The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-07-28
Mr.. FRENZEL'S HEAVY HAND
Delivers a Singing Blow at the Street.
Car Employees Brotherhood.
Score ary Discharged IN tie Illuminating
Charge of Knocking Down." Which He In
dicnantly Denies Swarm of Spoilers.

A ripple of excitement OF no mean pro-
yesterday afternoon and last night by the
information that j. p. Riggs, secretary of
the brotherhood. had been discharged. aud
o meeting of the organization was at once
called for1 o'clock this morning The COM
paDy claims to have evidence that Riggs
failed TO register q fare collected. The
meeting, which was at first called for l
o'clock. was afterwards postponed, 1t
being decided to send committee from the
brotherhood to confer with President
FrenZel this morning, and ask Tor Rlggss
reinstatement before any action Is taken
upon the matter by the brotherhood. III
this committee Is not successful IN It's Dur-
poses the nsetter will be brought before the
brotherhood at the meeting tonight.
1t seems that the first notice Riggs had OF
the change against him was his dismissal
yesterday afternoon. he Is conductor on
what isknown street-car parlance as q
split early" that is. his work be-
gins the first cars started in tue
morning and continues till about $3.50
o'clock In the afternoon, when he is off I'M
Til $50. At the time he relieves two men
for supper and is then through for the day.
The first intlmatiOn that he had of being
suspect ted, 1t IS said. was when he reported
for supper relief yesterday afternoon and
was told that his services were no longer
needed. Riggs denies the charge and is
very indignant at the imputation upon his
honesty.
Riggs was discharged for the Same
alleged offense somewhat more than year
ago. and threatened a libel suit against the
company for announcing that the disms sal
was for knocking down." and W as REIN
stated. A conductor on the Virginia-ave-
nue. line said to q reporter last night:
N.Y. lot I'm IT.
ing down, but because he was
prominent in the strike and u
power In the brotherhood. The company
IL try ing to disrupt the brotherhood by de-
grees. Every new man employed 10 re-
quirea to fill ont an application containing
an agreement not to join the brotherhood
for thirty days" He also Id that the broth
erhood had been trying to get hold OF one or
these applications for some time, but as
vet had not been able to secure one. Ho is
also authority for the statement that
abont tour weeks ago barber living
in the southeastern part of the city
made application for place and
was put to driving. After he had been It
work about twenty days he remarked TO
some passengers that the thirty days Tor
which he was bound to remain out of the
brotherhood would soon expire and he IN
tended to join the organization as soon as
the time limit was up. the next day he
was notified that the company had decided
to dispense with his services.
The belief is common among the brother
hood employees that the company has been
craving a cause TO remove Riggs. Throu oh
his efforts indianapolis was selected as the
place of holding the convention which
meets in q few weeks to organize
q national brotherhood of street car
employees. brotherhood %a0 men e., say r that
pattern in regard TO labor organizations
and is preparing to make things as un-
comfortable as he possibly can for union
employees. Riggs has been one OF the most
earnest, as well as conservative, of the
brotherhood leaders His manner Is
straightforward and frank, ana those who
have been his regular passengers have CIV
en- evidences of confidence In him. The
charge upon which he was removed was
made by one of the company's spoilers. A
number of these have been employed TO
watch for attractions of the ruls restrict
ing free rides entailing q cost to the COM
paDy certainly in excess of the addi-
brated order which caused the strikes
and the arbitration of last winter. The
spoilers have been boarding at hotel on
the Circle. and many of them were known
East Washington-street conductor named
StrlnGer was also discharged yesterday.
He was accused of incorporating
fares 1t was said thaS he bad only RING
mp" eighty-four fares on a car when the
count showed eiehty-six. 1t finally be-
came evident even to the unfriendly
managers of the company that con-
ductor was dong pretty well to secure
eighty-four fares when eghty-six
people were packed in and sbou {
a certain car. 1t was even lntimated th at
q spotter might easily make q mistake of
two in counting the number on a car SO
crowded. At any rate, Stringer was REIN
stated without loss of time. The spoilers
had reported of him that he
had missed five fares in twelve
days. but the company evidently
did not believe their report. Rigrs's friends
say there 10 equal chance for mistake In
his case. The appearances are that nobody
outside of tho officials and the spoilers be-
lieve he can be guilty.
In connection with this discharge it Is re-
called that in she agreement by which the
second strike was settled. il was stipulated
that every employe against whom com
plant was made should first be given a
chance for trial. Mr.. Frenzel seems ut
terry to have forgotten this. The men say
they will insist on the lettcr. as well as tn Z
spirit of the agreement.