Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-07-24
RAMSAY INDICTED.
Accusations Against the Chief
of the Telegraphers.
CHARGES OF VARIED MIsDOINGS,

Besides Incompetency in Managing Strikes
The Impeachment Made by His Breth-
rem and Very SensationaI-Powderly Re-
plies to Critic With n Confession of
Failure as Leader of Labor-The Stu
alton Critical in Kansas.
OMAHA, July 24-One of the most pro-
found s'nsations in labor circles and one
which will directly or indi -ectly affect
every railroad telegrapher in the country,
has come to light in the disclosure of the
fact that Omaha division of the Order of
Railroad Photographers IS filed charges to
impeach Grand Chief d. G. Ramsey, Grand
Editor A. d. Thurston and Grand Execu-
tive Committeeman George c. Flegel. The
charges We're prepared after an exhaustive
investigation, the division having sent a
member, Carl Smith, to the headquarters
at Ninton, Ia, to inquire into the situa-
ton, ugly rumors having been circulated
at the last convention at Toronto.
The Charges Are Comprehensive.
The result of the inquiry was that
charges were filed by Grand Executive
Committeeman F. T. Roche, of Chicago,
on complaint of the Omaha division, the
charges presenting thirty-six specifica-
lions and running all the way on the part
of Ramsay from incompetency and dis
honesty TO seduction, and taking in all sorts
of otfenses. The order was instituted
eight years ago at Cedar Rapids. Ia, by A.
ID. ThurstOn as non-str;king organiza-
ton. For six years its growth was steady
until it numbered p 900 members when it
blossomed into a strike organization with
Thurston as grand chief and Ramsay as
assistant grand chief.
Ramsay Becomes Grand Chieftain
\ few months afterward Thurston was
made by the executive committee, of which
Ramsay was chairman, editor of the Or
der's paper and Ramsay succeeded to the
grand chieftaincy, and at the next con-
vention held in Chattanooga, in 1882 this
arrangement was continued with Ramsay
drawing 5000 year and expenses and
Thurston $1,000 year. a special tax had
been ordered for a strike fund, the under
standing being that so soon as this fund
reached $4,000 the tax should cease. OF
the s5l, 1886 which was paid into this
fund last year at Toronto but 81 004 81 was
shown to be on hand
Where the Money Had Gone.
The Rock Island strike had wiped out
0l1.46; the B. c. R. and n. SlI,476.s9. and
the Gulf trouble 81, 01554 Ramsay did not
win a strike during the year. There were
rumors of mismanagemcnt at Toronto and
a committee was elected to investigate
but after learning the situation it was de-
cided that for reasons of policy Ramsay
and lhurston, the latter being right in
with him, be not removed because of the
publicity and presumed harm to the or
der. But the investigation was continued
and the charges referred to resulted.
Ramsay Seems Pretty Versatile.
Among the charges are several specify
ing the expenditure OF vast sums of money
without any effort at vouchers, and other
conduct of like nature. One salacious
charge is the seduction of Vinton girl
and the payment Of incidental expenses
thereof by Ramsay from the orders funds:
also the pensioning OF his relatives on the
orders payroll. 1t is understood that
Grand Conductor Clark. of the Order of
Railway Conductors, and w p Daniels.
grand secretary of that or Ter, will be wit
nesses for the prosecution.