The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-03-10
CoMPANY'S STATEMENT.

CoMPANY'S STATEMENT.
The first official statement made by |
the company other than its statement |
that it would not treat with the men
was made public by General Man
ager Hedley tonight In It he re-
viewed the progress and scope of the |
strike and the conditions that led up
to it. He said:
After a conference at 3 o'clock on
Monday between myself and a COM
mittee Of the Amalgamated Associa-
ton and Brotherhood Of Locomotive
Engineers at o'clock the, next morn
ing received information through
the public press that the employees of
this company had elected to strike
and leave the company's employ that
morning. At o'clock all employees Of
the company, arriving at the northern
terminals, refused to take out their
trains and the switchmen refused to
handle the switches.
Station agents, porters, ticket
choppers and other employees also re-
| fused to perform their duties.
"The officials of the company i'm
mediately started to operate trains
and man the station towers and all
other points. A sufficient number of
men had been collected to operate all
the lines of the Interborough Rapid
| Transit Co.. and trains were success
fully operated up to this afternoon.
"The company was prepared with a
sufficient number of men to maintain
and rapidly improve upon the inter
walls between trains on all of its lines
and successfully did so until 80
this afternoon at which time 200 striB-
ers entered the station platform at
One Hundred and Twenty-fifth street
and Third avenue. When the first
train arrived south-bound, the strik-
ers endeavored to board the same in a
body; overpowered the train crew;
drove them from the train. and fol-
lowed this up by disabling the equip
ment, pulling the main and ground
fuses, cutting bell cords, and letting
the air out of the CIR brakes: in addi-
tion using physical force to compel the
train crew to abandon the train. The
strikers continued this depreciation
and destruction of property and in
terfering with the movement of trains
to the extent of disabling the follow
ing through trains in similar man
ner. These trains were at the time
carrying passengers, and many pas
sengers were very seriously discom-
moded, and, inasmuch as the railway
company was left with three trains
standing on the south-bound main line
in the vicinity of One Hundred and
Twenty-fifth street without a crew
these employees having been driven
from their trains by the strikers. the
Third and Sixth avenue lines were and
now are seriously crippled by the ac-
tions Of the strikers.
"The company has ample men to op,
crate its trains on good schedule. hav.
ing In its employ at the present time
more than 5000 men at work in the
operation of the road"
, Mr. Hedley had just finished his
statement to the newspapermen wher
Mayor McClellan's secretary put in
an appearance with a letter from the
chief executive Of the city offering hi!
services to arbitrate the trouble. Tn,
, mayor said that he had sent letter
couched in similar language to tn,
: officials of the several unions. Up t
the present neither side has sent any
reply to the communication.
+, Late this evening John Lundrigan
second state deputy labor commission
: er put in an appearance at the head
quarters of the company and asked fol
( an interview with the executive Off
Q cials of the road. He stated that h,
e had been commissioned by John Nc
: Mackin, state labor commissioner, t
endeavor to bring the warning ele
: ments together. He will get an an
swer from both sides before Wednes
day noon.
a Thousands of dollars worth of prop
r erty was destroyed either by striker
: or their sympathizers and abou
t twenty men were badly injured, dur
d ing the afternoon and evening. S,
fierce was the onslaught in most case
q that the new crews abandoned thei
: trains and took to their heels wher
I they didn't make terms by joining tn
= strikers.
e Interborough officials say they hav
a quit hiring motormen, as they hav
g more than they can use and this af
:. ternoon gave 1t out officially that 10
I Columbia college students in tn
y school of Mines. all expert electri
n clans and mechanics. have volunteer
o ed their services as strike breakers.
e The strikers are iubilant over tn
d situation and say they will win cas-
d lily. At Marion Hall on East One Hun
dred and Twentyrfifth street wher
n they are assembled. speeches. ar
;. made every minute and they are al
b of the most infiammatory character
s Men who counseled patience an