The Indianapolis journal., 1894-10-09
RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES
IMPOI ANT LABOR CASE BEFORE
JUDGE DALLAs's FEDERAL COURT.
Effort to Prevent Reading Officers
Discharging Members of the Broth
erhOod of Trainmen.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. S.-The case of the
Reading company employees who are men,
bers of the Brotherhood OF Railway Train
men against the receivers of the road,
which was brought before the United States
Circuit Court on Friday, was continued
to-day before Judge Dallas. and after a
brief argument was postponed until Friday
of this week. Associated with William p.
Montague, counsel for the employees, who
presented the case last week, are William
A Day, of Washington; Martin Dalphin,
OF Kansas City, and Francis Rawle, of this
city. Counsel for the employees presented
a petition signed by Stephen r. Wilkinson,
OF the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen,
OF Illinois; Thomas McDermott and George
II. Ripple. who are employees of the rail-
road company.
The petition sets forth that there are
130 members of the organization, majority
of whom have been members for seven
years. On the 18th of August, of this year
the members were notified by Superintend-
ent Sweigard that they would have to re-
nounce their allegiance to the Brotherhood
of Railway Trainmen before Oct. or be
dismissed from the employ of the COM
pany. Later, on Sept 3, ,asv were further
notified that they must surrender the char
ter of the organization or every member
would be dismissed. superintendent Swell
gard stated that he was simply carrying
out the wishes of his superior officers.
Counsel for the Reading Railroad Com
pany. in answer to the petition. stated that
on Oct. l. 1894. George Ripple made appli-
cation for position, and. in answer to the
customary questions, denied being a MEM
Der OF any labor organization, which was
a willful falsehood; Counsel for the
swer to McDermott counsel for the COM
pany stated that they would retain him in
the employ of the Reading company. Coun-
sci for the employees then asked Judge Dali
las to allow the case to remain in statu
quo and instruct the receivers not to dis
miss any employees until the case was
brought up on Friday. but this Judge Dal-
An intervening petition by Levi Hicks,
another employe, was then read. and coun-
they be given until Friday to answer.
which was granted by the Judge. although
DiLdtery f1pp3sseaSal 0y counsel fr for the en-
decided that he, being a resident of Illi-
nois had no standing in the court; and the
posed Of. The petition TO be heard on Fri
day is that of Hicks.
In addressing the court in behalf of the
employees attorney Rawle stated that II
was criminal offense in New York Ohio
Indiana. Illinois, California and other States
TO discharge men who were members of
ioOOl vi Sdil1dlAOuo WlluOul just cause. he
also referred to Judge Caldwells opinion
in the Union Pacific labor troubles and
Judge Harlan's recent decision in the
Northern Pacific strike in favor of the
right of workingmen to strike.
A committee Of twelve Reading railroad
employees from Tamauqua, who were mem
bers of the Brotherhood of Railway Train
men, called on Superintendent Sweigart
this afternoon to say that they had sur
rendered their charter and disbanded
Vice President Voorhees,, of the Reading
speaking or the men, said MIR. Sweigart
informs me that he had no intention of
discharging any of them. He has been
away couple of weeks and / had not
been fully informed in the matter"