Evening star., 1897-01-08
Mr.. SIMMONS OUT
He Announces His Intention to Sue
For Damages.
OUTCOME OF TIE <. OF L. TROUBLE
District Master Workman Expelled
From the Order.
HE DENIES ALLEGATIO

Mr.. w. H. G. Simmons, who for several
years past has been the district master
workman of No. 68. Knights of Labor of
the District of Columbia, was expelled
from the order last evening by the general
| executive board of the organization for al
| legged violation Of the rules Of the general
assembly. Mr.. Simmons said today to a
Star reporter that he regards the action of
| the general executive board unjust, and
that he intends to sue the board for de-
famation Of character. placing the damages
at 5000 or $4,000. as may be determined
| upon by his counsel.
The expulsion from the order carried
| with 1t the forced dropping of Mr.. Simmons
from his position the chief officer of the
district assembly. He will, he said today.
resign his office of vice president of the
Times Company, with which he has been
| connected since that organization was
| formed about two years ago.
| Friends of Mr.. Simmons say that one i'm
| portant outcome of his expulsion will be
the disruption of the order of the Knights
| Of Labor, as it is their intention to do all
| they can to let the facts in the case be-
come known.
How 1t Started.
The trouble between Mr. Simmons and
| the general executive board Of the knights
| of Labor dates back several months, and
| originated out of some articles that appear
| ed in a Washington paper, in which some
of the members of the board, especially
General Worthy Foreman NJ. j. Bishop.
| were bitterly assailed.
| In consequence Of these publications, Mr..
| Bishop September Is, 1885, sent a letter to
| Mr.. Simmons, a copy of which is as fol-
| lows, and which explains itself:
| You have no doubt noticed the tone of
the editorials and news articles recently
published in the Washington Times, re-
garding the general officers of the knights
| of Labor, anG it must he plain to you that
! the reputation of two brother members by
| name and all the others by inference are
| attacked in those articles
| These references are a distinct viola
ton of sections 33. page 20. and 1S6, page
| g. new constitution, and as you are prom
| 1nently connected with the Washington
! Times Publis hing Company, in an official
| capacity, and are also the principal eXecu-
| tive officer of the District Assembly which
| is so largely quoted in support of the al
| legations. l deem 1t incumbent upon you
! to repudiate the allegations over your sig
| nature in the Times within forty-eight
| hours from the receipt of this letter. Fail
| ing to do this 1 shall hold you personally
| responsible for violation of your obligation
and pre- ceed against you in the usual way"
! The Action at Rochester.
Mr. Simmons said today that he declined
| to comply with the demand made by Mr.
Bishop for the reason that he knew nothing
whatever about the articles in question
until after they had appeared.
| Mr.. Bishop next took steps to proceed in
| the usual" way, which was by filing COM
plant before the general executive board
against Mr.. Simmons. An immense amount
! of documentary evidence was taken in the
| case, and after much consideration of the
| testimony the board decided against Mr.
| Simmons.
The latter took an appeal to the General
Assembly, which met at Rochester N Y
| November 10 to q last, and that Mr. Sim
mons was again defeated was evidenced by
| the receipt by him from General Secretary
| Treasurer John w. Hayes of a letter. dated
| December %. 1896, as follows:
| The following resolution was passed at
| the session of the General Assembly held
| at Rochester, y. Y, November 10 to p
| last: That If Brothers Potter and Simmons
| do not comply with the promise made to
Representative Brown over the telephone
| within fifteen days after the session of the
| General Assembly closes the Brothers Pot
| ter and Simmons shall be expelled by the
| general executive board that is that
| Brothers Potter and Simmons must furnish
! over their own signatures a letter. to be
published in the Journal of the Knights of
| Labor. declaring that they were in no way
| responsible for the Washington Times ar
ticies.' After consultation with members
| OF the general executive board 1t was de-
cided that the fifteen days referred to
| should begin from the date of mailing the
official notice to the members implicated
| SuueT tHlS the t1me Tor compliance
| with the orders of the General Assembly
VIII expire January 9 next. Hereof take
notlce, and govern yourself accordingly"
| Mr.. Simmons Denies.
Mr.. Simmons, speaking today regarding
the above resolution, said that 1t misstated
| the circumstances, and that he made no
promise over the telephone to sign the let
| ter spoken Of The facts were, he said,
/ that he was at the time in Washington,
| and that some one called him up over the
| long-distance telephone from Rochester,
| n. Y, and asked him questions respecting
the matter. There was, he said, consider
| able noise in the vicinity of the place from
| which he was telephoning, and he request
ed the man at the Rochester end to state
| what he desired to know to the exchange,
and he would reply in the same manner.
| The Rochester man, whom he now sup
DC ses was the Mr.. Brown referred to, de-
1 clined to do this. and Mr.. Simmons said he
1 then told the former that he would not
| under any circumstances sign such a letter
| to sign, because" as he said In CONVEX
| sation with The Star reporter, mo man
who had any backbone would do so.''
| The matter continued TO drag along and
| was brought up at several meetings of the
| District Assembly, the latter each time
| voting to sustain Mr.. Simmons in his
course. even to the extent of leaving the
order of the X. of l.. If necessary.
| Yesterday Mr.. Simmons received from
General Secretary-Treasurer Hayes of the
| knights of Labor this communication:
"On December % 1 wrote you in connec-
| tion with the resolution passed at the Gen
eral Assembly. and notified you that the
fifteen days referred to in the resolution
| would expire on January 6.
| 'The time stated having expired. I am
| this day directed by the general executive
board to notify you that you are hereby
| expelled from membership In the order Of
| the Knights of Labor in accordance with
| the provisions of the said resolution, and
| are required, under your obligation, to turn
| over to the district recording secretary
| Brother s. A. Clements, all books and
property in your possession belonging to
| the Knights of Labor"
The District Assembly.
The regular weekly meeting OF ID. A. &C.
| X. Of L., was held last evening, and, as
usual, the doors were locked. According to
the news given out after the transaction
Of some business Of a minor character the
resolution adopted the week before indorsing
| Mr.. Simmons was rescinded and another
psssed to indorse the action of the general
executive board in expelling Mr.. Simmons.
The semi-annual election Of officers was
- - kA r.