The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-18
Young Man and His Father Declare
that His Connection with Militia
Was the Reason.
DENIAL BY WIN. M. JILLSON
PRESIDENT OF FIRM SAYS STRUCK
MAN WAS LET GO FOR CAUSE.
Omcers of State Troops Discuss Action
Taken by Several Evansville EN-
plOyers In Dismissing Men.

Fred Struckman. a private in Company
c, of the Indianapolis battalion of the state
troops. was dismissed this week from the
employ Of the knight & Jillson Company.
Struckman, with others In the employ of
the company, left his work in the shop at
the summons of Captain Taylor C. Power,
Of the company, to go with the troops to
Quell the Evansville riot He declares he
was dismissed because OF his connection
with the Indiana National Guard, and his
father. William c. Struckman, venerable
tailor, also gives that the reason for the
young mans dismissal.
William NJ. Jillson. president of the COM
pany, corroborates the statement that
young Struckman was dismissed from the
companys employ, but he says that it was
not because Struckman was a member of
the National Guard 1.-The firm always has
a good reason when it lets a man CO." said
Mr.. Jillson yesterday. "and the foreman of
the shop In which Struckman worked con-
sidered that his work was not up to the
standard.
DENIAL BY JILLSON.
There is no denying the fact that sud-
den call for troops crpples business con-
Germ seriously. We have five or six men
working for US who are members Of the
guard. and you can easily see that when
they leave their work benches without
warning 1t initiates against the business
When the young men who are working for
our company returned / gave several Of
them talking to about the matter, setting
forth that we do not approve of so many
leaving the shop without moments notice.
but. with the exception of young Struck
man. no one has been dismissed. and 1 de-
ny that he was let go for the reason as
signed"
Mr.. Jillson says he did not even know the
boy was dismissed until the boys father
complained to him that he was treating his
son badly. He Investigated the matter and
the foreman gave him the real reason for
discharging young Struckman.
The fact that several Evansville firms
have discharged employees who assisted in
quelling the mob as members of the guard,
and the statement that labor unions in
Indianapolis have assumed an attitude of
hostility TO Indianapolis men who went TO
Evansville, has aroused good deal of
comment Governor Durbin has expressed
his opinion forcibly, and has declared that
any concern which dismisses a man be-
cause he did his duty I'm responding TO the
call Tor state troops commits an outrageous
action. Officers of the militia i'm Indian
apolis are also discussing the matter with
intense interest.
NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER.
Maj Harold c. Megrew said yesterday:
Things are coming TO a sorry pass in this
country IL a man is TO be robbed of work
and ostracised by his fellows for doing his
duty like man and assisting In quelling
mobs and rioters. Labor unions should
recognize that the presence of state troops
Is frequently as necessary for their own
interests as IL is for capital II is a r,,Ia
that works both ways. More than that
National Guardsman has no choice i'm
the matter. When he is called he must re-
spond. Under the law he can be compelled
TO leave his work at a moments notice
and join his command He has no choice
at all in cases of imperative necessity"
Several unioh-laDor leaders in Indianapo-
lis have declared that there is no truth in
the report that the unions have attempted
TO influence local employers 10 discharge
men who lett indianapolis with the guard
They say the story is false from begin
ming TO end.