The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1894-08-16
hOVARD ON THES7AND
h Investigation Into the Recent
Strikes D egun by the Presi-
j, dents Commission
HOWARD T HE FIRST WITNESS
lie Is Quest oned Closely by Mr.
Kernaa- tSOme Queries I'M
answered.

CHICAGO, Adg. 16-The strike com
mission appointed by President Cleve
land to Investigate the Pullman anG
railroad STRIKE, has begun its work
The sessions WI ere held in the govern
ment buildingI in a court room, and at
tracted many spectators. After pre-
iminary work Vice President S. w
Howard of the American Railway
union was called as. the first witness.
Mr.. Howard began his statement BY
expressing theI hope that the commission
would use every effort to get at the bot
tom of the matter. Commissioner ker
nan assured hi On that the investigation
would be thorough, and asked the wit
numerous qued tions as to his part ant
present occupaEion, and the nature Of
his official pos ton in the A. r. U.
Towards Opinion Of Strikes.
"Now," said the commissioner, ''tel
us what, in v ur opinion, caused the
railroad strike6"
THE strikes were caused" answered
Mr.. Howard, fby the statement of the
general MANAGER that they would bach
up Mr.. Pullma ia during the strike"
"Who told y on thatg''
THE newspapers printed the state
ment, creditinE it to General Managers
Egan and ST. John"
Mr.. Howard then entered into an eX
shaustive recital of the troubles leading
up to the original Pullman strike. The
men had announced their intention tt
strike, he said but on being assured by
the cOmpany'd officials that the en-
ployes grievan tes would be investigated
he had urged the men to return to work
This they did on the promise of the
company that he committees who han
died the troubl e would not be discharged
or otherwise injured because of the par,
they had taken in the matter.
The Commit emen Were Discharged.
.'And after That PROMISE" continued
the witness, 1T ree of those committee
men We're disc harged. Then the mer
sstruck. Our MON, after having failed
to get any sat isfaction from the Pull
nan company. then endeavored by boy.
'eotting the cor pany's cars, to bring the
matter to a satisfactory termination
We ordered nc strike. We simply de
sired that the Pullman cars be left of
OF the trains. At this point we were
again met by the General Managers
association. hey refused to haul mai
cars unless the P1llmans Were attached
to the trains. Such action was entirely
,dncalled for. The Pullmans were in &c
wise necessary for the transmission OF
the United Sta ties mails. can cite va
riOus cases VIII En mail trains are ruu
without Pulln1 an coaches or other pal
ace car equipnI ent.
Howard told the commissioners that
he had received communication FROM
the state conn aittee Of safety telling OF
a conversation between two rioters
which had bee overheard. The CONVEX.
-sation. he SO Id, was a dispute over
money which, the men claim, was re.
sceived from q encral Manager Egan 70,
'oyerturning a Id burning railroad cars
during the stri Ike.
Some oud stions Not Answered.
Commissions r Herman questioned the
witness closely on the powers of Tx
American Ratlway Union, and Mr.
Howard at last stated he would not an
swer explicitly until the United States
court cases pei lding against him were
decided. He reluctantly admitted that
the fact that |lawless men frequently
seize the opp ortunity to riot during
labor troubles, is an argument against
strikes. Mr. Towards examination
continued durl ing the afternoon.