Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-29
Report to Collector Cooper.

by reason of promise or agreement made to them
by one William Heubner to furnish them employ
ment in glass factory at Ford City, Pa, that the
said William Huebner, promised them 10 or u
marks per day and that he also sent them l60
schoenen states that he and his son Petef schocnen
and Joseph Hardt came because his son wrote to
Ford City, Pa. had promised him il they would
come that he would give thea work ang pay them
The following wages: John Peter Scfoenen and
Joseph hsrdt 6 marks per day, and Peer
Schoenen. marks and &C t. per day.
comng m To tns wtSou no. these aaE9
john Peter Schoenen says that this factory Is
he thinks fully 200 men have come over 10 work at
these works and that man representing the
works is in Stolberg at the present time securing
In view of the foregoing l have caused these
men to be detained on board the ship and submit
the matter for your consideration.
!. NJ. STBATToN.
N. Bit was stated by Schooner that most of
these arrived at New York by the steamers Waes-
land and Nordland. J. M STRATToN.
Instructions From the Department
immediately upon the receipt of the above
communication, the department ordered the
following instructions to be sent to Pittsburg:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY,
WASHINGTON, ID. e., April 2l.
Mr.. X. d; Layton, Immigrant Inspector, Pitts
sIR-I incIose herewith copy of a communica-
tion dated the 18th ins:. and addressed TO the
grant inspector j. NJ stratton concerning an
alleged violation OF the alien contract labor law
by one William Huebner, who is SAID to have i'm
ported certain persons whose name are given in
the inclosed paper, to work in a glass factory at
You are instructed TO investigate the subject for
the purpose of ascertainng whether or not the
Law in question has been violated by the person
named, or any others, at the place stated. You
will report the result of your investigation.
Respectfully yours.
Assistant Secretary.
Although these instructions were received a
week ago Mr.. Layton postponed going to Ford
City until yesterday, because he had received
information that instead OF being returned to
Germany, as reported the glass workers had
gone to the works at Ford City. This, how
ever. proved a mistake.
Confidence in the Investigation.
When Mr.. Layton reached the Office of the
company. yesterday, Mr.. Ford was absent.
Mr.. A. Pitcairn, the Vice President of the
company, was there and received the Inspector
in a manner that indicated the utmost conf
dence that thorough investigation could
prove nothing against his firm. In fact he
said there had been SO much talk IN the news
papers about the case, that he was glad an in
vestigation had been ordered. He did seem
somewhat surprised, however, when Mr. Lay
ton informed him that the act of March g. 1891
prevented workmen in this country inducing
friends to come from Europe to work. Rela-
tlves may make propositions to relatives, but
beyond that propositions relative to wages or
profits are violations of the latest act in force.
Joseph Dittmann. the man who was originally
charged with having made the offers to the
men. was the first witness sworn. His testi-
inony was scarcely pertinent to the case, as it
turned out that he really had no connection
with it. The only time he ever wrote to friends
in Germany was instances where he had
answered voluntary inquiries about the condi-
tion of work here and he had never made any
offers to any of them either under Instructions
from the company or on his own authority.
The next witness was Wilhelm Huebner, who
was mentioned in Inspector StrattOn's letter to
the collector as having made the offers of wages
delphia he knew Braun. They formerly worked
together In Germany MIR. Huebner branded
the allegation that he had sent the men leo
marks as a fasehood.
Mr. Layton-well, but here is a statement
sworn to in Philadelphia.
A Job to Discover the Falsifier.
Mr.. Pitcairn-It is very evident that some one
has lied. and it remains for you TO discover who
Itis .....
To show how his name became associated
with the case, and also as an instance of the
means resorted to at times by immigrants in
order to pass the collectors. Mr.. Huebrer sub
mitted the following letter, received by himself
from Braun: 4t-
PHILADELPHIA. April IA, 1891.
are in Philadelphia. and cannot get away until we
give letter stating that you have work for US
you to write such letter. Ii possible send money;
and write in your letter that you cannot tell what
Dear William. We gave your address, and ioId |
them that you are our cousin. Yo9 must now do
Best regards, from your friend,
PETER BRAUN.
There are five of us, Mr.. Schooner and son., |
Joseph Hardt and Jacob Schoenen. All OF them |
have written to that place. Now, dear friend |
William, write that letter In such shape as to be
all right 10 show II to the offciais.'
Mr.. Layton made several futile efforts to |
corner Huebner, but his answers were clear |
and concise denials of any connection with the !
coming of the Germans.
Gustave Bueschel, who was probably inno- |
Gently responsible for the arrival of the men, |
was the next witness. He has been here two |
years, and last fall he met with an accident |
and got leave of absence to go home. He |
was gone from September 10 until the 18TH of |
the present month. While in Germany he |
worked i'll a novelty factory with Peter |
Schoenen, one of the men detained in Phila- |
delphia. While there he knew af Schoenen |
gettlng letter from his son at Ford City, but |
he denied having assisted In inducing him TO
come over. |
The Quintet Not Now at Ford City. |
Superintendent W. R Pepper, who has. been |
with the company nine years. said he had |
granted Bueschel his leave of absence. bat he I
had no instructions to bring anyone back with |
him. Mr.. Pepper denied that they had over so
Germans in their entire establishment. The |
five referred to did not get To Ford City and |
are not at any of the conpany's other plants /
Jacob Schoencn, son of one of the i've, came
the nearest showing that there had been an
about the coming of the men.
He had a conversation with MIR. Dittman one
Gay about his father, and asked him IL the lat
ter would be given work If he came over Mr..
Dittman replied that he could not promise
de ennitely. but advised The boy TO send for his |
father and if possible he would be given en-
ployment when be would get over. He wrote
to his father several times and told him to l.
come over; that there was plenty of work for
him here and he would have no trouble in se-
curing situation. While his father was in |
young Schoenen' received the
letter from him:.
PHILADELPHIA, April II. |
DEAR JACoB-I write to inform, yon tiAtit We AZ
rived here this morning, but We cannot go far. |
ther, because the gentlemen believe we are con-I
tract laborers for Ford CITY. We want you co 1,
take the necessary steps to gel us away otherwise
come yourself to take psaichg with YOU Bring
letter, written so that 1t can be read before the
saying that you want TO care for us. |
Wages cannot be promised before II Is known
what can do. Please talk with Mf. DIT tman |
about the matter and ask him to be kind.enough |