Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-06
WIDOW SAYS UNION NEGLECTS
DYING HUSBAND AND FAMILY

kept from the anxious wife Mrs. John
son was at once told of the conditions,
which almost rendered her broken
hearted.
According to her story, notice was inn
mediateIy given the Carpenters union
OF her husbands illness. but for some
reason the officers of that organization
failed to give either the sick man or
his family assistance, and now, accord
ing to statements from Mrs. Johnson,
Lave refused to help the widow or even
refund the $40 paid to the union for
which he received only fractional re-
turns.
ct is all so terrible that ! hardly
know what I am saying or DOING sald
Mrs. Johnson yesterday when relating
the sad experiences with Whlch she mas
had to deal to the physicians and
nurses at the county hospital. THE
union tok our last dollars and now that
my husband is dead they refuse either
to help us or refund the $40.
az have not enough money to get our
next meal and to give my husband a
half-decent funeral Is out OF the ques-
tlon Misfortune seems to have singled
us out and to predict where and how 1t
will All end if far beyond my under
standing. The union which prevented
us from living and took our last cent
seems now bent upon our destruction.
The least they could do and what | eX-
pected they would do at once has been
refused. All for the mere adherence
to principles and laws made by that
organization.
For a long time my husband was
without work. When he sought work
in his trade he was given it for a few
days, then the union ordered him to
stop or become member of it. 1t was
with the greatest effort that we man
aged to make a partial payment. Both
of us had to work to get together
enough money to secure temporary
credit from the organization.
my husband had been working only
few days after he made his last pay
ment on his debt to the union when he
took suddenly i'll with typhoid fever. II
Is Just u little over three weeks ago
since he first went to work when he
was forced to quit on account of be-
ing a 'scab' We thought that was the
worst trouble we had ever had to face
but feel as if it was nothing compared
to what l now have to face alone"
Unions Disavow Neglect
]. u. stanton, secretary of Carpen-
ters' union No. 1870, said last night
when seen:
Il have no knowledge of the case tc
WHICH L llHNe DGell IeleTIeu, Dul,
my own knowledge of the former ac-
tions of the carpenters unions through
out the county 1 know that it is the
aim of every carpenters union to aid
every member and the members of his
family. If the conditions L have beer
told of actually exist L can confidently
say that there is a mistake somewhere
II will further state that in case there
| has been a mistake made the carpen'
ters' union of which the dead man was
member will rectify it with all haste
in case of his death the widow and hei
children are looked after. When the
attention of the union has been called
to the sad case of Mrs. Johnson l have
no doubt that the $40 will be refunded
or other proper provision will be made
for her.
"The admission fee in union No. 1877!
is $40 and besides there are monthly
dues. The privileges are too numerou:
to attempt to detail them, but although
I do not recognize the name of Andrea:
Johnson as being that of member II
our council l am safe in saying that Il
he is found to be such his widow shall
not have to suffer through the negli
gence of No. 1879"
Several other prominent officers of thu
other carpenters unions in this city
were seen and corroborated the state
ments of Secetary Stanton. All were o.
one opinion that there was an unfor'
tunate mistake somewhere. An investi
cation will probably be made today.