New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-04
LATE ARBITRATION BOARD.
COMMISSIONERS THE LAST TO APPEAR.
TESTIMONY BY MIR. roUCEY, Mr.. VOORHEES,
AND OTHERS REGARDING THE NEW
YORK CENTRAL STRIKE.

State Board Of Arbitration Counsel on both sides In
the NewYork Central Railroad strike controversy were
in Part Of the Superior Court punctuaS a. ~ O'CLOCK
Yesterday morning. General Manager TOucey. Gen.
eral Superintendent voorhees, and other officials Of
the railroad and Terrence V. POwdery and his asso.
ciates in the MANAGEMENT Of the order Of the Knights
Of Labor were all prompt In attendance. At loIo
Commissioner F. F. Donovan, who was half an hour
late on Tuesday, arrived and still another quarter OF
an hour passed before william Purcell. tho chairman
Of the Board, and Commissioner Gilbert Robertson
sauntered into the crowded room. Probably the
Knights of Labor suffered inconvenience from tho
Hardness OF the investigators but the railroad omclas
are busy men, and should not have been kept waiting
Mr. Purcell calmly took his seat, and. without apology
or explanation gave the signal that the meeting was In
order.
Frank Loomis told him that the gentlemen from the
railroad company whose presence nao Deeh ieHuoS'o"
were all there.
Wen have Mr.. Toucey first" said tho chairman.
The chairman asked Mr. Toucey to make a statement
in regard to his interviews with Knightly participants
IN the controversy" Mr.. Toucey said: 81 had an
interview with Mr.. Lee some time ago. lie came 70
make certain demands which i denied. He then IN
formed me- with little anger. that there had been
great deal Of water the stock Of the company Bono
body lad made great deal OF money, ana nc WIS
bound to have some of it before he got through
The Chairman-Now with reference to his discharge
and the reasons for it, Mr. TCucey-l dld no' u,s
charge him. but reported that conversation 10 ''0
third vice president
General Roger A. Pryor-when did that conversation
ta.e Mace, A-Two or three weeks before the
trouble broke out
o-wasnt II on the 9th OF July Alt may have
been: could not say.
o.-Iiave you given to the Board all of the con-
yersaton with Mr.. Lee A.-No. The fore part OF
1t was not pertaining to this subject at all
General Pryor-Po>siby the Board might thhK "
was Mr. Toucey-wcll. l say he came and made some
demands which l declined to acccdc TO.
Q-what were the demandsi Am increase OF
pay for some OF the men.
Mr. VOORHEES, was next examined. He said: al
hal nothing to do with the discharge of any OF the men
in question: as I ont of town for three weeks
previous to the strike"
Odd You have interview with anybody SUD
sequcnt TO the strike. in reference TO it? Al was
present with Mr.. Toucey when NJ. Powd"ry and Mr..
Dcvn called one day. The general result OF the con
-ersa,ion was a request the part OF Mr. Powderly
and Mr.. Devbn for some means of arbitration. and
statement from the general manager 'hat we hao
nothing TO arbtrate.
superintendent buchanan. Of the rolling stock de
partn cnt who the direct agent in the discharge
OF EHJ. Lee. said:
II had my orders from Mr. Webb. don't know any
thing personally to the reason for Lees discharge
Tie Chalrmin-Wrll now. "a TO the discharge OF any
other of the seventy eight men-were You coen.zant
of The discharge of any Of them, Ayes. sir. two.
Mr.. MaOv aud Mr.. Conn. Mr.. Malloy was discharged
for Obtaining Ha>s under false representations Mr..
Conn Was discharged for neglect OF duty. lie ab'"nted
himself from WORK without permission from the foreman
he al>o D. 10 and 10 minutes late in the mornings.
] Cric cd hi discharge.
j. ". stevens, station agent Of the New York Central
raj AT the Grand G. n'ral station was asked: is
fIc. that discharged a number of men - The
eXanGiIat, N ram
MIR. >tcphen>-The discharge did not come from
only acting under orders had no authority
TO discharge anybody.
Q.-DO YOU nnOw the reasons why these men were
di>chaT- ed A.-NO. sir.
o-You discharged them in pursuance Of orders
from Your superior Officer Ayes. sir.
o-D:i you ever visit Mr.. Valentine a, IDS house
and have conversation with him Ayes. sir.
A, near y, can remember it To- the effect that
he'd heard rlinors that lie talking very loudly
along the road telling that they had better Join
this order they would be ont Of Job; that they had
better In out of the wet before 1t was too late.
] had interest in the man. ] went 10 hi, house
AID asked him if the He said he be
lons,d 10 the order but that what he had said he had
SAD olv in fun. and hadn't mean, it, told him that
WAS ny he had join The "rdcr that the company
would sooner sec men for the Interests OF the
cu.Ipanr than organize against it. told him also
al thi, was t. DC treated personal call and not
a d railroad call.
ODD you ask any of the men 10 resign from
Their t.,rc, in The knights OF Labor A.-NO. sir;
never did
o-You never presented paper asking them to
resign: A.-No. SIR; did moi.
Edwin Lyon. foreman in the ya:d Of the clean
in- department. testified that he discharged COnn by
order OF Mr.. buchanan. lie neither knew nor asked
the reason OF thi, order.
General Pryor put Matthew soaring, OF No "l0 East
Thity-sixth-st. the stand for the knights. oscar
Ing said that abou; the frs, Of August lie had held
conversation with Nj. stevens in Mr. >tevenss Office in
Of I.bn hat
ton the witness gave the following account:
Il vent into Mr.. Stc,en,'s office with an order to
get some stuff and when Wa, walking out didn't
get what wanted-he called He back and sail walt
q minute / want to talk u you lie sad: : scar
Ing do YOU belong TO the knights OF Labor1 / said
yes. SIR lie said Why didn't you come and let
ME know you were going To join them,' WELL
said, Il did not think it necessary Soaring
he Says. i have given you Ilenty OF show here. ana
transferred you from the Harlem road to the Hudson
River, and gave you all the work could. and done
all I could for yon. ! didn't think you would d.
ANYTHING like that He said 1t my bread and
butter to give it up-as much as to say give up the
Knights Of Labor my place. l asked him for a
DAY or two and let know what tile verdict IT,
to the once to get it daughter i.
The Chairman,Were you discharged A:-SO SIR
A.-No. ] went out on strike
Mr.. stevens had fortunately remained In the room
and when he heard what soaring said lie expressed
wish ~ make statement. He was allowed TO do So
and sad " ,
In regard to th, Soaring. part OF his dcscrip
ton of the conversation Is correct and part OF 1t IS
not / did talk 70 him in the Office and ask him II
he was a knight of Labor. ! said ] think you have
made a mistake in joining without consulting me
] have taken interest In your promotion, ana IL u
came to the point OF strike would have 70 strike
with the rest and II wOrlf he bread and butter
lie said I'm consider the matter DO you think
should 60 out Of H. a. SAID ! should not ask any
would tell him TO get out Of st."
The Chalrman-ion did not tell him that belonging
20 the order might be the cause OF dscharging him
A.-No. sir. ] never told any man that. / put the
matter in friendly way. speaking for his int rest
General Pryor-Do you know Conductor William
GibsOni Ayes, sir.
Q.--Did you have conversation with him about
the knights Of I-aiOr! Ayes. sir. lie came TO me
himself with resignation from the Knights Of Labor
handed IL to me and asked me to mall II to them.
told him would do and very gladly