The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-01-01
Evidence Given in Buffalo Hear
ing Which Bound Kidnapper to
Grand Jury Tells of Inhuman
Treatment Of Delicate Boy.

Stromberg, who were shanghaied
aboard the steamer Salt Lake City at
Buffalo by agents of the Lake Car
riers' association.
Since then Al Limerick, ex-pugilYst
of Buffalo, who acted as shipping
master of the Steel Trust at the time
has been bound over sto federal!
grand jury on a charge of kidnapping
and the Labor World has been able
to secure a copy of some of the evil
d2nce adduced at the hearing.
John Stromberg on tEAe' stand told
the story of the frightflll. .iphuman
tiles inflicted on him and as he did
SO listeners shook their heads in pity
and murmured What sha1ne!'
Was Promised Light Work.
When Stromberge took the stani
ne said that while on Main street,
near Seneca on Oct. 8, he was ap-
preached by Limerick, who promised
him "lish+ work as deck hand on a
NICE boat with wages of $40 month"
Did he ask your age?' asked the
district attorney.
Nothing was said about my age,"
replied Slromberg.
Strt1nbergs age as given in the
years." although he is only II years
old
Once on board the salt Lake
City, he was set at sweeping up grain
until o'clock in the evening, when
he went to supper. He was then
made to work on deck until 9:45 at
night. when he was ordered into the
fir hold by the mate.
o1,;
said Strc:nherg.
THAT makes no difference" replied
the mate You get down into the
fire hold"
lie Wen: down and showed his carl
to the fire man. again protesting that
he shipped for work on deck.
"You were sent down here to pass
coal. Ger busy" replied the fireman.
Tie 10y was compelled to shovel
coal until midnight, after his days
" ork VI deck.
Stromberg described his work at
length. He had to break up the large
Jumps of coal with a pick and then
shovel it from the bunker to the deck
of the hold. He then had to throw it
from the foot of the chute into piles
in front Of the two boilers on his side
of The ship. He was also required 10
shovel the ashes and cinders from the
ash pans of the boilers into the lake.
The shovel with which he handled the
coal, he testified, was a large SCOOP
Shovcled Until Midnight.
The boy after working during the
day Oh deck was required to work
until II that night in the fire hold
shoveling the heavy coal until mid
night. Then he was sent off watch
till the next morning, when he
worked another watch until 13
noon, and so worked six hours on and
six hours off for six days, until the
ship reached Duluth. During these
watches of six hours he was allowed
to rest about Is minutes at the end
of each hour, but was not allowed 20
go to deck for air. The heat was
intense, he said, as he was but five
feet from the boilers at all times.
The Salt Lake City, reached Du-
luth at IL midnight on Wednesday,
Stromberg had just finished watch
of six hours in the fire hold, but he
was ordered on deck to work for two
hours more after the ship had anc!1-
; ored. He was allowed to sleep for
four hours and then was ordered out
and was compelled to work until noon
: in other words, an understood laI,
not yet II years old. was made to do
q strong mans work for IA hours ou.
Of Is from 6 o'clock Tuesday morning
until Il noon Wednesday,
Was Refused His Money.
Stromberg's story, told quietly and
without effort at effect, was as fol-
lows, from this point:
AT noon Wednesday I was faint
, and sick and my head ached. went
to the mate and said:
L can't work any more. I am
Sick ard want to leave the boat.
would like my pay
THE mate said: You can't get any
pay, but you'll get off this boat
I want my pay I said, and tn
mate said, I'll give you twenty min
i.tes to get eff the boat"
Stromberg testified that the fire
man said to him: You'd better jump
the bat right now. You'll get work >
ed like hell going back
Eat The lad refused ~ leave the
boat until he cot his pay that evening,
: when 1h- captain paid him Sc instead
Of the So he. had coming. With 81
ne bought {. ticket to Elroy, Wis,
keeping 81 fer food Then he and his
companions rode between an engine
and q baggage car to GAINESVILLE, Wis,
where they were chased off the train.
; A: o'clock they climbed train for
Chicago. They then used their re-
naming Eickels to get to South CHI
cago. They asked the police for shell
. ter and were turned over to Jewish
society which harbored them for a
day. At II O'Clock In the afternoon
they boarded freight for Fort
Fort Wayne, Ind, which they reached
at a. M At the same morning
they got a freight to Belleview, Ind.
and from there rode the blind bag
gage of a passenger to Erie, Pa, 4
freight from Erie to Dunkirk, and al
Z o'clock struck the blind baggage fol-
Buffalo. '
District Attorney Moore's comment
on the case was:
IF there had been one ounce OF
human blood in that captain or il,
the Lake Carriers association that
bow would have bean m l,ao1-