Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-04
NEW HANDS SCARED.
Mr.. DAVIS SAYS HIS woaKmeN ARE
BEING INTIMlOATED.
A Pitiful story Told in German by Two
Machinists, which tho strikers
Saw Is Not True.

said Generai-Manager Davis. OF the Rich |
mond Locomotive-Works, yesterday TO a |
DESPATCH reporter who was at that estao- |
ment, "by the strikers intimidating the |
men who ore willing TO work.
There are plenty Of hands" ne con-
tinued, who are willing and would be |
glad TO come here, but they are afraid to do |
so. Some have been threatened. while |
others have been bought of. l do not |
like TO appear in print, but there are Two |
men whose treatment should be made |
known to the general public. The two
machinists 10 whom refer cannot speak
English, and IL you care TO talk to them
Will call them up and have an interpreter
to tell you what they say"
ter Schnell and Joseph III. Vanzini, who an
swered the questions put and seemed 10
be impressed with the fact that they had
been awfullv mistreated.
WHAT DID IT srEASp
Peter Schnell told his story first. This
man, who speaks nothing but German aud
an English gibberish more difficult to un-
derstand than the foreign language, has
hardly what could be called bright face.
The DISPATCH man understood Just
enough of his German to make out
narrative as could have been ex-
pected. Indeed, Mr.. Delaney. who was
present during the interview, stated that
Schnell had told him different story,
While Schnell was talking Vanzini laid
his finger significantly on his forehead. AZ
this the DIsPATcH man wrote on slip OF
paper. Ist Schnell vericht?" 1s Schneil
weak minded y, and handed il to Vanzini.
who smiled and answered IN the negative
Damn was meinen Sic dasr"
Then. what do you mean by that!
replied the scribe in return; to whlch
query there was no satisfactory answer.
WHAT scHNELL SAID.
Schnelps story. as translated by the in
terpreter, Mr.. Newman, was as follows
came 10 Richmond last Saturday from Mid
lothian, and going out to the Locomotlye-Works
asked Mr. Davis for a Job. lie told me 4 might
start In Monday, so went back 10 Mldlotnian.
Monday morning when came back 10 Rich
mond Just as got 10 the gate OF the works two OF
the strikers met me and took me against my viii
down to tho meeting. There | told one OF the
men in German that had been out to the Loco
motiye-Works and MIR. Davis had promised TO
give mo something TO do on Monday.
did not tell them, as the Press Committee
told the DISPATCH, that had been fooled into
coming here by an advertisement signed The
Davis locomotive Works, and that when found
out II was the Richmond Locomotiye-Works
gave up tho Job. The man told the meeting
what he did In English, and did not know what
he was saying. Monday evening went back 10
the works and told the foreman (hr. SeaD that
could not got out that morning because the men
had made me go 10 the meeting with them.
HAD NOWHERE TO STAY.
Mr. Seal gave me the address OF boarding
house on Fifth street. Invent there and the lady
told me i could not stop because some OF the
strikers lived there. Not knowing what TO do
took the cents the strikers had given
me and went back TO Midlothian.
Wednesday morning came back TO the Loco,
| talk English. Mr.. Delaney sent me up 10 Mrs
Wyatt's, where was given room with MI. van
! zini, who also speaks German but not English.
Yesterday CThursday) came out and went TO
work.
PULLED HIN AROUND.
Last night came out Of the house 10 go across
the street 20 eat supper. just after had cross
| ed over somo ten or fifteen men stopped me ana
| one Of them, q short man who spoke German,
asked me why had taken their money and then
| gone back 70 work. | told them bad taken u
| because they pressed IL on me and j offered 20
give II back During the time we were talklng
| all the men had gotten around me and took hold
| OF my arms and face and pulled mo around.
| They kept this up for about i've minutes, when
| | promised not to go back to work. Then
slipped away from them.
no MORE FOR HIN.
