Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1890-01-23
UNION MECHANICS.
James Bropiey Raises q Popular Issue
--snteresting Testimony from Both

Union versus non-union workmcn
crowded Judge Ball's court last evening
by o'clock to hear the defence OF Mallc-
! able Iron union mechanics W. nom union
men. At least this IL the moral, popular
influence At Issue 10 the case OF locked d-out
unionlst James Brophey who was arrest.
90 on Tuesday by officer Alexander Bur
leigh for calling non.union employees of
the Wilmington Malleab.e Iron Com pany,
ugly names. Brophey was represented
by Willard Hall Porter, Attorney at
Law.
Officer Butlclgh testified that on Tues
day evening just before o'clock he no.
ticed Brophey and two or three others
standing on the southeast corner OF Tay-
lor and Locust streets. lie went over aud
said: "Boys, you will have to get on OF
this corner" Brophsy and one Of the
men walked toward the com mpany's Office,
! and tho others moved OIL. John r,
Thompson came out OF the works and
Brophsy, accosting him, called him a
scab. lie went to Brophey and told him
he must not accost tho men. Brophey
then went back to the corner.
An employe Of the company named
Carver came along and Brophey cried
out: Hello! Carver. how are you cork.
ing them?" Witness then said to Bro
phoy: "You must not talk to the men,"
Brophey replied. ~ am not talking to
you. ! am talking to . friend" The
witness replied: n am talking to you,
though" Brophey said: what are
you. You arc only an agent Of the firm.
You hired man yesterday" This Wit
ness replied; "You are nothing" and
arrested him. Brophey did not reslst,
but man with him caught hold oil his
arm aud attempted to take him from the
witness. Officers Virtue and Hanna then
Game, and Brophey said; ~ will CO."
In answer to questions from Mr..
Turner the witnees said that Brophey
went about uting abusive language
toward the nrm. Even before he was
sent there the witness said he had told
the men to move of the corner. Even
before he had been eent there for special
duty lie had heard him call the non-
union men scabs. He thought It neces-
sary to protect the men from the crowds
on the corner.
Cross examired by Mr.. Porter, tho wit
ness stated that Brophey was always ex-
cited when he talked TO the other men.
He did not hear the conversation between
thompson and Brophey, except Brophey
call Thompson scab. He might have
arrested Brophey before for dis rdcrly
conduct, but lid not do no.
Officer William II. upjlke testified
that he saw Burleigh make the arrest
The witness also said that be had coaxet
the men to leave the corner. BrJphey
was nearly always with the crowd tha
was boisterous.
In answer to questions from Judg,
. Ball the officer stated that some timea a
I least 6iteen men were on the corner, bu
they generally leave when they sec al
, officer approach.
!, ofileer j. @. Hanna testified that h,
I, considered Brophey tho leader OF til,
crowd, and said he was q nuisance. Ill
goes 10 the door OF the office aud Insult
the men by calling them scsbs.
8 oliccr s. u, Virtue testified he ordcrc,
i no man TO let 20 Of Brophey.
i John I. Thompson, assistant foreman
y AT the Malieable Iron works, testified tina
h on Tuesday evening he was standing II
J. front Of the office smoking cigar, wheI
}. he was approached by Brophey, who said
. "Are you smoking scab eigari" Th
. witness replied that lie did not know
s. Brophey said: 81 know 1t ls. You cam
10 get union cigar In the town, you -
y scab." Officer Burleigh then came III
- and told Brophey to move on. BropheJ
Il then went to the corner. Yesterday
d morning Brophey called him opprobrioui
n names as he went to work.
1t When cross examined by Mr.. Porter
. the witness said that lie was neither
y un.0n OF non-upion man. He was an
y Independent man. The witness denied
y having said to reporter that he hat
}, bIrsted up twenty two union shops snt
l. would burst up this one.
In answer to questions from the court
the witness said that fifteen or twenty o
their men had left tue employ of the com
. pany because they were afraid OF tn,
II union men.
u James II. Carver, clerk for tho vii
y mingtou Malleable Iron Company, testi
y lied that on Tuesday night when he cam
= from the Office he heard Brophey us
: abusive language to Thompson about
y cigar. He heard Brophey say to Oiice
y Burleigh: "You have bccn waiting Tor
y chance to arrest me; now do It," Bur
, leigh then arrested him. The firm cou
"a s!dered police protection necessary Tor It
- men.
. Cross-exanined, the witness said tina
~ y, as he was walking up the street Brophe
a said: "llello, Caryerl How are you liv
. ing?" The witness replied: "All right
a. | guess" Brophey then said How ar
~ you corkn' 'em." Brophey had al
v preached one man while ho was going !
= work with the witness and persuaded hit
~ to leave the coinpany's employ.
o. Charles Frost, q moulder ut the Msl
" leable iron works, testified that liropbe
aud Others of tho union men erie
"scabe," "cigar-makers" and "brcl
makers" after them when they wer
&c leaving work.
Al William Lookhesd, another non .unio
st iboulder, testified In a similar name
IN lie had also been followed by Brophe
bit and another man on Market street. Ii
b, saw Brophey near the works every day.
~ Defence called James Taylor, an on
st ployo of tho r., w. X b II. X. Co., VIII
ct testified to much already stated above.
IN Counsellor Porter spoke to the eiiec
at that Brophey lived near the works an
IN had right on the street corner, that tl
he officer was apparently awaiting caane
10 to arrest the defendant: that had he give
es the officer All opportunity he would hav
In been arrested some days sooner tapplaus
90 and order commanded by the court
1t that the owners are trying to crush ou
to the union; that labor and capital thoul
he not be aTrayed against each other; that
th Ia n question of bread aud butter to Ill
ilocked-out workmen and nllowanc
should be made for their feelings. III
also claimed for them the right ef irt
y speech. There 10 no baud Of conspirs
. tors and no leader as the non uuionist
~ claim.
City Solicitor Turner said IL was u
right of au employer to employ whom Il
to pleased. A workman has right
IN work for whom he pleases. Trade union
st are all right. The trouble Is that some
). their members are wrong. This troubl
at has continued long enough, and unless
= IA n. Ill - T.