The morning news., 1894-08-30
NATIONAL LABOR COMMISSION.
Further Testimony at Chicago as tc
the Great Strike

Chicago, Aug 29,-The national labor
commission expects to complete its work
by the end of this week. Tomorrow
witnesses for the American Railway I'm
ion will appear in rebuttal and the sitting
Of the commission may come to an
end at that date. IL is probable il may
last a day or two longer. Chairman
Wright said this morning the commission
had not discussed the evidence with a
view to forming an idea Of what its recon-
mendatlon would be. The report will be
made directly to the President and will
probably be made up before the commits
sioners leave Chicago
The principal business of the commits
sion this morning was the examination of
Wenty-three witnesses Most of them
testified that at the meeting at Blue
Island at which the Rock Island men de-
cided to strike, Vice President Howard
had counselled violence and used prOfaue
language, The gist of the testimony was
that only about one-half of the men who
had voted To strike were railroad men.
Besides this, many of the railroad men
present were opposed TO striking.
Robert Welch, assistant TO the first
vice president of the Santa Fe, was the
first witness called by the labor commits
sloner this morning He testified that
the road he represented was loser, as
closely as ne could figure, S505, ,O36 by the
recent strike. which had never been de-
clared off by the Santa F'e men. He said
the road was running without intevrup-
tiQn TO traffic.
The twenty-three witnesses were sworn
in bunch. 1t was announced they would
give testimony regarding the strike at
Blue Island. All were subppnaed. w.
r. Fuller testified that Vice President
Howard openly counseled violence and
applied vile epithet to George NJ Pull
man at meeting at Blue Island. at which
the Rock Island employees voted to strike.
President Debs was not so radical in
speech.
G. G.. Cruelty corroborated this more
fully, and said Howard also abused Off
GERS of the Rock Island road He ascribed
to President Debs the statement, after
the strike the sCabs will have TO walk the
plank" John Deagan thought there was
but one business man Of Blue Island pres
ent at the meeting of the Rock Island en-
ployes Owen O'Keefe and d. Brahm,
two business men OF Blue Island, who
were named as having been present at the
meeting. denied they were. Farmer Fred
Baumburg was present. He did not hear
Howard use abusive language.
George Davis did not either. Neither
OF these men heard all of Howard S
speech. Alexander Inasso testified that
he heard Howard say that he thought
Pullman ought to be hanged j. H. Cody
thought nearly all present were railroad
men. j. h. Sanders gave as the substance
of one Of Howard's admonitions TO the
crowd; TO kill any scab with coup
ling pin who took the place OF a
striker He heard the alleged remarks
about Pullman. The other witnesses from
Blue Island knew nothing Of interest tC
the commission. Chairman Wright theu
announced mat the commission had heard
all the witnesses suggested by either side
OF the controversy and wasunow ready tC
hear those in rebuttal
AS no names were filed with the com.
mission for rebuttal Chairman Wright
declared the commission adjourned until
10 O'Clock tomorrow morning.