Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-05-07


associations and restraining Influences an
the men, Where the mechanics have :
home, where they are identified gi,h thn
towns in which they live, they are lees
liable 10 be dissatisfied He thonght
arbitration was the way to settle dis.
putes, provided arbitratOrs were eeiectea
from the parties engaged In the dlsnute
All trades should be organized and their
organizations should be recognized hv
law, and their wrongs should be n,e.
sented through the channel Of their
officers. Such organization would sim.
pliiy relations between EMPLOYER and
employe. lie would prohibit importa.
ton OF convict labor, but knew ~
only one way to prevent conflict he.
tween honest and convict labor. and that
was TO employ the latter on the pnhIIc
roads. He knew OF no instance In which
employees OF railroads had been com.
PEELED to trade at certain stores. He aid
not think the refusal Of the EMPLOYER TO
recognize the representatives OF organized
labor would defeat the ends OF orraniza.
ton, because II the matter was properly
presented their demands would meet
popular approval, and public sentiment
would do the rest.
| w. ID. Lacy, operating the cotton com.
press at Waco, said that for about forty
| days from the Sd Of March, business
was partially paralyzed. The coal supply
was cut on, stopping machinery. The
wooden mills were stopped, throwing 1875
men out OF employment. The detention of
freight caused great loss TO trade.
W1ile the railroads suffered most, eyery-
BODY was injured more or less. don't
know OF any benefits that resulted from
the strike.
>. w. SIaden, wooden mill manufacturer
OF Waco, said public opinion attributed
the strike TO the discharge OF Mr.. Hall
Inc damage to business was very great
was impressed with the fact that there
was defect in legislation on the subject,
because | am sure that a majority OF the
railroad employees ON the strike were out
against their will. A few OF the leaders
directed the matter and there was no
organization among the men In general 10
resist them. noticed that the men who
committed violence were few In number.
don't see what federal legislation can
do, unless 1t is within its powers to regu-
late interstate commerce. think that the
men now see that they made mistake
and that they will be more conservative
In the future. The past troubles were, |
believe, due to the hasty action of the
leaders. strike to be effective would
have TO use force. IL the employer re.
fused arbitration the only remedy OF the
employees would be to quit, and II they
bad just cause think public sentiment
would force the roads to terms.
| w. w. Easton, engineer of Denison, in
the employ Of the Missouri Pacific, said:
On the Both of March a striker came to me
and asked me II | were reguestedlto leave
the engine would ! come down. | told
him would not. The witness detailed the
trouble In the Fort Worth yards on the
Slst of March and the LIST of April. On
the morning OF the Sd, while he was sit
ting at the stove reading q paper,
! striker came to him and warned him not
to go out on the engine that morning, be-
cause there was danger. That was the
day on which the fight occurred between
| he officers and the strikers at the Fort
| Worth g. New Orleans crossing. Witness
produced threatening letter, warning
| him not to run trains at his peril. Some
Of the men didn't know why they went
out, Others said 1t was because the men
went out on the T. & p. Witness de-
scribed the wreck at Alyarado, which he
picked up
George II. Buck, travelling engineer Of
the Missouri Pacific railway, went TO Al
v0rado and found engines dead, the strik-
ers in possession of the round
house. They said they had
an order from the Knights of Labor to
stop work and they intended to do 1t.
was told that ! had to get off the com
pany's grounds and had better get out OF
town If wanted to preserve my life.
Henry Garrett, engineer between Al
| varado and Taylor, detailed the killing of
an engine at Alvarado. He received u
note at his house stating that he had bet
| ter get out of town, and the quicker the
better. The men did not claim to have
any grievances Of their own, but said they
| struck because Of the discharge OF Hall,
the employment of convict labor by the
Missouri Pacific, and the employment OF
Chinese labor by the Texas & Pacific in
the West. Mr.. Buchanan asked about
the details of convict labor on the road,
the amount paid for it, etc.
VIM. Frazier of Alvarado had received
several notices TO leave town. The cause
of the wreck near Alvarado was thought
to be the removal of the rails. | exam
ined the place and found marks of crow
bar on the ties; am satisfied that the
wreck was not accidental.
James w. Thomson, United States
deputy marshal, described the fight at the
Fort Worth & New Orleans crossing, on
the Sd of April. He said the strikers fired
first.
Il. (Jlm) COPYRIGHT deputy marshal,
also described the fight. He stated that
the strikers began the firing,
Ed Smith, engineer Of the Missouri Pa
ci6c, who was on engine 81, attached TO
the ill-iated coal train, detailed the occur
renee of the Sd of April. He testified that
the strikers commenced the fight
C. Il. Nicewarner, fireman Of o., re-
lated the circumstances Of the killing OF
the engine in the Fort Worth yards March
81, and the fight on the Sd. lie said the
strikers shot first 10 that affray.
City Marshal Rea said that most OF the
deputies on the train at that time were
sworn in by tine mayor of the city, and
acted under his (Rea's) authority. The
statutes OF the state gave the marshal and
his deputies the same jurisdiction as the
sheriff Of the county In which the town
was located.
Sheriff w, Il. Maddox testified that he
was called upon by the railroad authori'