Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-03
Union Official Tells How
Big Strike Started.
Inside Information on the Chi.
cage Transfers Strike.
Albert Young Turns States Evidence
and Tells Whole Story.

Chicago, Dec. An inGIiring pub-
lie j.; likely to b. told all about the in
side Of the great strike III the tc1ihStcrs
in Tie spring Of last Year.
Alert Young, q former vice president
of tue international Union and pr"si-
dent for two terms of the Coal Team
stcrs Union, confessed in the crimina
court today th.,t i" ana other mem
| bers OF tile International Union Were
given $500 10 call a strike on Mont
gomery Ward 4 90 This was tie frs
died w traffic in Chicago for siz
months, cot millions of dollars, and
resulted III many deaths.
1T wa% early ii April. 1905" said
Young, "that | MT Robert Norcn in
| the barroDl1 Of the Stock Exchange
building. l;csid" iny.i, If. Cornelius +
| Shea, president Of the international
| Onion; ja.n,.s Barry, Hugh Niece and
jeremiah Mccarthy were present.
Norrn gave rs $1,000 and we divided it
| up, $500 each, and each gave Noren $40.
| Il understood the money was appro-
priatcd BY tn" garment cutters to call
| the strike on Montgomery Ward < CO.
| Did Mr.. Nofcn hold any position at
| that time with any labor organza-
| tion?"
Yes. he ID longcd 10 the United Car
mcnt Workers Union and to the best
Of my Knowledge ne was business
agent ana treasurer Of the Chicago
Federation of Labor.
After NOren left we went to the
Briggs house and to Shea's room.
There i heard Shea say to jeremiah
Mccarthy, We will have to make good
IN the morning."
well what happened the next morn
ing?'
montgomery, Ward & Co. team
sters We're called out. l said to shea
| that l believed We had made q mistake.
| | said the strike had not been called in
accordance with the rules Of our organ
ization.
shea said it was all right We served
notice on most of the business houses
| in the city that we would boycott any
one of them doing business with Mont
gomery. Ward & Co.
I'VE sent pickets into the street to
slug ana beat employees of unfriendly
| concerns. The non-union drivers We're
knocked out of their seats with bricks,
gas pipes and clubs. The wreckinss
| crews We're called into headquarters
and given instructions each day. They
| were paid IS 4 day for their work.
Cornelius +. Shea, president of the
union. ana The Other defendants turn
| ed white With rage while Young was
| testif, ing. At one point in his exami-
natl Il Young said that lie demonstrated
With shea against calling Il general
| teamsters' strike. He said:
II told him it took Z two-thrds vote
! Of the local union to inaugurate strike
and then it also must he referred to the
| joint council by a tvo-thirds vote there;
and I said: THE fact remains that there
| has not been a vote taken by the rank
and file at all on this question:
| He said: TO with the laws; it is
| the condition that exists.
The teamsters had no grievances
! against Montgomery, Ward & Co, Young
said. but Shea was influenced to maze
good for the garment cutters. who had IL
grievance.
| William Kelly Patrick Murphy and Jo-
| seph Schultz followed Young and turned
| states evidence.
When the general strike was called
| many merchants received permits" from
| the leaders 10 90 their teaming. These
| permits were Paid for. it is now alleged,
| Besides Shea. II other labor leaders are
| c0dcf,nuants III the trial.
| The motive for Ynung's acton was
supplied by enmty which grew out Of the
| last convention of the transfers in Chi
| cage. Young fought rclcntlessly TO de-
| pose Shea IS head Of the union. Shea
| used all the rrcStiE" of his position to
| retain it. When Young sew that his fight
| was Il losing one. he with his supporters
| Withdrew from the convention hall AMI
| held ramp convention ut which the
| United Transfers Of America was form
ed. Young was elected president and
| general organizer of the rival organiza-
ton.