New-York tribune., 1906-07-16
UNION MEN DENOUNCED.
Magistrate Flags Housesmiths
Charged z0ith Hotel Plaza Outrage.

Magistrate Cornell. in the YorkviNe court yes
teTday denounced three housesmiths, arrested on
Saturday in connection with the murder of Special
Policeman Butler on the eighth floor of the new
Plaza Hotel last Wednesday. When the men were
brought into court the magistrate from his
seat and said:
you three men, If you guilty, deserve the
most severe punishment I have never heard OF
such brutal assault committed the roof
on the Plaza Hotel. where man was killed and
two others badly beaten that they
taken to a hospital
The men were Walter H. Smith. foreman. NO liz
Washington street. Hoboken; Terence H. King. OF
No. ITO Chester street, Brooklyn and John COunOrs
of No. 250 East SD street. They arrested
while they were drawing their pay. From the
police court they were taken to the corOner's Office
where Coroner Acriteln held them without bail and
sent them TO the Tombs
The magistrate compmented Captain L.antry for
hts work the The two other special police
men who injured were brought from Flower
Hospital in an ambulance 20 court and identified
the prisoners.
When the magistrate remanded the men to the
coroner he said: Il hope you will get life SEN
tence II you guilty
The coroner has ISSUED forty three subpoenas in
the case. and the examination will begin this
morning.
The killing of Special Policeman Butler at the
Plaza Hotel last week by a gang for which mem
bers Of the Housesuths' and Bridgemens' Union
under arrest, was brought to the attention OF
the Central Federated Union yesterday by Jere-
miah Kelly, delegate of the housesmiths who gave
his version of the killing. Kelly declared that
fight preceded the killing of Butler. and that he
died from a fall. The following the version
given by Kelly Of the occurrence:
Our union had made an agreement with the
George 4. Fuller Company, but this company sub
let the work at the Plaza Hotel to Winslow
Brothers of Chicago, which is a non union con-
Germ. The firm hired detectives and put them on
top of the building to watch men, which was
very aggTavating. Our men were told 10 pre-
cipitate fight. the special policemen had s5ma
kind OF weapon A paIl was being lowered on the
derrick by Our direction the top floor for fresh
water for the to drink. and. without provoca-
tion. Butler hit the man who lowering the
pail with club
An attack then made on Butler who was
they knew the ground better than he did He
acknowledged that he was licked and began 10
climb down the hO0r. In making a ste0
from the floor below ne missed his footing and
stepped into vacancy, falling to the bottom and
killing himself.
Kelly went TO say that it was not fair he
cause bolts fell. to say that hOusesmiths dropDed
them puTposely. On many occasions brIcklavers
were hurt by bricks, which fell accidentally Tho
version of the killing OF Butler which Kelly Rava
then formally accepted. and a vote OF coma
dence In the Housesmiths' and Bridgemens' Trnio,
was carried. Kelly then reported that the house,
smiths had tried in every way to make peace with
the employers during the last two weeks bur thai,
efforts had been in vain, the Iron League refsin.
all offers of negotiations for peace.