The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-20
SWITCH WAS THROWN OPEN
Grave Charge by Straet-Railroad EN-
ployes Against Two Road officers.
Alleged Effort to Wreck College-Avenue Car,
Carrying Stablemen of the Company
Clique that Is Said to Have 0usted Shaffer.

The street-cer brotherhood will have be-
fore il at Thursday nights meeting SUBJ
jcct that will probably interest two road
officers of the company. The switch from
the College-avenue line at the corner of
Massachusetts avenue and Alabama street,
after the last Brightwood car passes. is
thrown 80 as to leave straight track for
the College-avenue cars comm down after
that time. After the last Brightwood Cat
passes this switch. the street usually being
clear, the electric cars come down
the avenue at tolerably high
rate of speed, and as there is witch
to throw at this point the motormen
have been in the habit of crossing it with
out paying any attention to whether the
switch was thrown or not. The last car
down town from the College-avenue sta bles
usually carries q number of employees
of the company from that barn. One
night about two weeks ago the motorman
on this car noticed that this switch was
thrown so that the car would be run on to
the Alabsma-street track. and If the car
had been going at the usual rate of speed
serious damage would have been done and
a loss of life probably have resulted. The
motorman. however, had time to throw the
switch and avoid any accident. The fact
of the switch being thrown caused COM
ment as TO how it came TO be in that posi-
ton. and an lnvesti CATION was commenced
by the brotherhood.
In speaking of the affair a member of
the brotherhood said to a reporter yester-
day: I'VE have traced the throwing OF the
switch TO two road officers and at It's meet.
ing next Thursday night the brotherhood
Will report she facts IN our possession to
the company and ask that an Investigation
be made by the company. There exists a
clique among the road officers who are de-
termined to run the affairs of the company
to suit themselves. and one of their main
objects is TO disrupt the brotherhood.
This attempt on the part of the two road
officers to wreck the College-avenue car
was part of their scheme In this line, the
object being to make it appear TO the new
management that the members of the
brotherhood were careless aud Negligent
and the accident which 1t WAS intended TO
have happen was To be made to appear due
to the carelessness of the moJOrman. This
clique includes a number of the old officers
that hold over from the old management,
and they are very strongly organized.
1T was this same clique" he continued.
that caused the deposing of Shafter, and,
afterwards. Steele, and they will send
Mason and Boyd to the guillotine If the
latter two officials do not uphold them in
their Vaccinations, as they have every
body else that has opposed them. 1t is no
idle assertion to say that they will derose
the president of the company. for, as they
have done il in the past they will do it
again. They will start at it system
atically. and work their schemes deli
cately. and prevail upon the directors to
believe that the two officials named are
causing disturbances started and fomented
by themselves for the purpose of bringing
the officials into dsfavor. This same
clique is responsible for the resignation of
Mike Burns. and If l was to take the time
L could name members of the brotherhood
TO the extent of about q dozen that have
been dropped on account of the maohina-
tons of the clique. The brotherhood is
aware OF their work, and will undertake TO
expose them. as it is seen that their object
Is the eventual disruption OF the organize
tion.r