The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-06
TAPPING THE WIRES.
An Exuberant Knight Says Gouids Messages
Have Been Stolen.

An Exuberant knight Says Gould's Messages
Have Been Stolen.
st. Louis Globe Democrat.
j. FL. Cooper, member of the executive board
of Knights of Labor. District Assembly No.
10l, made somewhat startling and SEN
sational statement to Globe Democrat reporter
last week with reference to the powerful allies
of the order now in the employ of the railroad
companies. The statement was entirely volun-
tary upon the part of Mr.. Cooper and was made
in the exuberance of Joy experienced by that
gentleman upon receipt of the announcement
that Jay Gould had agreed to arbitrate and had
recognized the order Of Knights of Labor.
jay Gould is beginning to feel our power"
said Mr. Cooper "While we have managed to
keep him guessing as to our movements and cor
respondence, he has not sent an important mes
sage, in either cipher or otherwise, that we have
not secured at least the substance of. A little
difficulty was experienced when the Missouri
Pacific resorted to the cipher, but that was over
come. and am certain very few OF his impor-
tant messages escaped u.s."
1Do you mean to say that the telegraph oper
ators the Missouri Pacific are in the service
of the Knights of Labor as well as the Missouri
Pacific Company2o
This is not intended for publication" replied
Mr.. Cooper. The strike is ended, or would not
have said as much as have Perhaps ought
not to have said anything but what l have told
you is not for publication
"But you have not answered my question:
4'Nor will I, directly. But there some
men among them who are as true as steel, and
without whose assistance we could not have won
this fight And we will not forget them. They
will have their day and we will not forget what
they have done for us.
''But that sort of work is dangerous and dis
honorable"
SIS jay Gould honorable? Wouldn't he do the
same?n
Mr. Cooper continued. after pause.
1--WE have been misrepresented as to cur
strength. We have allies on every hand. We
have received aid in more ways than one-money
from sources no one would think of-and we
have kept it to ourselves, but we have been mis-
represented In that direction by many. We can
get all the money we want. To-day received a
letter from j. r. Buchanan, we'll known in the
West, full of sympathy for our cause, and better
still, offering something substantial in the way
of financial aid"
The reporter determined to investigate that
portion of the statement relating to the securing
or private and cipher messages OF the railroad
company by emissaries of the Knights -rf- Labor
in their employ, and the statement o. n1r Coop
er was. in great measure, verified
1T Is true too large extent, regret to say"
remarked an official who is in a position to
know eve have known of a number of in
instances in which even cipher messages have
been secured by the Knights, and many opera
tors have been quietly discharged without the
cause of dismissal being stated, for that very of
Tense. The old system of cipher dispatches
won't do NOWADAYS. They can translate them
readily. 1t has been found necessary to adopt
something that even an expert, with the key be-
fore him, can not translate rapidly The rail
road companies are not asleep They know
pretty nearly what is going on, and can usually
locate the guilty parties without great difficulty.
Why. offers have been made to tap our wires
and refused Yes, it is true the Knights have
secured messages intended for Others"