The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-05-13
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.
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FORT WORTH, MAY 6-The subcommittee of the
special congressional investigating committee ar
rived here this morning at O'Clock, from Deni-
son in special train of four coaches and bag
gage car. The subcommittee visiting Texas Is
composed of VIM. Grain, of Texas, chairman; /;
John Outhwate, of Ohio; Abe Parker, of New
York; and Hon. JAS Buchanan, of New Jersey.
Committeeman Chas Lipman, of Massachusetts;
representative of the Knights of Labor: A. c.
Walsh, of Tennessee, stenographer; {. W. Combs.
of Missouri, deputy sergeant-at-arms is in charge
of the committee Accompanying them are Gov
ern0rs Brown and Sheldon, receivers of the Texas
s. Pacific railroad; Col. George Noble. W. A.
Wheeler and Superintendent Herrin. They were
met by the citizens committee, and escorted to
their hotel quarters, which were at once obtained
At l O'Clock the committee began taking testi-
mOny.
The first witness introduced was B. Brannon,
mayor of Alvardo. He testified how the strike
paralyZed trade.
W. Cotton, an Alvarado m reliant, stated that
his business was diminished ne-,hird during the
strike.
W. L. Steinitz, of Taylor, and Missouri Pacific
employe, testified that he was assaulted, and badly
beaten by strikers, and threatened with kangaroo
court If he did not leave town.
L. b. Anderson and l.. d. Meyer, of Alvarado,
| testified as to the killing of engines They were
warned to leave town The Knights of Labor as
signed no cause for the strike.
John G. Lee, brick contractor of Waco, attribu
ted the cause of discomfort to the changing of men
from place to place. Men VINO owned homes sci
dom engaged in strikes. Trade organizations
Dt TtCOSlllItu ny law, anu AL STltNdutcs
presented to the leaders Of said organizations. He
did not believe in resorting to strikes. When the
strikers were ont at Waco other men could not be
found TO fill their places
man of Waco. testified that the trade
was paralvzed for Forty days. The supply of coal
was ntilely cut off.
S. A. Slalen, wuulenm mill man, of Waco thought
that the killing of engines should be made a
felony. He noticed more disposition to yield
to the power of the general government than to
the state government; the men who were in the
strike felt that it was mistake, and there were
plenty of men in Waco to fill the places of any of
the strikers
William Easton, of the Missouri Pacific en-.
gineers, and e. E. Buck, travelling engineer, OF
the Missouri-Pacifc, described the killing of en-
gines, and cutting of trains at Fort Worth and
Alvarado. They received letters warning them to
stop running trains but to help to resist Jay Gould
in attempting to crush the railway men.
Other engineers testified substantially as above.
James W. Thompson, and Thomas j. Court
right, deputy marshals of Fort Worth, described
in detail the riot of April 3. Both said that the
strikers fired first, Thompson claiming that tenor
fifteen shots were fired in the first volley from the
strikers
of the il-fated Missouri Pacific coal train, detailed
the events of the riot and also agreed that the
strikers fired first.
City Marshal Ray and Sheriff Maddox testified as
to interference in The movement of freight. Mr..
Maddox asked Master Workman LAWN, of district
assembly 101, Knights of Labor, and advised the
knights to keep the peace, which he refused
to do.
The most important witness to-day was n. NJ.
LAWN, district master workman assembly 10l
Knights OF Labor. He declined to give the
names of the local master workman and local sec
retary because twas against the law of the order
to disclose the name of a brother. | had nothing
to do with ordering the strike The order for the
strike came from Marshall in cypher, signed
by Martin IRONS ten days before
| the strike The local assemblies
here voted on the question as to whether the ex-
ecutive board would be sustained in ordering the
strike, it, after the presentation of grievances in
the case of Hall, he was not installed.
o. NJ. Bonner, a brakeman of Denison, was the
only witness who said the officials fired first.
The committee adjourned until O'Clock to-
morrow morning
| The Commercial club entertained the committee
tonight together with Presidents Strong and
Seaely, of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe.
| The committee go from here to Palestine, Tex
| arkana, Marshall and Little Rock