River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-09-06
The CLOSING SESSIONS.
Last Days of the Labor Commissions
Work in Chicavo

work In Chicago.
CHICAGO. Aug. si.-Chairrnan Wright has
announced that all the witnesses on both sides
wIo had been suggested to the commission
ha I been examined. and there remained no
more evidence to be heard, except what testi-
mony may be added In reouttal which either
side may care 10 offer. The Il stimony given
on Wednesday was brief and comparatively
unimportant-
The first witness was Town Agent Hoorn-
beck of Pullman, who was questioned by Mr..
Herman. He said that he had charge OF the
houses and real estate in the model town The
witness said that he signed the leases of the
houses for the company, and produced a form
of the lease.
The agent said that in the matter of repairs
the company paid al the bills. The repairs on
the houses last year amounted to sl2000. The
repairs were not charged 10 the tenants. He
could not say why the lease provided FOR the
charging of repairs to the tenants. he only
knew that the company did not charge the ten
ant with repairs.
The Rock Island road furnished about thirty
witnesses from Blue Island TO show the char
acter OF the strike meeting az the village
that road. There were tailors, painters, car
penters. storekeepers and railroad men. but
most of them knew nothing and were dismissed.
Their testimony showed that OF about 400 men
who attended the meeting less than one-third
we're railroad men.
Each testified that Vice President Howard,
violent language in the speech he made al the
Blue IsSnd meeting suggesting violence aud
calling a. Pullman and the railroad man
ayers hard and vile names. These witnesses
said that Howard caused the strike on the
Rock Island-Debs helped only incidentally to
bring il on.
H r. saunders was recalled after the others
had testi I'd. He said that in his speech Mr..
Howard id said that Pullman ought to be
hanged, IA that he Howard. would like to
help nang him Howard had also said the men
who would take the places OF those on strike
should ~ killed WITH a coupling pin.
CHICAGO, Aug. 3i.-After hearing the testl-
mony OF Mayor Hopkins Thursday afternoon
Chairman Wright announced that the work of
the labor commission in Chicago vas at an
end.
Mayor Hopkins being called testified that
Mr.. Wright. counsel for the Rock Island road.
claimed on July that mobs were interfering
with the operation of trains At that time the
main line was clear to Thirty-seventh street
but at that place about $500 persons, mostly
women and children, had congregated. a car
had been overturned north of Thirty-seventh
street, and the wrecking crew working
on IL. He continued:
That same evening learned that the First
regiment going into camp at Springfield
wire a the governor that they ought 10 be kept
here. as they might be needed within twenty
four hours. AT my suggestion he had them re-
port at their armory for duty instead of
going TO Springfield. About 10 80 o'clock
that night 1 learned that the Diamond
special on the Illinois Central
stalled at kensington and had the police clear
the way for it. Friday morning, July 8, in
| formation came that crowds were gathering
| on the Rock Island tracks. and after conSulta-
tlon decided to call on the governor for five
regiments of state militia. which he ordered
| to report to me Immediately.
Il believe the police did their full duty all
| through the strike i have been assured by
number of railroad officials that the protection
| of the police was all they needed. General
| Superintendent sullivan, OF the Illinois Cen
\ trail. President Thomas. of the Western In
| diana, and Superintendent Ashby, of the Union
| stock Y-rds Transit company, have all con-
| graduated the city authorities on the conduct
of the police and the management OF the dis
turbances.
sIn all the evidence produced before the
commission, so far as / could discover, have
seen no instance where charge has been made
/ against the city police that they have failed to
| do all that could have been expected of them.
| / suppose Mr.. Egan might have made some
| complaint, but he was continually putting the
police force to unnecessary trouble and effort
| by alarms of violence where there were none.
Would you say. Mr.. Mayor, that the police
had shown no sympathy for the strikers or had
not let their sympathy influence their CON
duet.
| Il gould not like to say the police had no
| sympathy with the strike. Doubtless some of
| them had. l am free to say that so far as the
/ strikers at Pullman were concerned / was in
/ sympathy with them myself What do mean
/ to say is that no policeman let his sympathies
| keep him from doing his full duty during tic
/ strike so far as / have been able to discover.
| The police were on duty for ten days without
/ going home They lived at thei" posts or at
the stations, and l think they did all that
could have been expected of them
| The mayor told about the failure Of his eff
1
1 of the trouble. July L. the witness had ac-
| companied Mayor Pingree to call on Mr..
wickes MIR. RunneIls and Mr.. Brown, but they
! persisted in their st~tement that there was
! nothing to arbitrate. On July 10 came the
! communication from Iebs and Howard to the
| general managers which the mayor agreed to
| take to the general managers.
| Il took it to their headquarters and found
| Mr. st. John. who said that the general man
! ayers did not wish to consider any eommuni-
! cation coming from those men, Ee said. how
| ever, that since had brought Il he would con-
4 suit the members of the association personally
He did and the result was a letter returning
| the communication.
1T has been intimated that l protested
against the presence in the city of federal
| troops That is not so. was not consulted
| with nor advised that federal troops were
| to be sent here. / had not up to that
time been advised that anybody or ans
| corporation needed protection of any
| kind that was not already supplied. did not
| protest against the sending of federal troops.
| although i might have felt that the persons
| desiring protection should have called first
upon municipal and state authorities for pro-
lection before they called for United States
troops"
nj -. a. -