The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-02
Tom GrueIIe Hired Them and Took
Their Notes, which Were
Grossly Altered.
SAY THEY SAW PROSPERITY
REFUSED TO SIGN AFFIDAVITs
WHICH GRUELLE PRESENTED.
knight & JiIIsOn and Other Firms
That Democratic Organ
Tried to Hurt.

Yesterday afternoon a Journal reporter,
in company with others, listened TO the
statements of the three men who collected
the reports out of which the Sentinel made
it's calamity howl. The men are Charles
Oliver and Clarence Ripley, members of the
Painters Union and JOHN Ray, a young
man who is a general laborer but not
member of any union, as there is none with
which he could affiliate.
The gist of these statements is that Thos
NJ. Gruelle, who is we'll known in and out
of labor circles, approached the three men
separately about ten days ago and asked
them if they wanted employment. They
did. He told them he had a job that he
wanted them to 90 in the way of collect
ing statistics for the labor bureau, or some
thing of that sort. HE wanted US, said
one of the men, 'tO go around to the fac
tories and inquire for employment and as
certain such facts as we could from man
ayers about their business. We were given
book each in which we were to write such
answers as we could. We were to ask for
work, but we needn't go to work, but were
to take the answers. GrueIle promised the
average of a days work for a time, with
car fares. Two of us went over the same
route On different days. He told us that it
would lead to a good job, in all probability
as some man who is high up was behind
it and would pay the bills. We worked
until Saturday night, when Gruelle took our
books and paid US something, but no car
fares with the promise to set us at work
again on Monday morning. We were aston
ished to find a part of the reports we got
published in the Sentinel of Monday morn
ing
CHANGED THEIR REPORTS.
did the Sentinel print the reports as you
wrote them?"
"Only part of them Many of the stories
were swelled by statements we did not
make; generally more was added to them.
All three of US were told the same story
that big man was behind it and that we
should have four and probably six days
employment at the work, but we got only
two days. Gruelle never introduced us to
anybody, but met us in doorways Gruelle
never told US that what he got was to be
used in politics or printed TO show how
what we got was miSrepresented one of US
is made to say that the Electric Light Com
pany wanted men to get in coal In anticipa-
lion of strike / was told nothing of the
sort. In many places we were told that
they would employ more men but they had
no room, AT the canning establishment one
of us was told that the season was over.
All through the Sentinel statement con-
structionS were put upon what wrote
that our words would not warrant"
In reply to a question Mr. oliver said that
work seemed much brisker in the places he
went to than it was two years ago In
answer to the same question Mr.. Ripley
said: MANY more men must be employed
now than two years ago, because the num-
Der of idle men on the streets is much
i smaller
KNIGHT & JILLSON CASE.
Mr.. Ray. who is usually employed by the
Indianapolis Rubber Company, said that he
had been grossly misrepresented in regard
to his statement about Knight & Jllson.
He was told that they had just hired three
men and that work was little dull, caused
by the interruption of moving. 1.-The fore
man at the glue works." said he, "who
told me to come again, was honest in what
he said"
Have you seen Gruelle since Saturday.
seen him? He has been laboring with
us three times to-day to induce us to swear
to a statement that what the Sentinel
printed as being written by us is true said
fused because what the Sentinel printed is
not what we wrote. in the books.
"Gruelle told us" another went on, ''that
he wanted the affidavit to show some Re-
publican workingmen that what the Senti-
mel printed is true, and by our names show
that we are laboring men and not the soft
handed reporters of the Sentinel"
I'VE never intended to be used to make it
appear that great numbers of laboring men
and mechanics are out of employment, be-
cause we do not believe it. We generally
saw well-tilled and busy Shops" said one
of the men in the presence of the other two.
THE last time we saw Gruelle he wanted
us to make oath to paper which he had
changed, but we refused because he has de-
ceived us once"
Each of the men talked freely and gave
instances in which they were misrepre-
scented by what was printed in the Sentinel