Evening journal., 1903-09-29
LABOR LEADERS
SCORE A POINT
Attachment Reduced in Suit
of the Connecticut Hat
Makers
THEY SEEK 100000 DAMAGES

Bridgeport, Conn, Sept ga tenn
porary victory was scored by the de-
PENDANTS in the suit OF d. E. Loewe &
Co.. hat makers in Danbury. who are
backed by the American Anti-Boycott
Association. against officers of the
American Federation of Labor the off
GERS Of the United Hatters of North
America and ESQ members Of the
United Hatters as individuals After
a hearing before Judge Wheeler, of
the superior court. the amount Of the
attachment was reduced to 100000.
This was a very substantial reduction,
as the real estate covered by attach
ment is held at an assessed valuation
of s12s,000. and the bank accounts Of
the individual defendants aggregate
$50. 600
This hearing was on q motion by
counsel for the defendants for the re
duction of the amount OF attachment,
for an order for the substitution of a
bond for the property attached, and
for an order requiring the oral exami-
nation of the members of the firm OF
ID. L. Loewe & Co. as TO the actual
amount of damage sustained by the
firm in consequence OF the strike and
boycott
Attorney General Davenport, chief
counsel for the American Anti-Boycott
Association, offered as a response to
the motion an affidavit. sworn to by
himself, as to the amount of damage
sustained. The affidavit in effect,
was.
That the plaintiff in the year end
ing August /, 1902, had sold their pro
duct in II states and had collected
therefor $4,000, and that the condi-
ton 81 business at that date was such
as to warrant the belief that its volume
would be even greater in the year end
Ing August I, 1903. except for the in
jury sustained through the acts Of the
defendants as alleged
ITO substantiate this view the afii.
davit included a long extract from
the address of John A. Moffitt. presi-
dent Of the United Hatters of Amer
lea. at the last convention Of the or
ganization in New York last May, in
which he told Of the fight of the or
ganiation against several hat manu-.
facturers, to show that boycotting had
been effective In compelling them to
unionize the shops. In the address
reference was also made to the reso
luton adopted by the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor in its Scranton con
vention. pledging the Federation and
its members against buying or using
hats made by certain firm in Phila
delphia.
The affidavit declared
"That the direct result Of the act:
OF the defendants was to diminish th'
sale of the Loewe firms product b,
the amount Of s167,0O0. and in Janu
ary 1903. the business, instead O
showing a profit OF $4,000. showed Z
loss OF more than $4,000. a damage
Of $4,000; that since January 1. 1903
the business has been run at a loss
and many Of the firms customers have
ceased altogether to buy of them"
The suit. Of which these proceeding
was a part, is brought in the stat
court, seeking 100000 damages. ant
is independent of another suit in whicl
the same parties are involved. brough
in the United states courts. in whicl
s240 600 damages is sought, and als'
an Injunction restraining the defend
ants from continuing the boycott OF
the ground that It is a violation of tn
Sherman interstate commerce law.