Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-24
ROCK ISLAND ROAD.
rs GENERAL MANAGER TTSrlFlES
BEFORE THE STRIKE COMMISSION.
pcstruction Of the Railways Property
Daring the rulln'an boycott Wage
-Biackiisting.

Island road had l2.Sl7 employees. lie then
-csi series Of briefs. covering the strike
w me Rock Island road from day 10 day.
"Our first trouble" said Mir. St John.
occurred June 18th. At this time a meet
Ug ~ few Rock Island employees and
lauy outsiders was held on Blue Island,
= motion was passed 90 strike. all par
lC.rAting in 81. whether railroad cm-
p'0ygcs or not. This meeting was adj
stressed by pcbs. Howard, and others.
ana Il was the beginning Of the strike
.n our road. No official notice was ever
s.ycn TO any officer Of the Rock Island
-.ai that the employees Intended to
ttl.tc. ana 40 notice was ever given the
ro.I % discontinue hauling Pullman cars.
Manager ST. John then read o list of
ru. sEHg their employment. who were
SO ht E'uc Island meeting already re-
.trr.l O.. and who voted for strike,
nu.h unemployed hy any road Among
the men were tallors. plumbers. bar
.c.4.Ts. and others. Fully two thirds ~
% SID men were not employees OF rail-
...s" said Manager ST. John, and he
..tDI The names OF several persons by
whom. DE claimed h. could prove his
assertion.
STRIKE INCIDENTS.
IIe then detailed the Incidents of the
yrse, telling how several trains were
r9ci how engines were repeatedly cut
Jt AMI switches thrown by men alleged
o. De strikers and how men who wished
81 work were inundated and forced 10
Stop work. whether they wished % or not
nfn|.f...T ft
ih1ritlcs 40 Blue island were IN sympathy
vlth thc strikers. and interfcrc1 with The
ur.ceia ~ the Eock Island road on several
occasions. We salI thu police ~ Blue
Island ou several occasions arrested Of
i.,crs Df The road. ana once tried 20 ar
Test Marshal Arnold himself
'rte deputy United States marshals.'
Cont.nu0I STR So John. cas- rule. rem
4 rod good service at Blue Island but 1t
WAS discovered that twenty cn OF ;he
InarshlI. were striking swtchmen, sworn
O. hy order ~ th' president Of tAe Amcri-
,.n Railway Union.
Manager ST. John gave dates. names.
Cua minute details of various alleged i'm
.f-r,uc,- with trains hy strikers. The
stances were numerous tir scored the
tiIrua, police force. and declared they
Oft.n stood il.y hy AND permitted overt
acts DE ct.i Ng,s hy the score. luj de-
s.1r.l tt.t Iu some cases those who tried
Z. lr fh.m oIt were shot a. New men
v... v.yli1 ana beaten Ey July 18Th
g.. ,t.ahls began Go alatc. ana hy July
60 ",g hing was quiet
~" total number OF men VINO "clu"hy
struck WAS '-- me i'st belns i"l I'nI-
oi''i.' SAID AIR. ~. J''h' me- t''e'
m"'f i-.h- ''i'1 was 9,' ''',S '~.'' ,
- 81 "'" "'i' ''t p" 49,
l-.'' '''"
AN' .' We're 10 ...,..t, ,.t.t--
" No.. .,... the
-" "''s'. ..,.t,.r.
..'.a,.
So ' o.. ..,,, ..,..,.,o,.....- o.,
m. , tt4." f.,-4 ra,d ,,tr in
-, ,....... - be-. ,y,n rotiare'
- tr,.t N r.-"
..'.., ,,, ea,i =, ,r'ul any casose"
.1 .,r,,r n ms BIAS been don. it has
f..t.d o. Individual. and not % The en-
\ .3yets I'm General"
ln rygari "a Lllckusiiug. Mt ST John
sid TN Rock Island road had no black
a.. beyond loblu.ng an cmpl 'yee dis
missed oH one division Of the to'i from
working on another part oi ihr same
T1al tie asserted That thc ROCK island
rad has always u''''d Us '"I,os 60
MIN me ~ 'i.Tl GOA '...' '''a.' 60 90,
Snnoi; Ih" doors OF inc "'''''i'7 'r.I i
president Gown. al. Always "p'" ~ '''
Aau'''-' cinr'
RELATIONS WITH fbid-NIA->'
W. 20 asked about the relations between
". Pullman company ana the Rock
! anI ro4I SIR ST. John rendered 10 the
commission the contract but asked that
l. t. kept from the general public. After
.rf-rrIr- the commission refused 70
III. Rock Island company owns half
interest in AN its Pullman cars. by tho
,.rtr,tt ~. Rock Island is obliged TO
.r.,.,,, puli-ntn cars. strike or no strike
llsraper ST. John nxcI the losses Of the
= mr4nv during the. strike at from $780,.
- 20 SL@ovJ1 including damage To pro-
i'y
We nave h'A many l'Ic J. ",,i'."i '''
i'''. me close pi me W',I' az 81
g. witness. 'and / ihink thS was Inc
'.s- on au me roads. 4 consequent 'eS-
t-'icn of ctr-huilIing enau'd
lic then gave figures 20 show that the
Rock Island earned but {-lpop dur.ng the
Norid's Fair. and said this ala not cover
H.. cost of thr additional equipment ne
,,--ary for Worlds Fair business.
N..n asked whether the Rock Island
t-...ut1. the American Railway Union
a. r.t Mr So John declared the COM
,..-v h,l never haI an application from
St.t bo.y SIS 10 deputy marshals. ne
t...r.l that those selected boy The Rock
i.I..I r.ll were o. Ie paid by the United
....,. lr be du not think they had
~ received their money for protecting
J. Island property.
..- -. r.tn WA excused until 1870
... -,r.. ,f.,.hqi losaph l.. Kenyon. who
.... .,.,... Il t,. 5i4tri.t from Finy-Hfth
,-... q, pt,lIr..n took his place lie
......r ,.,. ,s. cars bad been burned IN
g.. ....,.., ..rin.. the strike. At la0 Mr.
s.. .., ...'.,,aI .b.. st,ud II WAS then
'...........t tt., rbi.f-of- Police Brennan
,..l ..,u.,y hI,, M 2.9J.P. NJ.
.....,.,,.,...
MR. ST JOHN kt-S' ME-
Ar So John resumed ihe s'ana NJ t,'
rr'rr ot The afternoon session re
3. '.. That about 40 men engaged IN lne
l.- rNc bad applied Tor worn ON IL,
A.. island road ana hah been INFORMED
g. npany could not use theHh' IL
-I se'rral cases "here me COMPANY
ioA O. ie own N'iN"H nv '"0-u VIC
s. Dri cici ms statement OF me MOI
0't the COVE f'u',ht mao u,pH''
-'Hs who protected Noch lsis"! ~
'N -tyins tH' '-" p"nS 20 -. 49,,
'"r.fs ana i.i'I"eh were 7"''" ia "'
~