St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-04
WEBB DID THE BOUNCING.
Depew's Understudy Ordered the
DISCHARGE of KNIGHTS of Labor

Depew's Understudy Ordered the
Discharge of Knights of Labor.
New YORK, Sept. 3.-The state board
OF mediation and arbitration to-day re-
sumed Its efforts to ascertain the caus es
of the strike on the New York Central
d Hudson River railroad. Hamilton
Harris, counsel for the railroad com
pany. called as the first witness of the
day General Manager Toucey. Chair.
man Purcell asked him to give the board
such information as he possessed in
Workman e. j. Lee. Mr. Toucey said
he had an interview with Mr.. Lee some
time ago, in the course of which Mr.. Lee
alluded to the watering of the COM
pany's stock, intimated that some
one was making a good deal of
money, and that he and the
other men OH ght to have some of it.
In reply to question by Gen. Pryor,
the witness said he did not discharge
Mr.. Lee. Before the talk about the
stock watering. Mr.. Lee made certain
demands on behalf of some Of tue men,
aud they were refused. Supt. Voorhees,
testified that he had nothing to do with
the discharge of any of the seventy
eight men. He was out of town for
three weeks before the strike. Master
Mechanic Buchanan testified that in
discharging Lee he did so by orders of
Vice President Webb. and had no per-
sonal knowledge of the causes for his
discharge. Of the seventy-eight men
discharged he knew the causes for dis
charge in the case of two only-Malloy
and Conway. Malloy was discharged
for obtaining pass under false pre-
lenses. Conway was discharged for
neglect of duty. He absented himself
without leave, and was several times
late in the morning and at noon. Train
master James Stevens, on being called
by counsel for the railroad company,
testified that he had never told any en-
ploye of the company that he must
either leave the Knights of Labor or
leave the road. Then Gen. Pryor called
John Seery, who was employed under
Stevens. Seery testified that he went
into Mr.. Stevens office to get some sup
plies, and Mr.. Stevens asked him if it
was true he had joined the Knights of
Labor. Seery told him it was. Then
Stevens told him he should not have
joined without acQuainting him, as he
had helped him to better his position.
Mr.. Stevens further said that he had
better get out of the knights or it might
cost him his bread and butter. Seery
understood him to mean that if he did
not leave the knights he would
be discharged. This conversation
took place on the LIST of August.
AT the request of Mr.. Stevens, he was
recalled. He said part of Mr. Seery's
testimony was true and part of it was
not. He did ask Seerv if he belonged
to the Knights of Labor, and he told
him he ought not to join them without
acQuainting him. This was on account
of his personal relations to Seery, he
having got him better position and
more pay than he had been receiving.
He did hot tell him that his bread and
butter depended on his leaving the
knights, but when Seery asked HIM
what he ought to do, he told him he
must act on his own Judgment. If
Seery were his brother, however, he
would advise him to leave them, as in
case of strike, he would find him
self compelled to go out with
them. Gen. Pryor asked the
witness if he had conversation
with Conductor William Gibson, in ref
erence to his leaving the Knights of
Labor. Mr.. Stevens said Gibson came
to him with his resignation from the
knights of Labor, and asked him to
mail it for him. The witness promised
to do so, and told Gibson he was glad to
see him taking that step. He never adj
vised any one to leave the Knights of
| Labor. At the conclusion of Mr.. Ste
vens' testimony Gen. Pryor announced
| that he had no more witnesses to call
here, but had number in Albany. The
board decided to adjourn until Friday
at 10 a. H., when it will meetin Albany.
Secretary1reasurer Hayes, of the eX-
ecutive board of the K. of L., handed
up to Chairman Purcell long list OF
witnesses who are to be subpenaed to
testify in Albany. They are mainly dis
CHI arged employees ofthe Central road