by Thursday, July 26. at noon,
they would withdraw their services from the
company. 1t was Intended during Saturday
night and Sunday to obtain additional sig
natures to this pledge but the fact that such
pledge bad been agreed upon leaked out
and was published on Sunday morning.
On Sunday Superintendent Zeublin came
over from Philade phia and wanted the
seven signers to withdraw their signatures
from 1t. They say he affected to consider it
as threat against the company, but they
deny that it was intended as such, and assert
that 1T was simply pledge to stand by each
other i'll pursuing a certain line of conduct.
Zeublin, they say. dictated pledge to them,
which he wished them to sign. in the nature
OF an Offset to the first pledge. but it was of
such character that they refused to sign it.
Then. at his request they drew up letter to
Manager Whitney, which some of them
signed, in which they dsclaimed any inten-
ton to threaten the company, and said: I'VE
desire the executive committee of the West
ern Union company to act favorably and
promptly in this matter, as a long continued
struggle will impose an amount of labor
upon us human nature cannot endure, and
we do most heartily protest against delay in
beginning negotiations for a settlement"
Nothing further was heard, they say, rela-
tive to the matter until this morning Su-
perintendent Zeublin came here last night
with force of operators and this morning
at 11:45, fifteen minutes before the time at
which the signers pledged to quit work
had agreed to leave, he invited
them to a consultation with him. Five of
them went into his office and he asked them
if they proposed to carry out their original
agreement Each man replied that he in
tended to stano by his pledge, whereupon
they report that Superintendent Zeublin vio-
lently assailed them as traitors to the COM
pany, telling them that instead of going out
at the outset like men, they had remained in
the office and exhibited their sympathy for
the strikers by giving them information
about the office. Replying, the men said
they had not acted dishonesty, but that if
they did not live up to their agreement
they would be traitors to their
fellow-workingmen. AS soon as Zeubln
heard this, he turned to Manager Whitney,
who was present, and told him 10 do his duty
to discharge the men on the spot The men
say that in his conversation with them he
did not accuse them Of mutilatlng dispatches
or delaying business. His only charge was
that they sympathized with and furnished
information to the strikers This charge,
they say, is absolutely false. They also assert
that when he conferred with them on Sun
day.. he told them they were the best men
on the force that they were the men in
whom he had most confidence, and suggested
that it was rather late in the day for him to
speak of them as traitors and bunglers. They
say that if there is any law in the district
to reach the case, they will sue him for
SANDER They think his statement in the
CORES pondence between him and General
Superintendent Tinker affords sufficient
foundation for a suit for defamation of char
acter. OF the SIX dismissed men, Stewart
has been in the employ of the Western
Union tor twenty years, Kanode for seven
teen, Marean fifteen, Austin thirteen, Ben
der eight and McKelder seven years.
Speaking of the condition of business here
since the strike began, these men say that
while the force the company had was suf-
ficient, working as they worked, to handle
the business, which was more than so per
cent. less than the ordinary quantity, the
imposstbility of getting connection with
other ends of the wires at times. getting
receiving operators to take the matter sent
them readily, greatly delayed the work. The
force actually on duty, they say, is, including
the chief operators, about one-half the regu-
lar force.