The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-07-24


Flats in which he then had a one
half interest and also a half interest
al that time in the hardware company
of w. p. Lewis, and several lots with
a frontage of 100 feet directly south
of the hardware store. On these latter
lots he was trying to construct sever
al buildings. One of them was one
hundred feet deep and the other nine
ty. He was experimenting the work
himself. but had let several contracts
under him. w. j. Irwin was superin-
tending or rather doing the concrete
work: Henry Rock had the carpent-
ering and scaffolding: the roofing had
been let to the Independent Hardware
Company. While Mr.. Irwin had the
work of putting in the concrete floor.
Mr.. Wells. himself. WAS attending to
the base for il and to the excavating
Work on both the buildings was be-
gun in the latter part of January. BY
the third OF March the foundations
were i'm and two rounds of the cOn-
crete walls.
At this point the witness explained
the manner of constructing the walls
with the wooden forms.
On the third OF March the walls
We're about four and a half feet high.
Irwin was foreman of the concrete
work and under the direction OF the
defendant. There were from the first
TO the third of March about seven
men, besides Irwin and his son, on
the job. They were paid by Irwin and
Wells checked over the accounts and
paid Irwin.
~
the morning of the third OF March.
this being when the strike started.
The concrete men. with the exception
of the two Irwins and Hobbie, struck.
there being six men ON strike
The strikers came back to the job
again. All OF them came back at one
time and another and were back
there the same day, all of them and
others. There were some ten or
twelve men in all. Some of them We're
there all the time and all of them a
part of the time. They hung around
the place, part of the time being on
the sidewalk and a part of the time
on some lumber south of the build
ing under construction. They talked
to people who came up. Shirley and
Freeland were there. The defendant
heard the men say to one another
that they woufd unionize that job and
that no one else could work on II.
This said to one another and also to
men who came up
On the fourth of March they were
back there again. nearly all day. He
saw Shirley and Freeland and others
there. the number varying from five
civ
They were on the sidewalk, on the
pile of lumber and across the street.
Witness was experimenting the work,
checking up the work and seeing II
II was right. The men talked at him
but not to him. One OF them said.
'tthat they would not permit him to
use scab labor and that IL he does he
will never finish that job" There
were probably a hundred utteranoes
of the same kind.
Taking up the fifth of March, the
defendant testified that Shirley and
Freeland were both there at the
building. Also a man by the name OF
Ditmore "a member of the union) was
also there. and a number of others
Charley Gilbert was there ON the 3rd
ith and 5th. coming and going con.
tinuously He heard about the same
remarks on this day as before. Re
ferring to Hobbie. the non-,lnion man
one of the bunch said they would
get the when he goes to his
meal and would break his neck" He
heard this frequently OF words do
that effect.
On the sixth OF March. the day be
1 a.
Shirley and Freeland were there, alst
Ditmore and Gilbert There were prob
ably from one to six there all the
time. They were doing about the
same as before. Some remarks were
directed to him. Ollie Shirley talked
10 him in the afternoon. Shirley com
ing up to the defendant, when hs
said to Shirley. Red. you ought L
have more sense. enough to know
that Charley Gilbert is making a too
of you. You are growing more ag
gressive all the time and IL it grow,
any worse. / viii be forced to havi
you arrested"
To this Shirley replied. Then tha
will be your next mover"
The defendant said. yes"
Shirley said. then that will b.
your last move"
/ Wells-"I will not debate any fur
ther with YOU"
The next day was Sunday and ths
defendant could not say whether tn,
strikers were there or not
Shirley, testified Mr.. Wells. haa
worked for him three years before a
the time he constructed the ibuildini
now occupied by the Independen
Hardware Co. He had been with hin
for four or five weeks.
The defendant then described tn,
appearance of Ollie Shirley. M he re