Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-02
IS STRIKE SETTLED
Rumor From Bridgeport Says
 it Will be at Once
LOCAL STRIKERS SAY, HOPE so

Claim to Have No Knowledge of Any
 Immediate Settlement-Judge Bur
 pee Says He Knows Nothing of It.
 President Murnan Interviewed By
 Democrat Reporter.
 A rumor by means of the telephone came to Waterbury to-day from Bridgeport to the effect that the troll ley strikes in this city and Bridgeport were about to be settled, that confer ence between officials of the trolley company and representatives of the trolleymen's unions in both cities were held in Bridgeport last night and that Manager Sewell had agreed to take back all of the old employees in both cities with the exception of William Barrett. The report furthermore said that another conference would be held in Bridgeport this afternoon at 8 o'clock when both strikes would be set tied. According to the report Presi- dent James Murnane represented the local union at the meeting.
 President Murnane was seen at the headquarters of the local union this af- ternoon by a Democrat reporter He denied that the strikes were being set tied. ''If there was any truth in the rumor I would only be too willing to give 1t to the public" he remarked. No. I did not meet MT Sewel1 last night. You will find out if you inves- tigate that MT Sewell was in Water bury last night.'
 ''Ts it true that all of the men will be taken back except Barrett?" 'I do not know anything about it.''
 '1s there any plan of settlement in sight?" There may be- but don't know anything about it. Some other person may be doing something unknown to me-
 Were you not in Bridgeport last night?" ''Yes, but I only went there to see friend who is going to the old country"
 The rumor gains all the more ere dence at this time from the fact that several trolleymen have been telling their friends that at least thirty of the old employees would be again working on the local lines before August 1. Colonel Burpee was asked this after noon if there was anything to give out on the matter and stated that he hadn't heard thing about settlement. He knew no conference had been held here and had no knowledge of such meet ing in Bridgeport.
 From Brideport came word this af- ternoon from the special representa- tive of le Democrat that an effort had been made to settle the Waterbury trolley strike. President James Mur- nane of the Waterbury strik- CTS was in Bridgeport last night SO the correspondent said,. and was in close communication with General Manager Sewell. The president was informed that if the strike in Waterbury was declared off before the Fourth of July all the strikers available would be taken back in their old positions, if they applied individually, and they would be taken back on the old terms. President MWnane was also in communi- cation with President Wood of the Bridgeport trolley strikers and the same proposition was made to the Bridgeport strikers. The Bridge port correspondent said that President M11rnane advised President Wood to accept the proposition made by Gen eral Manager Sewell, but President Wood replied that he would not do so and nither would the men now ou5 in Bridgeport. President Murnane left Bridgeport, so the correspondent said, to acQuaint his Waterbury fel- low strikers of the terms and he was supposed to advise them to accept them.
 PYsfd N11s& T111- \ effect that settlement of the trolley strike which was declared May 15 had been made spread through Bridgeport to-day and there was intense excitemnt for time. The rumor has as its foun datfon a meeting between General Manager SeweIl and Frank Wood president of the Bridgeport union at the Atlantic hotel where CT by one of the hotel proprietors ment made, however MT Seweu told President Wood that the men might re- turn to work as individuals. This MT Wood assured MT Sewell the men would never do. President Wood says that even with the assertions from the ranks and the expulsion of some mem- bers, there are now 163 men still fighting the trolley company
 They will stay out indefinitely, too until some of their wrongs have been righted. Several accidents Iiave hap pened to the rolling stock of the com pany in this city and it is believed the company is heartily sick of the whole thing. The feeling among the men who are still faithful is that they must go back not as individuals. They will not lose their organization and they want an agreement also that they will not be discriminated against in the future because of belonging to their organization. If they do go back also !, they want the differences between themselves and the company adjusted in the future. There are 10000 people here who are not riding and had all the men stuck by their colors the strike would have been won.
 VILUAGB NEARLY WIPED OUT.
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