The Indianapolis journal., 1890-08-09
Knights of Labor and Their Allies Declare q
Strike Just in Time to Catch the Enormous
Rush of Travel Toward Boston.
The Trouble Caused by Refusal to Ex-
plain ntNumerous Discharges.
Confusion Along the Line Western Wander.
bilts Not in It-Mackey Lines Concede the
Mems Demands-0ther Labor News.


tween the Knights of Labor and the New
York Central railroad assumed q rather
startling shape to-day. During the night
j. j. Holland, of the executive board OF the
Knights. arrived in the city, and this fore
noon he made three different attempts to
have conference with Third Vice-presi-
dent Webb in regard to a peaceful solution
of the trouble. Mr.. Webb refused to talk
with him and motioned him out of the Of
flee. Then Mr.. Holland talked the matter
over with Mr.. TOucey, and the latter went
to see Mr.. Webb. This gentleman renamed
cbdurate. Then Mr.. Holland asked Mr..
Toucey for the reinstatement of the dis
charged men, but got no reply. Mr.. HOl-
land warned Mr. Toucey that he and Mr..
Webb would be responsible if any strike
resulted.
The district committee of the Knights
met this afternoon to further consider the
matter. Mr.. Powderly. president of the
Knights, and Mr.. Hayes, the secretary, are
in Philadelphia ready to be called if their
presence here is desired. The impression
is growing among employees of the road
that the war upon the knights was decid-
ed upon some time ago. and that Mr.. De-
pew, being opposed to it. went to Europe
so as to be absent when the discharges oc-
Cured.
The rumbIings of the expected storm
among the thousands of employees broke
like flash from a clear sky, shortly after
O'Clock tonight. All the length of the
Central was tied up. Trains were left by
the crews where they stood when the
order came. Two passenger trains were
LETT at Eighty-sixt street. in the tunnel,
one going in each direction. The latest re-
port is that the West Shore railroad is tied
up throughout its length, as well as the
New York & New Haven railroad. Great
throngs of people are crowded into the
Grand Central depot, trying to have tick
cts changed. and asking all manner Of
questions. No one seems to know how it
was. or who ordered the strike. Even j.
j. Holland, the labor leader. denied that
he knew who ordered it. or even that it
was ordered. -
The representatives Of the railroad COM
pany called upon acting Superintendent of
Police Byrnes for protection. The inspect
ors at once held consultation. and it was
decided to hold in reserve policemen in all
the precincts on the East Side below Forty
second street. All the reserves on the East
Side above Forty second street to Yonkers
and on the West Side from st. Johns Park
to YOnkers were placed on duty, guarding
hs Tasks Ss Ps Seppss S of as rsgoad
street was under the protection of the full
force of police from the Twenty third sub
precinct. and these were assisted by the
members of the boat patrol. Inspector
and signal stations along the road to YOn-
kers.
After these arrangements had been made
word reached police headquarters that
some of the strikers intended to take pos
session of the switch-house at Fifty
seventh street and Fourth avenue In
spector Byrnes at once detailed two of his
trustworthy detectives to watch that point.
The Inspector himself decided to remain at
headquarters all night.
VIce-president Webb. of the New York
Central, on being interviewed by q re-
porter, said the strike extended only to West
Albany. All men who went out from the
employ of the road this evening Mr.. Webb
said. would be promptly discharged in the
morning. Those men who remained true to
the company would be we'll taken care of
and amply protected. as well as all linen who
came to work for the road. The road would
take on all good men who applied for work
tb f far as shsy wsrs snd NEEDED
would we guaranteed against all harm. as
well. With great emphasis the vice presi-
dent announced that he would fight the
strikers to the bitter end.
He said that the new set of demands he
had never seen and knew nothing what
ever about. In effect these demands are
for minimum days wages of S1.50; station
agents to receive an increase of s. month:
men in yards at Troy and Green island
shall receive the same compensation as at
Col r<ad du oil
on six-wheel connecting engines shall re-
ceive 2l4 cents per mile; all engineers, on
same cents; four wheel-engine engineers,
312 cents per mile; tiremen. cents per mile
for all men overtime double pay.
Mr.. Webb announced that the fast mail
had pulled out of the depot, at o'clock,
with four mail cars, but no passenger
coaches were attached to the train. The
vice-president further announced that no
attempt would be made to run any trains
tonight. Everything would be left at a
standstill just where the men left off.
There are no means to get to Albany or
| New England tonight. but the opening up
| of the great avenues of trade would be be-
gun tomorrow.
1t is announced that the vice-president
| will give out an official statement of the
| roads position in the present controversy
| that the people of the country may Judge
| who is right and who is wrong.
| The strike was ordered on account of the
| discharge of certain employees. Under the
| orders every train was abandoned no mat
| ter where it mi ght be. The 1:10 train for Mon
treal was waiting the signal at the Grand
| Central Depot, when the engineer, fireman
| and brak eman left it and walked out of the
depot. Efforts made to secure men to fill
| their places were without avail. The men
| on other trains also left them. Travel was
| thus not only blocked on the Central road
| but also on the New York * New England
! and New York & Harlem roads, which use
| the tracks of the Central road as far az
| Melrose.
There is great excitement at the depot
| where great crowds of people are gathered
who ex pected to take trains ont of the city
| The hotels In the neighborhood are crowded
| with disappointed travellers.
At late hour Vice-president Webb
stated that in the yards of the Grand Cen.
tral depots at Porty- second street. Fifty
sixth street and at West Albany there were
about $50 men out. These men were al
switchmen, and there was no trouble with
the engineers or fremen. Between mid
night and daylight he intended to put OF
men and clear the tracks of few stray
cars, and get ready to run out trains after
! o'clock. He said that there might b,
trouble when this was attempted, but tn,
company would afford ample police protec
tion to the men who remained lOyal to tn,
company. Mr.. Webb stated that outsid,
of local short-distance trains there wer,
fourteen trains that ought to have left th,
station between o'clock and midnight
Only one of these went out. the fast msi