The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-10-31

said, DO you know that will not en-
play any man that will belong to a
unionT I said, All right, Mr.. Kill
bourne, will go with you to the Office
right now, II that will satisfy you,
meaning that was willing to be paid
OF and quit work. rather than leave
the union. He told me to study the
matter over for q couple of weeks, as
he would not employ any man that be-
longed to the union or had anything to
do with It. 7 always said, both before
going into business and since Mr.. Kill
bourne told me. that I would never
have anything to do with a working
mans union, because they were all
nuisances and were constantly giving
trouble
Two weeks after this conversation
with Mr.. K1lbourne was the regular
payday of the. company. Usually we
had been paid over the counter at the
company's store. This time, however,
each man was taken to Mr.. Kilbourne's
private Office In the rear of the store.
When II came my turn and I went into
the room to get my pay, Mr.. Kilbourne
and another man, whom he introduced
as Colonel Colt, were there. Mr.. Kill
bourne said to me, Have you consid-
cred the matter, Ross?' I told him
that had, and that intended to stay
with the union. He said, Ross, am
sorry to lose you, as you are a good
hand to me. but as have said before
that I would have nothing. to do with
unions, I therefore will have to pay
you or He then paid me in full, and
turning to the gentleman whom he in
troduced as Colonel Colt, he said, 4
am losing one Of my very best rpen,
work that needed attention and care
Colonel Colt asked him IL nothing
could be done to straighten matters up
between him and me, but Mr.. Kill
bourne said he positively would not
keep me In his employ unless, I left the
union.
There were about forty-five en-
ployed in the brickyards, and about
thirty-five of them, several of these
including myself, quit work rather
than go back on our oath and leave
the union. We wrote to Mr.. Nugent
at Straitsville, telling him Of the cir
cumstances, and he came over to Union
Furnace to try to get some settlement
with Mr.. Kilbourne by which the men
could return to work without leaving
the X. Of L. Nugent came up and
spent a day and night, and held
len..h~ conference with Mr.. Kill
bourne, but he was unable to reach
any settlement, and he told us after
ward that Mr.. Kilbourne was the con-
trariest man about labor unions he
ever saw. Then acting upon Mr.. Nu-
gents advice, we arranged to boycott
the brick made by the Columbus Brick
and Terra Gotta company, hoping by
this means to bring Mr.. Kilbourne to
terms. In a couple Of weeks he found
that union labor men in Chicago and
other places would not handle the
bricks he was making and shipping,
and he thus was forced to propose
terms of settlement with his employees
who had been discharged for joining
the Knights Of Labor. 1t happened,
however, that the agreement he pro-
president and secretary OF our Assem-
bly, Of the X. OF L., and these two ON
cials were among the looked-out en-
ployes who had left the organization
In order to hold their places under Mr..
Kilbourne. Consequently. having rat
ted, their signatures could not make
the agreement binding, and the Colum-
bus Brick and Terra Gotta company
has never since recognized union la
Dor. ROSS BOYLES.
Subscribed and sworn to before me.
this I'd day Of October, 1901.
(seaD o. A. MACY,
Notary Public, Franklin County. Ohio.
FULL CONFIRMATION BY A WELL
KNOWN LABOR LEADER.
The foregoing anidsvit by Mr.. Boyles
IL confirmed In every particular by
the following sworn statement Of John
Nugent, referred to in Mr.. Boyles'
afiidavit:
"State Of Ohio. Franklin County, IS:
John Nugent, being first duly
sworn, deposes and says:
IT recollect distinctly Of going to
Union Furnace in 1889 to organize an
assembly Of the Knights of Labor
among the employees of the Columbus
Brick and Terra Gotta Company, a
concern which the Kilbournes of CO..
lumbus, were supposed to own and
control, and Of whom understood at
the time was president.
"At that time | was Master Work
man of District No. 6. think 1t was
two weeks after organizing the as
sembly received notice that all those
who refused to leave the assembly
were discharged. went to Union
Furnace and met Mr.. Kilbourne to try
and effect settlement or demand rea-
sons for the discharge of the men. He
informed me that | should not have
organized his employees without his
permission. How dare you,' he said,
come here and organize my men into
. union without my permission I
informed him that 1t was not custom
ary, nor did believe 1t my duty to
of all their interests without any out
side interference.
"As a result of Mr.. Kilbourne's ac-
report to anybody but those who were
interested In the formation Of the or.
ganization; that the organization was
for the purpose Of protecting the work
srs, and to establish rate of wages
paid at other plants In the valley; as
suring him that he would not be asked