Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-03-23
FREIGHT BOYCOTTS
Progress of the Trial of the Ann
Arbor Case.
"RULENUMBER TWBLVEoPRoDUOED

The Defendsnts' Attorneys Trying to
shelve the Important Issue-A Com
pany Hale That Seems to Cover the
Ground-Engineer Watson's Testimony
Another Engineer who Admits the
Point in xhe Matter Strikers Not
Pleased with ArthuI's Actions-Blood-
shed Over a Strike at Crede.
TOLEDO, March 23-The hearing of the
Lake Shore engineers and firemen who re-
fused to handle Ann Arbor freight con-
tinued in the United States circuit court
yesterday. The testimony of the various
officials and under officials showed thBt the
order of Judge Kicks was not shown TO
the men until after they had said that they
would not handle the Ann Arbor cars. The
officials intended that the order should be
the last resort after persuasion had failed.
This point the defendants attorneys are
making the most Of and every witness is
questioned a. to whether the order was
personally shown 20 the men before or
after they had refused. IL the case is de-
cided on this point it, value will be little,
as the real issue Will he lost-whetheT men
on road on which there is no strike can
refuse to handle freight from road on
which a strike exists, 10y the operation of a
boycott.
This May Cover the Whole Ground
However. there was one thing brought
out that may cover the ground and prove
that the men did know the existence of
Kicks order. Attorney Potter of the
Lake Shore, produced q rule of the com
pany requiring train hands to look at the
bulletin daily posted by the company for
the information az the employees, before
they go to their trains. He proved, also,
that at the time IN question Judge Kicks
order was post ted on the bulletin. 1t VIII
be much better for final settlement if the
legal aspect OF the matter of the case goes
TO the judge in such ii way that he must
decide whether 4 boycott Of this kind is
lawful.
Ceased To BE ''Ann Arbor Freight
General Superintendent Cannif of the
Lake Shore testified that he had received
a telegram from J. W. Watson, a Lake
Shore engineer, saying: I'VE ask you in
the interest of peace and harmony not
to ask Lake Shore engineers to handle Ann
Arbor freight" Il answered." said Can
nlff, that the request could not be grant
ed, inasmuch as the business of the Ann
Arbor when turned over to Us was our
usiness also, and as common carriers we
were Obliged to handle it by law. l called
d meeting OF some JnlrtE-INe OF our eIlgln-
GERS and told them that it was our duty to
transact the business. l told them that
the law was plain and if it was violated it
would be serious matter and that some
one would be held responsible"
Watson Put on the Stand
Canniff later received a telegram from
Watson stating that the brotherhood laws
must be enforced. Then Watson was put
in the witness box and asked what rule of
the brotherhood was it that must be en-
forced. The rule that allows every man
to do as he pleases as an individual" said
Watson The attorneys laughingly stated
that it was a strange thing for a body to
enact laws to allow men to do as they
please. Watson was asked to produce the
rule. He did not have it. He was re-
quested to repeat it from memory. He
could not remember it-not even the sub
stance. Finally after being hard pressed
he stated that the rule he had in mind
was to the effect that brotherhood men
must not handle the freight of any road ON
which brotherhood men are out on a strike.