New-York tribune., 1906-07-20
WATCHMEN WARNED.
Fuller Company Gives Evidence at
IrOnscOrkers' HeQring.

Coroner Acritelli yesterday resumed the hear
ing Of the case of seven ironworkers under ar
rest in connection with the death of Michael
Butler, special officer at the new Plaza Hotel
on July IL
The Fuller Construction Company. the coroner
holds, may be shown to be somewhat responsible
for the tragedy, 1t had given the policemen.
VINO were new on the post, no intimation Of the
danger they ran in going on the ninth floor with
the hostile ironworkers. Only a civil action can
however be brought against the contractors
The George A Fuller Company issued a state
Inent which read, in part as follows:
A number Of ironworkers, many of whom u,ara
members OF the Housesmiths and Bridgemen's
Ghioh' nad been engaged in erecting steel for
the Plaza Hotel The firm Of Winslow Bros e
Co were engaged in erecting certain Ornamental
IRON work in the lower stories, employing non
union labor '0'
About two weeks before the UatcbroAn NOR.
assaulted non-union worker was assaulted nv,
NUMBER OF the ironworkers One of these was
arrested and subsequently released on hail ard
mas since disappeared. Owing to rumors of NOS
SIDE violence which reached the officers OF the
company, ana 90 prevent the dropping of articles
on the men below, IL was deemed wise ro have a
watchman at che top OF the building SO thar he
could see What was going on. it being impossible
10 locate ihe source from which the articles fell
except Ia that way The three watchnnen WIN
were assaulted We're employed for this purnoes
the George =. Fuller Company emphaticailv
denies that IL had any intention or desire or
that IT was to its interest to do anything TO pro
woke any kind OF disturbance or to bring abont
violence. Its sole object in employing the watch
men was TO protect its employees ard to avoid
violence. The watchmen were not ernploved in
pursuance OF any agreement entered into with
the Aliiec Iron Trades Association or al it's sug-
gestion, but two Of them were supplied at the
request OF the Fuller company by its employ
mcnt bureau
Among the witnesses examined by Coroner
Acr1telh vas Superintendent Morris of the Full
Ter Construction Company. He said that the
Watcnmen had been told TO instruct and place
the special policemen. but did not know If they
had been told OF any danger in connection with
tbs work
A1E. GarVen foreman of the ironworkers was
examined but IL was said he was non-comnlittal.
An adjournment was taken until this morning
that certain witnesses might be recalled and a
further attempt be made 10 get other worSnoen
who have not as yet been found
Ernest F. Eidlitz, OF the firm OF T1jsIitz q.
Hulse. attorneys for the Building Trades E,rD-
ployers' Association and the Allied Iron Trades
Association. OF which the George A. Fuller com
pany is a member, when asked to make a
statement in regard to the case before Coroner
Acritelli, said:
I'm the matter, but we might say, from the evil
dence adduced II appears that the assaults
were unproYoked, and. as the coroner states,
unJushnab!e under any circumstances To at
tempt 20 Offset the severity OF the crimes al
legged 20 have been committed by suggestions
ana the Allied Iron Trades Association is not
only departing from the true facts, as we un-
6srstand them. but Sc. ia the circumstances, un-
worthy OF serious consideration"