New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-15
A DEMAND ON THE CITY.
NEW PHASE OF THE TELEGRAPH STRIKE.

that the wires cannot connected straight together
porary connections have been made and We hope TO get
"''e' -S '; GEORGE E B. scorr superintendsns
Another new feature of the strike yesterday was
the serving of letter On the Mayor, holding tho
city responsible for damage done to Western Union
wires. 1t was as follows:
TO the Hon. FRANKLIN EDsoS Mayor fns CITY Of 70. York
vSicn In cony 1s Ssrste ns saS se
respectfully hStiaed that riOsoas body Of men
isssrsgH ass q ta: places
city Of New.York This COMPANY has used and ssin
will Be- obsed to LOOK to the city Of Tor re
for such loss as maybe sustained beyond s
Taes.s vf9s nc1ss1 ass
Following this notice appended an extrace
from the Revised Statutes of the State OF New
York, chapter 42s, IAN act to provide for COM
pensatng parties whose property may be destroyed
in consequence of mobs or riots"
THE AUTHORITIES TAKE ACTION
On receiving this communication. Mayor Edison
at once sent for superintendent OF Police Waling
and Corporation Counsel Andrews The Corpora
ton Counsel was requested to examine the laws and
to how far the city could be held responsible for
losses caused by the acts of malicious persons in
| cutting the companies wires, and thus retardng
their business; and Superintendent Walling was
told that is would be necessary for him, at once. to
employ his force as be might deem best in puttinga
stop to the wire-cutting.
| But before the Superintendent had received
| the Mayors request for an interview he had sum-
mOned all the police captains by telegraph to meet
in his Office at Police Headquarters at p. m. At
the appointed time he gave to the captains verbal
instructions to make all possible efforts to prevent
the cutting of telegraph wires in the city. He also
directed them to keep one section of the patromen
IN at every police station in the city day
and night until further orders to guard against
possible demonstration by the strikers. When In
formation of assaults by striking operators or line
men reaches police station the men in reserve
equal to one-fourth the officers in the precinct-aro
to be sent at once to the scene of disorder. Any
| demonstration in the nature of riot is to be
quelled quickly and clubs may be used freely in such
cases. The cause for the Superintendens action was
| information that he had received over the police
| telegraph wires that many wires were being cut IN
| the city and that llnemen were being assaulted Dy
the strikers. tie said, after he had consulted with
the Mayor, that further orders to the police on
| the subject were necessary.
WHAT THE COMPANIES ARE DOING.
Press Agent Somerville said that 1876 Western
Union wires were cut on Monday nighs but the
damages were promptly repaired without any serf-
ous interruption to the regular business of the COM
pany. "We handled $4,000 messages yesterday"
| he said, and 1 would like to wager
John d. McClelland, secretary of the
| Brotherhood, who has been making mis-
| statements about u.s. that we have Averaged over
$4,000 messages day the past week. not including
| Sunday Five strikers have returned to work to-
| day, two of them frst-class and three medium
operators. We have all the linemen We need to
| repair damages and look after trouble One Of our
linemen to-day, while n the discharge of his duty
in Aun-st was knocked down and badly hurt, but
| his assallant was arrested"
General Manager j. A. Sherman, of the American
Rapid, said "rhe strike has become sort Of
guerilla warfare on the wires. and new courage has
been gwen to the strikers by the receipt of money.
The telegraph operators are men of such high in
| tellieence that l am sure they do not
countenance the cutting Of wires which
they were powerless to prevent BY curious
mistake last nsat several OF our wires ~ were b
ern Union. We had them repaired by D o'clock
| this morning. whom they were working all rlght as
| usual. The Rapid has done 100 per cent more
| business this month than 1t did the corresponding
II was stated that all the Baltimore and
Ohio wires were down yesterday morning,
but no official information could be obtained as
| to the truth of the report
A telegraph official said: 1t Is the striking line:
men who really keep the strikers braced up:
Officially they denounce the cutting OF wires. but
| individually they are glad tit"
| Circuit Manager B0gart said 1t is merely z
question of time when brute force and violence Will
| exbaust itself Last night twenty -one Mutual Union
| wires were cut at the Cedars Mott Haven. On
| the Harlem line thirteen wires were cut q milo
above White Plains. AT $50 a. NJ to-day eight wires
OH the 'lOw-grate' line were cut between Newark
and Paterson near Montcair ALI these lines were re.
| paired however, and are now WORKING all right'
THE BROTHERHOOD SCOUTS THE IDEA OF BREAK.
The position of affairs among the strikers is prac-
tcally unchanged. The Knights of Labor are be-
| ginning to send in money and the committees ap-
| pointed at the meeting of the Trade ana LABOR
| Unions are dong very well in the matter OF sub
scr,ptions. There are, so say the leaders of the
| strike no indications OF o break ANYWHERE
and no desertions from the ranks have taken
place here within day or two. number OF the
operators have found positions in other companies,
and pretty nearly one-haf of the girls are at work
| In brokers' offices and elsewhere 1t Is reported
| among the strikers that combination being
| formed between the Bankers and Merchants SOUTH
ern American Rapid, and tue small western COM
| panies, aud possibly the Baltimore and ONO Com,
| pany. which will form formidable rival
to the Western Union Company. Inc strikers
| will consider 1t q victory. both for themselves
| and the public, II this can be accomplished. They
say that IT the comoinato is formed the Western
| Union will never regain the position IL mas ioss
AZ tue meeting of the Brotherhood in Clarendon
Hall the statement. that a committee from
the Western Union on the grounds OF renuncia-
| tion of the Brotherhood was vigorously denied, a.
was also the statement that there was iikeiy 10 20
break on account of funds Talks Nitha NUMBER
of the strikers Of all grades failed 70 discover any
but the most cheerful feeling All derided the iaea
that there was to be any break until the leaders
declare the stIugge hopeless One OF the prominenS
strikers said that he knew that all tue men wa%
went back were required to sign paper renouncns
the Brotherhood and promising never 70 JON l,,. an
Ott er union or go on another strike ine sliiA'AS
DENY any knowledge OF wire-cuttinS.
AT the strikers headquarters the following onl-
letin was received showing the condition OF anairs
M TO last night in the Western Unon opcra'"s
ane following operators have returned 10 worK snJS
-. .rnirinar. Ianks0n CIeverd0nt Hues, Aalum, -