The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-05-12
Send Out Their Wagons Without
Any Serious interruption.
But There Are Strong Indications
That Strike Will Spread.
Other Union Men Very Likely to
Quit Work in Sympathy.

Chicago, May 10.-The large depart
ment stores and the express companies
kave resumed business on almost nor.
NAL basis. They sent their wagons in
to the extreme parts of the city, in
some instances without police prOtec-
ton and transacted their business
without interruption or trouble of a
serious character.
Sixteen hundred teams were at work
and the number will be increased.
Notwithstanding this apparent gain in
traffic there are strong indications that
the strike will spread within the next
few days, not only among the team
sters, but will involve other unions as
well. The drivers of the Wenig Team
ing company, large concern, chiefly
| engaged in delivering -four, went out
during the day when one of their num-
Der was discharged for refusing to de-
liver flour to a boycotted house. The
the teamowners' association, which
has heretofore sided rather with the
teamsters' union than with the employ
ers' association. It's stand in line with
the latter organization was something
of surprise.
In some quarters it was feared that
the strike of the Wenig company's
drivers would produce a shortage in
the supply of flour, but the officers of
the company say that they have sup
| ply sufficient to last the city for week
and that at the expiration of that time
/ they will be able to make deliveries as
before.
Strike Failed to Materialize.
For some time in the afternoon it
was reported that a strike of team
sters employed by the Crane company
| was imminent. This concern is an
| immense manufacturer of elevators
and plumbing supplies and it's shut
! down would be serious detriment to
many building operations now in prog
ress. The threat to strike was caused
| by the discharge OF two teamsters who
refused to make deliveries as ordered.
The officials of the union sanctioned
| the strike. but it did not occur. as an
adjustment was reached.
| There were numerous clashes in the
| street during the day between the po-
| lice and union teamsters who attempt
ed to block the passage of the wagons
! of the Employers Teaming company.
| There were also number of attacks
| made on nonunion men by workmen in
| buildings who pelted them with all
sorts of missiles from a safe distance.
These fights were all in the character
! of rear guard attacks and bore no re-
| semblance to the open violence COM
mitted last week. The most serious
| fight Of the day was at Lake and Clark
| streets where teamsters formed a
blockade and brought about cenges.
ton of traffic and series of fights that
! blocked the streets in that section of
the city for the greater part of an hour.
Nobody was seriously hurt. Numer-
Gus arrests were made.
Taking of Evidence.
J The taking of evidence relative to
the granting OF the injunctions issued
temporarily by the United States cir
cult court in favor of the employers
association and the seven express COM
panies commenced during the day be-
| fore Master in Chancery Sherman. The
| first witness was Robert ]. Thorne, as
sistant secretary of Montgomery Ward
& Co.
| He described the commencement of
the garment workers strike, which
was the original cause of the present
trouble, and told of the boycott which
had been placed against his firm and
of numerous assaults on tcamsters and
others committed almost at the doors
of the Ward building.
He was interrupted repeatedly
throughout his testimony by the at
torneys for the labor men who object
ed to his answers on the ground that
mobs and riots had nothing to do with
the defendants in these cases.
General Agent Eddy of the United
States Express company was the next
witness. He said that only 81 men
out of 700 had attended the meeting of
the teamsters' union at which the
strike was ordered. A suggestion that
referendum vote be taken was ignor-
ed, he said, by President Shea of the
teamsters' union. Mr.. Eddy said only
two union men were working for his
company, both of whom by permission
of the union, drive wagons containing
government money Mr.. Eddy had not
concluded when the hearing adjourned
for the d5v.