Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-07-29

One of the most profound sensations
In national labor circles and one which
will directly OF indirectly effect every
railroad telegraphcr in the country came
10 light in the disclosure Of the fact that
Omaha division of the order of railroad
telegraphers had filed ch argos TO i'm
peach Grand Chief ID. q. Ramsay, Grand
Editor A. ID. Thurston aud Grand Elk
ecutiye Committeeman GeorVp c. Flegel.
The charges were preferred after an
exhaustive investigation, the division hay-
ing sent n member, Carl Smith, to the
headquarters ut Nintou, Ia, TO inquire
into the situation, ugly rumOrs having
been circulated at the last convention at
Toronto. The result Of the inquiry was
that charges were filed by Grand Execu-
tive Committeeman h. Il. Roche of Chi
cagO, on complaint OF Omaha division,
the charges presenting thirty-sir spccif-
cations and running all the way on
the part of Ramsay from incompetcncy
and dishonesty to seduction and taking
in all sorts of Oifenses on the way,
The order was instituted eight years
ago at Cedar Rapids, Ia, by A. ID,
Thurston, us non-striking organization.
For six years its growth was steady,
until ii numbered nearly 250OO members.
when il blossomed Into strike orgnni-
aud Ramsay, then an Fast st. Louis,
ILL.,, lawyer, as assistant grand chief,
A few months afterward Thurston was
made, by the executive committee, OF
which Ramsay was chairman, editor of
the orders paper aud Ramsay succeeded
10 the chieftaincy, and at the next con
veution, held In Chattanooga in 1872,
this happy arrangement was continued,
with Ramsay drawing $1,000 a y~Ir and
expenses and Thurston 5000 n year
from an association made up very largely
of men earning less than $50 per month.
Ramsay Immediately bossomed out as
young Napoleon Of organized labor
and led lively chase IN strikes ana
other spectacular things. A special tax
had been order for a strike fund, the
understanding being that 80 soon as the
fund reached 100000 the tax should
cease. 1t came dangerously near reach
ing this figure several times, for the
order numbers nearly 5000 operators.
But the grand chief, whose greatest
salary as an operator had been sos
month. was equal to the occasion, and
although SOL 1880 was paid into this
fund last year at Toronto, but S2,OO1Dl
was shown to be on hand. The Rock
Island strike had wiped out 81, Ugo.dS.
the Central Georgia strike SSOl146, the
Cedar Rapids strike S11.47OS0 and the
Gulf troubN SlOT5.5I. Ramsay did not
win a strike during the year.
There were rumurs of acknowledgement
nj Toronto and a committee was elected
to investigate, hut after learning the stu.
alton il was decided that for reasons of
policy Ramsay and ThurtOn, the latter
beine right In with him, be not removed
because Of the publicity and presumed
harm 10 the order. They were reelected,
hni the Omaha division was not salts
ded. and having considerable money In
the treasury itstarted in to fight the two.
4 messenger was sent TO Ninton ana
newsraper was started to lead the cam
pnicn. One of the ablest lawyers IN
Omaha was engaged and today II was
learned that the charges had been car
ried 10 the grand executive. committee,
snecifying the expenditure. of vast sums
Without any effort nj vouchers and other
conduct Of like nature. One charge Is
The seduction of Ninton girl and the
payment OF incidental expenses thereof
by Ramsay from the orders funds;
also the pensoning of his relatives on
The orders pay roll. Il Is understood
that Grand Conductor Clark of the Or
der of Railway Conductors, and w. r
Daniels. grand secretary OF that order,
will be- witnesses for the prosecution.
The trial will be held at Ninion; ana the
officials, Ia the meanwhile, win be sus-
pended from Office.