The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-11-21
Electrical Makers Fight Reaches CIi-
max in Effort to Revoke Charter
of Local No. 571.
NOONAN SAID TO HAVE SUFFERED VIOLENCE
Vice President Who Comes to Settle Troubles is Miss
ing; Friends Fear Worst-He Said He Might
Not Come Back Alive.

1t has come to light that an effort
has been made to revoke the charter
Of union No. 571 of the Hammond cleo
trical workers. James Noonan, grand
vice president of the electrical work
ers, having come out from Chicago
last Thursday TO take this action
against the local union. incidentally.
Vice President Noonan is now missing.
his friends having seen nothing of him
since he departed to fulfill his mission.
The Hammond police have been asked
to locate the official, as the anxious
friends fear that Noonan has met with
foul play 1t is declared that Noonan.
before his departure from Chicago for
Hammond, made the statement that he
did not know whether he would come
back alive"
The attempted revocation of the
charter, which the members declare
was unauthorized and illegal. was the
result of friction between the two
unions representing the outside work
ers" and the inside workers" The
latter comprise local No. 571. The
/ fight is of long duration and resulted
some time ago in the withdrawal from
the local union, which formerly en-
inside workers" The dissenting mem-
and secured charter. Their member
ship grew until they had fifty-six paid
up members.
Blame "Outside" Workers.
According to the story the inside
workers" tell, the outside workers
have been trying ever since to put
James Noonan. grand vice president
of the electrical, workers left Chicago
for Hammond Thursday to revoke the
charter of No. 571 and. according to
r. j. OConnor of this organization
he did not have the authority to do
so and attempted it at the solicitation
Of the Hammond outside workers
It is said that after he left Ham
mond he went to Gary and there in
formed the union men that Gary was
under the jurisdiction of the Chicago
organization and that they should 60
ahead, regardless of the Hammond or
ganization.
Missing Since Then.
Since that time Noonan has beer
missing in Chicago and some of hi:
friends having become solicitous a.
to his welfare on account of his state.
ment that he was afraid he would b,
roughly handled in Hammond, begar
to inquire about him. According Il
O'Connor the impression was malicious
ly given that he had probably met will
foul play.
OConnor ridiculed the idea and sai'
that he had seen Noonan in Gary da!
before yesterday and that he wa
intoxicated at the time. He said tha
talk about foul play was all foolish
ness as none of the Hammond mel
would think of injuring anybody.
O'Connors idea is that Noonan will
show up in a day or so and that th'
matter will all blow over.
Fight a Bitter One.
The fight between the inside work
r ers"' and the Outside workers" ha
been a bitter one and has aroused
good deal of bad feeling on both sides
The claim of the outside workers /
that there was no necessity for tn
organization of the second union an
e that the electrical workers in Ham
4 mond would have been stronger If the
\ had not withdrawn from the paren
i union.
The purpose of the whole deal, the
say. was to hold up the builder 70
higher wages. as the other buildin
trades unions would stand by ther
, and make it possible for them to en-
. force their demands.
1t is not known how the matter wi
end and the trouble will probably hav
. to be settled by the high officials G
the union before an end will come I
the trouble.