The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-10
TRAINMEN ANSWER
COMPLAINT ON WHICH THE WA
BASH ENJOINED THEM.
MAKE A SWEEPING DENIAL
OF THE CHARGES PRESENTED BY
PRESIDENT RAMSAY.

This Morning the Judge VIII Set
"A Date for Hearing Arguments I'm
the Case-GrOunds Upon which
the Broth erhOOds Ask the Dis
missaI of the Injunction - They
Deny That They Had Ordered n
Strike-Had Made Demands on the
Road.
st. Louis, March "a sweeping de-
NAL of all the charges made by the
Wabash Railway Company in its bill
of complaint, upon which was Issued
the injunction to prevent a strike
among its employees, was contained in
the ans yer to the injunction suit filed
to-day in the United States District
Court by counsel for the Wabash fire.
men and trainmen. In support of the
answer were filed the atfidavits of all
those named in the injunction.
At 10 o'clock tomorrow morning
Federal Judge Adams will set a date
for hearing arguments.
The motion to dissolve the injunc-
ton, briefly stated, is based on the
grounds that the writ of injunction was
improperly granted that charges of
illegal conspiracy contained in the bill
of complaint are unfounded and dis
proved; that there is no equity in the
bill of complaint; that the injunction
was issued without notice and that all
material charges in the bill are de-
MED.
President Ramsey of the Wabash and
the company's legal counsel began the
preparation for their arguments against
the answer Immediately after it was
MED and continued busily at work all
day.
None of the brotherhood officials
mas left ten city. All say they are
well satisfied with the answer as filed.
What the Answer Says.
The answer denies that the Wabash
employs union or. brotherhood mem
bers exclusively, or that the brother
moods ever made any attempts to
compel the Wabash to place any re-
strictions on its employees as to their
connection with any brotherhood or
union. The answer states that Wa
bash employees have frequently pre-
sented their grievances to the Wa
bash officials for adjustment and a
settlement, and that the officers of
said company have persistently re-
| fused to take UP and consider or dis
cuss such grievances.
The defendants deny that they in
any way unlawfully or malciously at
| tempted to induce or compel firenen
or switchmen to quit the Wabash
service in violation of any contract
or agreement of employment; or that
| the defendants at any time or in any
| way unlawfully conspired to attempt
maliciously to interfere with, or pre-
| vent the operation of Wabash trains
or prevent that railway from carrying
out any of its contracts with shippers,
for the transportation of property or
in any way to prevent the complainant
from affording reasonable, proper and
equal facilities for the interchange of
traffic between its railroads and other
lines of railroads connecting herewith.
Unlawful Acts DiscIaimed.
1t is denied that the defendants conn
bined to compel the Wabash and its
connecting lines or their employees to
violate the Interstate Commerce act or
to prevent that road from carrying the
mails.
The defendants deny that any invi-
tation to Wabash employees to become
members of their organization was
unlawful or malicious or the result of
any conspiracy to inJure the complain
ant or its employees. They also deny
that they combined or agreed that in
case the Wabash refuses to operate
it's road as an exclusively brother
hood road they would order a strike.
The defendants further deny that
they ever had seriously threatened to
order strike, but state that they did
represent to the Wabash that many of
it's employees had determined to with
draw from it's employ unless it acceded
to the reasonable demands and re-
quests made by the defendants in their
behalf in the payment of wages and
changes in rates, but that If strike
should occur 1t would be a voluntary
act on the part of the employees
The defendants deny that the Wa
bash is entitled to the relief prayed,
say that they have made every reason
able effort to adjust their differences
with the road and ask for a dismissal
of the bill of complaint.