Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-13
STORY OF A SQUEEZE
That Sharpsburg Labor People Say
Was Worked in an Iron Mill.
A WAY TO MAKE BOTH ENDS MEET.
That Rumpus in the Musical Union Con-
tinues to Grow Warmer.
COKE WORKERS ORDERED TO STRIKE

The borough of Sharpsburg was in a state
of excitement yesterday over the exposure
of methods alleged to have been adopted by
the labor boss in Moorhead Bros. & Co. g
Vesuvius Iron and Nail Works, to extort
money from the Hungarian and Italian en-
/ ployes of the establishment. Yesterdays
issue of the Sharpsburg Herald contains a
| lengthy communication from Nick Dale, a
citizen of the borough, which gives the re-
| suit of an investigation made by him In
| regard to the matter, and some startlingly
sensational statements are made.
According to Mr.. Dale, John Cook,
who has been the labor boss in the mill for
the past two years, has in that time en-
ployed none but Italians and Hungarians,
who can speak neither English nor Ger
man, and on pay days he received from the
men money in sums ranging from 80 cents
to IS, as compensation for retaining their
jobs. The matter is said to have gained
circulation in a quiet way, and Mr.. Dale
claims to have been requested repeatedly to
make an exposure of Mr.. Cooks imposition
on the foreign laborers.
SOME OF THE WITNESSES.
Skilled workmen are reported to have
seen the men hand money to Cook on pay
the workmen. Michael Schimanitz, who is
l of 13 men who boards at the house of John
Lieblitzer, on Ninth street, stated positively
that ne had given Cook money on different
occasions, and could name others who had
done the same thing. He never gave the
boss less than 30 cents, and some others gave
him as much as S.. Josepp Schunake said
Il gave Cook money, which saw had to
do if 1 wanted 70 hold the job.''
Altogether there are from 80 to so labor.
ers in Sharpsburg who are said to have paid
toll to Cook, and Mr.. Dale estimates that
$1,000 year will hardly cover the amount
Cook has been getting from these men for
the last two years.
After cleaning the above Mr.. Dale held a
con ference with Mr.. John Moorhead. The
latter gentleman discla1med any knowledge
OF any such methods being practiced in the
mill, and he requested Mr.. Dale to furnish
him the names of persons from whom Cook
had received money. Mr.. Dale has not had
an opportunity to do this and it is not likely
that he will be'required to do so.
A DISPATCH reporter visited Sharpsburg
yesterday afternoon. The matter was the
universal subject of conversation. Every
body seemed to know something about the
affair, and many were the expressions Of
pleasure that the expose had been made.
Everything was quiet about the mill. The
only person seen at the Office was John
Donaldson, who did not seem to be in
position to know anything about the matter.
A call was made upon Mr.. Dale, at his place
of business on North Canal street, He re-
peated the story of his investigation, which
was in substance the same as stated above.
Mr.. Dale said he was on the track of some
thing that would lead to similar exposure
in another mill. but he is not ready to make
public the facts he has gathered.
MRS. COOK THINKS HIM GUILTY.
THE DISPATCH man called at Mr.. Cooks
home on Middle, near Fifteenth street.
Mrs. Cook said her husband was out of
town. He had left on Friday evening, tell
ing her that he was to 20 to Kittanning
with Mr.. James Lewis, brother of George
Lewis, manager of the mill, to buy horse.
Cook said he was to meet Mr.. Lewis at the
West Penn Junction, on the Valley road,
and to go from there with him to Kittan-
ming. Mrs. Cook said that she had ire
quently found money about her husbands
clothes, and had on one or two occasions
asked him where he get SO much, but he
always evaded answering. During the past
week she noticed something very strange in
her husbands actions, and since the expos
ure has been made she believes he is guilty.
She stated that she thought his story about
going to Armstrong county to buy horse
was intended to mislead her, and that he
has gone away with no intention of return
ing.
Mrs. Cook admitted that her hus-
band received as q salary at the mill 50 |
per day. During the two years he was en-
ployed in the mill he has purchased three
lots and two houses, valued at between |
81, 900 and $1,000. Mrs. Cook said that one |
of the houses was still unpaid for, and she |
did not think her husband had used anv |
money outside of his salary to pay for his |
His son also works in the mill, |
and draws $13 IS every pay, and that was
paid into building and loan association, |
from which Mr.. Cook had borrowed the |
money to buy his second house.
An effort was made to learn from the firm
what is to he done in the matter. Mr. John
Moorhead is out of the city. Mr.. Frank I.
Moorhead said the matter rested entirely
with the manager, George Lewis. Mr..
Moorhead had heard of Mr.. Cooks actions,
but he was unable to say what action the
firm would take. Mr.. Lewis could not be
found.