The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-21
ScHEEL IS SUSPENDED,
The National Musicians Union
Has Put Him on the Black
List.
HE CAN CONDUCT NO MORE
Unless the Money He Owes Is Forth
coming He Must Leave the
Park Band.

Scheel is, about to be chastened by the
National executive board of the Musicians
Union. In letter received yesterday by
the secretary of the San Francisco Musi-
clans Union the local lodge was COM
manded to suspend him.
This means that Scheel is to be sent to
Coventry. No member of the union must
accept an engagement with him, and after
next Sunday, unless due and costly rep
aration is made to the union, Scheel must
wave his baton in vain in Golden Gate
Park. To man the musicians will be
forced to absent themselves, and only
empty benches will be seen where the
band ought to be.
The trouble with the union began over
year ago. When heel brought out
band to play at the Vienna Prater at the
opening of the Midwinter Fair the con-
tract read that the men were to have first
class fare and expenses either" way. The
musicians had their fares paid to this City,
and at the conclusion of the music festival
given by Scheel last spring in Metropolitan
Temple the men, who had not been paid
in full for their services at the festival,
claimed tirst-class fare and expenses back
to New York, alleging that 'either" in legal
phraseology means both.
There was considerable argument over
this IN the local lodge of the union. eff a
man has whiskers at either side of his
face it does not mean that he only has
| whiskers on one cheek" urged ScheePs
antagonist, and during the debate, Web
ster was studied as never before in the his
tory of the union. The upshot of the dis
pute was that Scheel paid the men second
class fare back to New York, without
expenses, and gave promises to those to
whom he owed a residue of salary
The general feeling in the Local Union
Lodge No 10 was in favor of ScheeI, but
this did not prevent the Eastern must
clans, on their arrival home, from putting
Scheel on the black list of the New York
Lodge No. l as defaulter The case was
tried by the local lodge, affidavits being
handed in on both sides, and the upshot
of the trial was that Scheel was retained as
member in good standing.
Unfortunately for the local conductor,
however, Lodge No. 10 is subordinate to
the National executive board. Last month
the National League of Musicians held its
convention in Cleveland, Ohio. The case
of Scheel and the New York musicians
was tried very exhaustively, atfidavits
being presented in evidence on both sides
The result of this trial is embodied in the
following letter, which was received yes
terday by the secretary OF the San Fran
cisco Lodge:
The executive board after making thorough
and exhaustive research into the numerous
and volumlnous documents and testimony sub
mitted find that the claim OF members of local
No 1 Gas per sworn statement included in
above mentioned exhibits) for professional SER
vices rendered Herr Fritz Scheel is just one
and hereby give judgment against Herr Fritz
scheel in the sum OF $1l32, to be paid to said
claimants of local No. l, and we hereby certify
the said claim to the secretary of the National
League with instructions to proceed with the
collection OF said amount according to the
provisions of the laws of the league,
and as the foregoing finding naturally
local No. 10 in the matter OF the aforesaid
| claim is an erroneous one, anc that local No.
10, in refusing to obey the orders of the secre-
tary of the league, has laid itself liable to be
disciplined by the National League of Mu-
slcians.
We therefore recommend to this convention
that local No. 10 be ordered to suspend ali
fraternal relations with Fritz Scheel at once,
ana that such suspension shall carry with it
all the provisions of the constitution and by
laws of local No. 10 relative to the course that
members of No. 10 must follow in relation
to any or all suspended members, and
that, these relations remain in full force
until such time as the claim of the
members of local No. have been liauidated
and due reparation is made to the National
League by q full and ample apology for said
offense Of disobeying the orders of the National
secretary, said apology to be in the shape of an
attested copy of the action of general meet
ing of local No. 10, given under the seal of the
The resolution was unanimously adopted by
the board and also by the convention.
[Attest.l JACOB BECK, Secretary.
Discussing the letter yesterday the secre-
tary of the San Francisco Musicians Union
said: eve hold that the claim of the New
York musicians was not just, while the
New York body holds that it is Just. At
the convention more testimony was taken
in the case than we had, however, and as
the case has been decided against us, we,
being subordinate body, are compelled
to submit. Till the claims are settled no
one will be allowed to play with Scheel."
A meeting of the union will be held to-
day, when Scheel will be formally in
formed of the decision taken by the Ma
tional League of Musicians.