Tffs morning early when started for work
| three Of them met mo and carried me down TO
| tho meeting. They asked me II wanted seven
| ty-aye cents again to go home, and told them l
| liked Richmond and wanted TO stay. In the
| mean time, however, the meeting decided IL
| could not give me another seventy-nye cents 1
| came out 10 the works and told Mr.. Delaney
could not come to work again unless was given
| protection
THREATENED TO LICK HIM.
Mr.. Joseph NJ. Vanzini, native of
Switzerland, who speaks four languages,
not including English. said he had an ex-
perience similar to that of Mr.. Schnell.
Mr.. VanZini has very intelligent face.
| He came here from New York to get work.
| The strikers, he SAYS, took him yesterday
morning and carried him down to the
office of the Machinists' Union and then to
the meeting. They offered to pay his way
| back to New York. but he told them he
wanted to stay here. The strikers, MIR.
| Vsnzini claims, threatened TO thrash him
| unless he promised not TO 60 back to
work.
TWO SCARED MEN.
Al the conclusion Of the interview Mr..
| Delaney asked the two men, through MIR.
Newman, what they proposed to do with
hands, head, and tongue. Nanzini, who
| was the largest and the most frightened OF
the two, positively refused to go to work
unless ne was guaranteed protection"
| Schnell took the same ground. MIR. Delaney
assured the men that they had nothing
/
| determination TO quit.
DID NOT NOTICE THEM.
The reporter left the works and stopped
| Mt the bridge at the head of Seventh street
| TO talk with some of the Vigilance Com
mittee on duty there. About this time
| Vanzini and Schnell passed. by and not
even q look was bestowed upon them.
| which seemed rather remarkable after the
treatment they claimed to have received. =.
| Tho DISPATCH man then asked some OF
the machinlsts as TO the truth OF the asser-
tions made by schnell and Vanzini.
| NO TRUTH IN IT.
| "There ls not a word Of truth In the greater
| mart OF the statements" said one OF the men,
acting as spokesman for the others. :" AZ least
| fifteen OF US at the meeting last Monday who un-
derstood German heard Schnell say that he had
| a paper Offering him q Job at the DAVIS Locomo-
| tiye-Works, but did not have Il with him. lie
took our money willingly ana said no wouia mo-.
| 20 back to work. 1t is true that it was only
| seyenty-hye cents, but 1t was all he asked Tor.
| We also paid his board for him part OF the
/ time, and we consider that he really got our
| money under false pretences."
| ONLY THREE OF THEM.
| "Why he continued, 81 was one Of those who
| smoke 10 him last night In front OF Hrs Wyatts
| house on Eighth street. There were only tEreo
Of u.s. | being one OF them because SPEAK Ger
man. ] went up 20 Schnell and asked him WASH !
back to work after he had promised not TOT We
| never laid hand on either OF them. Those that
| gathered around were Mrs. Wyatts boarders
and not strikers. Schnell was so frightened that
he dld not know what was going on. The big one
| VanzinD acted moro like a gentleman, ana at
| once told US he would not work out here again,
and was really surprised to see him down here
to-day.
"s.hnel Is nothing OF q man at all, and even
vanzini don't want 20 have anything 70 DO Win
him Mrs. Wyatt told me at the breakfast-taDle
this morning that she had to send across the
street last night at II O'Clock because one OF the
boarders was complaining that Schnen was IN
his room. After awhile one OF the men VINO
could sneak Spanish asked him why he didn't 90
20 his own room and he replied that he didn't
want to sleep with Vanzini-
DIDN'T MAKE THEM GO.
"As 70 our forcing them TO attend our meet,
| ings, that is all nonsense; the Two men went oi
their own free will and accord, and don't see
how they can say we made them do 80.
"In conclusion, want TO say that we went oui
on this strike Ike gentlemen. We have trled to
act like them ever since, and 80 far as know and
believe, not a hand has been lifted against any
one since this strike began. except Dy Two OF our
men who had little spat between themselyes-
| NJ naufa rvould no dOutt be glad TO nave Qe