The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-10
Sweeping Denial of Charges
by the Wabash.
THE MEMS ANSWER FILED
At Ten Today Federal Judge Adams Sells the
Date for Hearing Argument on Why
the Injunction Should be
Dissolved,
(By the Associated Press.)


Ct Louis. Mo. March "a sweeping
denial of all the charges made by the
Wabash Railway Company in its bill of
complaint upon which was issued the
employees was contained in the answer
to the injunction suit filed today in the
United States District Court by counsel
for the Wabash Firemen and Trainmen.
In support of the answer were filed the
affidavits of all those named in the in
junction.
At 10 O'Clock tomorrow morning Fed
eral Judge Adams will set date for
hearing arguments.
The motion to dissolve the Injunction
briefly stated, is based on the grounds
that the writ of injunction was improp
erly granted that charges of illegal con-
spiracy contained in the bill of COM
plant are unfounded and disproved; that
there is no equity in the bill of COM
plant; that the injunction was issued
without notice and that ali material
charges in the bill are denied.
President Ramsey of the Wabash. and
the company's legal counsel, began the
preparation of their arguments against
the answer Immediately after it was filed
and continued busy at work all day.
None of the Brotherhood officials has
left the city. All say they are well
satisfied with the answer as filed.
The answer denied that the Wabash
Employers Union of Brotherhood mem
bers exclusively or that the brotherhoods
ever made any attempt to compel the
Wabash to place any restrictions ON its
employees as to their connection with any
brotherhood or union. The answer states
that Wabash employees have frequently
presented their grievances to the Wabash
officials for adjustment and a settlement,
and that the officers of said company
have persistently refused to take up and
consider or discuss such grievances.
The defendants deny that they, in any
way unlawfully or maliciously attempt
ed TO induce or compel firemen or switch
men to quit the Wabash service in viola
tion of any contract or agreement of en-
ployment or that the defendants at any
time or in any way unlawfully conspired
to attempt maliciously to- interfere with
or prevent the creration of Wabash
trains or prevent hat railway from car
rying out any of its contracts with ship
pers 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 railroad and other
lines of railroad connecting Herewith
1t is denied that the defendants COM
bined to compel the Wabash and its con
Meeting lines or their employees to vio-
late the Inter State Commerce act or 70
prevent that road from carrying the
mails
The defendants deny that any invita-
tion to Wabash employees to become
members of their organization was un-
lawful or malicious or the result of anv
conspiracy to injure the complainant or
its employees They also deny that they
combined or agreed that in case the Wa
bash refused to operate its road as an
exclusively brotherhood road they would
order q strike.
The defendants further deny that they
ever maliciously threatened to order a
strike, but state that they did represent
TO the wabash that many of it's EN-
ployes had determined 70 withdraw from
its employment unless it acceeded to the
reasonable demands and requests made
by the defendants in their behalf in the
payment of wages and changes in rules
but that if strike shall occur it would
be a voluntary act on the part of the
employees.
The defendants deny that the WabasI
is entitled to the relief prayed. saying
that they have made every reasonable
effort to adjust their difference with the
road and ask for dismissal of com
plaint.