Waterbury Democrat., 1901-06-04
THE CASE OF JONES
Furnished the Only Sensation in
 Strike Situation.
THE MAN NEEDED MONEY.

h
 swer, to His Workmen-Will Hire Help from Now on as It Presents Itself-Michael Melia Comes In for the Greatest Amount of Abuse by Strike Sympathizers.
 The crisis of the machinists' strike is approaching. It may develop this week. the third of the strike. Some of the employers have given notice that they will begin to hire men to- morrow evening, providing their old hands fail to turn up; that is, give word tomorrow evening of their ln- tention to be at their benches Thurs day morning The men, instead of calling consultation of the shop com mittees, have, like a. general in the field of active service, posted notices in their headquarters assigning pickets to duty in the vicinity of the shops ot the employers referred to. Notwith- standing that appearances seem to m dicate that the men are looSing tneir tempers, they are as calm as ever. The incidents of yesterday they are not m sympathy with, nor can they be held responsible for the overt acts or the over enthusiastic of their brethren. Still they are aware that more or less blame will be attached to them not wfthstanding. They refute the testi- mony Of Rowley in the city court this morning that he and another man were assigned to interview Jones yes terday. On the contrary, it was whlS- pered that Jones was in i'll favor with his fellow workers that were, and the pickets that were on duty at that fac tory were ordered to escort Jones to his home at the first indication of disturbance.
 The story leading up to JOnes's re- turning to work is as follows: It Is true that he had been i'll, but not so much as to prevent him from visit ing the mems headquarters occasion ally evenings He left work with the other men and had an application for reinstatement in the association. In Hartford he was a past chairman of the lodge in that city, but for some unknown reason he dropped out. Sev- eral times during the past few weeks he gave indications that he was long he gave indications that he was longing to return to work. He said there were two good jobs in the shop, the fore manship and the superintendency, and that he was bound to have one of them. Last week he began to claim
 
 would have to have money, and last Saturday evening he went to head quarters and stated that he could not get along without $20 a week. He was told it would be impossible to pay him that sum, but the association would take care of him any way. He was persistent and he left, leaving the impression that he was going back to work. Jones's lot was not worse than that of many of the other men; he was not in as much need of money as many of them. He is unmarried.
 Last evening when the shop hands were leaving for home there gathered on North Elm street crowd that was never before seen there. The streets were thronged from Kingsbury street to North Main. From every window in the vicinity of Matthews & Will lard's factory heads protruded to see Jones going home. The sidewalks were thronged; no one cared to go home. The presence of police officers added to the curiosity of the crowd; 1t was an indication that something unusual was going on.
 At length from the throng on the west sidewalk on North Elm street there appeared two men, one of them very pale. They were talking and ap-
 
 mass of people. One of the two men was Jones; the other was a friend. In the rear about four feet was Officer Michael Sullivan with his club keep ing back the people. The crowd that followed was immense. It filled the whole north square. Some distance in 1, the rear of Officer Sullivan was Spe- ceial Officer Hickey in citizens clothes, and some distance behind him came Detective Cahey. Officer Allen min gled with the crowd and Officer Dow ling brought up the rear. One word Of prejudice would have turned that mass of curiosity into mob.
 Meanwhile a serenade had been ar ranged for Michael Melia, who went back to work at the Farrel foundry yesterday. also, but Melia-it is the name of the gunner who fired the first shot for Cuban independence in the Spanish-American war-gave the would-be serenaders the slip by going home at o'clock When the men found themselves fooled" they all started laughing. No harm was in- tended Melia, but it was arranged so that he would have to pass his old shopmates along the sidewalk This morning the sidewalks on South Main street told of the regard Melia is held in. by his old shopmates.
 The conference that took place yes terday between Mir Cross of Cross S Spiers and committee availed nothing. ssThfs concern" Mir Cross said. will hire all the men that come along" The factory has been picketed The other concerns that will begin to hire >men are the E. J. 9fanville Machine Co and the Waterbury Machine Co.
 A story current at headquarters of the men to-day is to the effect that the Metal Trades union, instead of hold ing a meeting June II to further plans to prosecute war against the machin- lsts. will meet to try to keep the asso- cfatfon together, as strong differences, ir is said, prevail among the mem bers.
 Jones was accompanied from the fac tory to his home this noon by police men. A great crowd gathered outside the factory which surged this way and that to get a peep at the men. Into this swaying mass of humanity bi- cyclist had the misfortune to run. He overturned two men and a policeman got hold of him but let him go minute after. Further than the hooting from number of small boys Jones was sub ieeted to no annoyance.