The San Francisco call., 1896-07-31
A J. Collins Recital of His
Grievances Suddenly In.
terrupted,
CLAIMS he WAS ILL TREATED.
Seeks Redress for Having Been Put
OFF Train in the Colorado
Desert.

:, AnoexcItng scene was witnessed yester-
day in front Of the Union Trust building,
at Montgomery and Post Streets between
: ex-Deputy United States Marshal David
Neagle, who is in the employ of the
Southern Pacific Company, and Andrew
j. Collins, an ex-employe of the company
who has on various occasions called on
several of the railroad officials to state his
grievances and to ask for redress:
According 10 Collins story he vas walk
ing up and down on tAe sidewalk in front
;iof. the.raiI-oad building yesterday, trying
to sell a razor-sharpening preparation
TO passers-by, when H. E, Huntington
spoke to Collins, who has called several
times .on the railroad magnate, but Col
Inns. ranking under what he Thought had
been injustice on Huntington's part, re-
fused TO answer. Soon hes changed his
mind, however, and began to speak to
huntington in regard to his grievance
agains. the company. g
= Il was not making any threats at all, J"
!: declared Collins yesterday evening. ''In
fact, had closed my grip and was stand
ing with my arms folded in order that
there might be no appearance whatever OF
violence on my part. | was just telling
:; Mr.. huntington that l had been a faithful
e DlO1 { VI tilS COID pdIlY WOen atHlS mai
n eagle caught me by the throat with one
hand and by the wrist with the other and
forced me toward the edge of the sidewalk.
AT the same time he threatened with an
oath to kill me il / came around bother
ling the railroad people again.
Il thought at the time tb at the man was
ar officer, so / submitted 10 the indignity.
If had known then who he was ] should
certainly not have allowed him to treat
me as he did. 1t was as fragrant q piece
of unwarranted brutality as l ever saw in
my liie.n
II. E. Huntington, when seen shortly
after the occurrence yesterday afternoon
was inclined to make light of the matter.
. "There were no threats nor any attempts
at violence" he said. "Yes, this is the
same man who created similar scene
several weeks ago. He imagines he has a
grievance against the com pany and he
comes'around here seeking redress.
II think the man is little off l have
heard that he sta bbed his own mother, and
naturally | don't care that he should try
the same thing on me.'
]. A. Fillmore general manager of the
company. gave the history Of Collins con-
nection with the company. 'Some five or
six years ago." he said collins was hurt,
through his own fault, at Los Angeles.
AFTER he recovered he came around after
work and we gave him a position in the
trouble and made such a distur bance
among the employees that we finally had
to let him out. On his way back from
Tucson he claims he was put off train
and suffered greatly, and now demands
some compensation. He wants money
without work. If he attempts TO black
mail US. however, he will find that he has
come to the wrong building"
Collins denies that he was discharged at
Tucson. "There were q number of us
laid off" he said, "ostensibly for the pur-
pose of economy. AS a matter of fact,
however, while l was working 'at Tucson
everything possible was done to make
things disagreeable for me and to compel
me to quit but | worked on.
when | was laid off l started back for
the City. | was denied a pass or an en-
ploye's ticket. although the other en-
ployes were given them. While crossing
the Colorado Desert 1 was put off the train
and my sufferings there in the terrific
August heat were something fearful.
After | had finally reached this City
wrote to Mr.. Kruttschnitt. who was then
connected with the company, asking to be
compensated for the sufferings | had un-
dergone. He answered me that inasmuch
as the matter had occurred before his ad-
ninistration he could do nothing in the
matter,
"Since then have atvarious times tried
saw Mr.. Worthington, Huntington's pri-
vate secretary, who told me that Hunting
ton would see that l should receive what
ever was just and fair, but have been un-
able to learn anything further, although /
have tried several times to see Huntington.
when | talked of suing the company
'Worthington said I might as we'll knock
my head against stone wall as to sue
the company.
They had me arrested for threatening
to kill, and although there was no evil
dence against me | was held over in Judge
Joachimsen's court, and after spending
over two months in the County Jail was
allowed to go free on bonds.
81 was thrown down by my attorney.
who promised tn see that / should be re-
leased OH babeas corpus. When finally [
got out of jail l was penniless and sick,
and since then have been trying 10 make
living selling things on the street.
II was always good workman. while in
the company's employ, and have quite q
number of recommendations from various
persons for whom | have worked. was
not making any threats or using violence
this morning, but was merely asking for
what thought just when Neagle brutally
interfered. -