The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-20
WHO RAN THE BOYCOTT2
The Defendants Say They Don't
Know Anything About It.
NO SUCH THING AT ALL
Several Witnesses, However. Swear a
Committee Visited Them and Advised
Them Not to P~atronize Becker's
Shop as 1t Was Boycotted.

The boycott injunction suit of H. il.
Becker, Moses Alix and James Balls
dan against Dan Mcdonald. president
of the Silver Bow Trades and Labor as
bers of the assembly and the Horse
shoers union. was heard before Judge
Clancy yesterday on ar order to show
cause why an injunction should MOI be
issued pending the final disposition of
the case. Becker & Co. are black
smiths. and they were boycotted be-
cause they worked a few minutes af-
finishing a job. They brought SUIT
for an injunction n $1,000 damages
against the boycotters.
William Dunstan, Evan Corkish,
Thomas Driscoll. Mike Sullivan. j. j..
Morgan, James Ryan, Morris Richards.
Edward Neeman, Eugene Bandle. Will
liam Wilson, Thomas Ryan. Mike Nc
Donald and ]. E. McNally. who are
some of the defendants, filed their an
swers yesterday morning before the
hearing was begun. Their defense
was a general denial and ignorance of
the boycott. Although some of them
admitted being members of the Horse
shoers' union, they denied all knowl-
edge of the boycott, or any alleged
conspiracy against Becker & Co., or
any attempt to drive them out of bust
ness.
Robert N. Rand. a dairyman. was
the first witness, and testified that he
had known Becker about IL years, and
had patronized his blacksmith shop
for that length of time.
Have you for any reason ceased
~patronizing Becker & Co. recently?"
No. sir"
Have you been warned or served
with a notice not to %patronize the firm
any longer?"
Mr.. Wines objected to the question
on the ground that 1t was too general,
and that the first thing to be proven
was the alleged conspiracy. Upon Mi.
Lippincott's statement that the ques-
ton was merely preliminary, the OBJ
lection was overruled, and the witness
said that he had been warned by A.
Martin. one of the defendants. not to
%patronize Becker & Co. He was hand
ed a boycott dodger, m was told not
to ~patronize Mr.. Becker.
"I asked him what his grievance
against Mr.. Becker was, and he said
he worked overtime and finished shoe
ing a team after 5 o'clock, which was
against the rules of the Blacksmiths'
%union,' aid she n He also
said that he employed scab labor. 1
told him that Mr.. Becker had done my
work for IL or 10 years, and had done
1t satisfactorily, and as long as he
would do that / would continue hav-
ing him do my work"
What else did he say?"
He said they wanted to prevent
Becker from doing business if they
could"
Mr.. Lippincott offered in evidence a
copy of the boycott dodger, which read
as follows:
Attention, Union men and friends
of organized labor are advised that III.
H. Becker & Co.. horseshoers, Arizona
street, between Broadway and Park,
do not employ union men, and defy
the Horseshoers' union by violating it's
rules. Liverymen, hackmen, trans
fer men, teamsters and all merchants
and others using horses are requested
to make a note of this. By order IF
the Silver Bow Trades and Labor as
sembly."
Mr.. Lippincott attempted to state the
effect of h dodger, and Mr.. Wines OBJ
jected.
1--WE happen to be the happy pos
SCISSOR of one of those dodgers, too
said Mr.. Wines.
RueSS you are the - possess
sor of all of them except this one," re-
piled Mr.. Lippincott. "as you gobbled
them up as fast as you could get hold
of them"
On cross-examination, the witness
said Morgan told him that they in
tended to boycott any one that patron
lied Becker.
II asked him what he had to do
with the boycott. and ne said he was
paid to distribute the dodgers"
Did he say who paid him?"
mo, sir"
The witness said the threats and ac-
tons of Morgan did not intimidate him,
and did not prevent him from contin-
uing his patronage of Becker
Estaldo Rominiski, another milkman
had ~patronized Becker, testified
hat on about the 10th. of June he also
had been notified not to patronize
Becker any more, as he was boycott
ted. The witness paid no attention TO
him, and continued getting his work
done at Becker's.
Henry Muntzer. a brewer. was the
next witness. and said he quit patron
izing Becker & 20. about a month ago
because a committee from the Silver
Trades and Labor assembly, and
called on him and notified him o to
do business with Becker any longer,
and he quit.
Ibid they say why they wanted you
to quit?"
They said he was boycotted."
The witness said there were three
men in the committee, but he did not
their names, but knew that they |
belonged to the labor assembly be-
cause he saw them attend the assem-
bly, meetings, and they also told him
that they represented the assembly.
What did they say to you when
they notified your"
They toll me not to do business
with Becker n more. and l said all
right, and that vas ALL"
And did you quit?"
Yes. sir"
why did you quit?"
Because / was afraid that IL l did
I would be boycotted myself"
Jacob Osenberg. a baker, testified