Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-16
All Eyes Fixed On Conductor 3
 and Trainmen.
COUNTERS SLOW IN STARTING

Owing to the Absence of Val EHtzpats
 rick-The Counting of the 5000
 Votes Was Commenced at II
 Oclock-American Bridge Company
 Imports Men to Take Places of
 Strikers Determined to Resume Op-
 erations, It Will Go On Wathout Old
 Men.
 New Haven, March 16-The, count of the ballots cast by the conductors and trainmen of the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad system td deter mine whether the grievance com mittee shall be authorized to declare strike, was begun shontly after II o'clock to-day at the headquarters of the grievance committee in the Insur- ance building here. The result of the balloting will not be known probably until late this afternoon.
 Members of the joint grievance committee of the conductors and train- mems organizations reached here ear- ly dn the day and at 9 o'clock most oa them had assembled at headQuarters. It was expected that the count of votes would begin at that hour, but delay of over two hours was caused by the absence of Val Fitzpatrick. third viea grand master of the Brotherhood on Ra1Toad Trainmen, and o, w. Wfi- klns, second senior grand conductor Of the Order of Railroad Conductors Tha presence of these officials during the count was necessary, and their failure 10 appear caused some surprise to the committee. Latter 1t was learned fhat the two officials were having a co,.fer- ence by themselves at a hoteI. Mn Wdlklns Aad been at his home in Tyoxv- ell, Mass, for nearly week, and it IS supposed that MT Fitzpatrick, who mas remained here during the ballot- ing, wished to acquaint his colIeagua With all the details of the situation. Just before II o'clock the two men left the hotel and proceeded to the grdey- ance committees headquarters. ana the count was then begun.
 NAs there are about 5000 votes to l,e counted the work must be done care- fully and thoroughly From all re- ports which nc had received more t1,s.,s twofhirds had voted for the strike ana if this is so and President Hau ref,,seSs to receive the joint committee MT Fitzpatrick intimated that he believe{7I strike would follow, thou-h VI ,,jo,,ss Utilities might delay 1t for several days. New York, March 16.-Accordfnc n the employees of the New York. New Haven & Hartford railroad in this city, the vote will show 6 large majority frf favor of a strike J. P Morgan and other members of the directors were in conference with President Hall to- day and 1t was said there was nothina to give out.
 Pfttsburg, Pa. March 16. sAfter walt ing several weeks for the striking structural iron workers to resume work, the American Bridge company has decided to import men to take t1la places of the strikers and to-day 3a men reached here from Louisville. They were met at the station by a force of detectives, and escorted to thal company's offices, but after learning the situation they refused to work and later joined the strikers at their head quarters.
 The bridge company is determined to resume operations and declares that more men will be Imported at once. If the strikers interfere with them; an appeal for protection will be made to the courts. The Louisville men wiJl lao eo,,f 1,oroa Inv fl-H strikers