The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-03-01
NUMBER OF BATHTUB
DEFENDANTS DWINDLES
tconti.u.a from Dag. o...~

4. Barnes. OF the Barnes company; S.
n. Ford, of the Humphreys company;
Thomas Walker, of McVey q
Walker; Lloyd c. McCrum and How
ard t. Gates. of the McCrum-Howell
Co.; Frank Borden, Of the National
company; Herman E~Hoelscher, OF
the Wolff company. and ]. En- Wright,
Of the Wheeling company.
Originally there were 40 defendants.
SO individuals and 13 corporations.
A number OF these entered nolo coE-
tendere pleas, others were granted iln-
munity and seven were acquitted on
q motion OF the defense on the ground
that there was a lack of evidence.
The first witness for the defense
was George Shields, superintendent Of
the Dawes-Myler plant. In New Brish-
ton. Pa, q branch OF the Standard
company. He told Of the operation OF
the old hand dredgers, how they put
a heavy strain on the operators, caus-
ing them to become physically incar-
able of doing the work, and how the
introduction of the Arrott automatic
dredger had overcome the unfavorable
conditions.
By the operation OF the hand dreds-
ers the men became afflicted with
what was known among the workmen
az "wrist-drop." This, Mr.. Shields
explained, was loss of the use OF the
wrist, caused by the manipulation Of
the machine. Under the old system,
the men who did the enameling re-
ceived from 20 to 80 cents an hour.
whereas they now, by operating the
Afrott dredger, get from so TO 50
cents. A better grade OF enamel Is
produced by the Improvement, aud
the factories output OF bathtubs and
other enamel ironware Is about double
what was produced by the old hand
method OF sprinkling the enamel on
the articles.
District Attorney Tuttle tried hard.
in cross-questioning the witness, TO
get him TO admit that the Arrott
dredger is not the main cause of lin
provements in the conditions OF the
factories for the men and the better
ment In the goods produced, but MIR.
Shields stuck to IL that the dred5er
was largely responsible for the bene-
Ats.
John s. lobe, enamel-maker with
the National company, Salem, D.,
took the stand just before the noon
adjournment, Friday, and will con-
tinue his testimony in the afternoon.
The defense expects to take up
most of next week with its side OF the
case.
Asked by The Times what reasons
he and Theodore Ahrens had for de-
clining to be included in the list OF
defendants for whom acquittal was
asked by Mr. Honeyman. Thursday,
K. II. Dawes said:
I'VE simply didn't want TO desert
our friends. Personally, would
rather go TO jail with the rest than
go free on a technicality."
why didn't Mr.. Myler. also an
official of your company. join you and
Mr.. Ahrens in refusing acquittal?'
Mr.. Dawes was asked.
He was In Pittsburg and we
couldn't reach him." was the reply.
"He undoubtedly would have stuck
with us If he had known what was go
ing on"
In addition to Messrs. Dawes and
Ahrens, of tho Standard Sanitary
Manufacturing Co., there is another
official OF the concern among the de-
PENDANTS now on trial. He Is Francis
]. Torrance, first vice-president or the
Standard. The government alleges
that he played a prominent part In
bringing the manufacturers and job
bers together. He is attending the
trial and takes keen Interest in the
proceedings, frequently offering sug
gcstfons TO the attorneys for the de-
Tense. He Is not worrying about the
outcome, being firmly convinced that
the jury will give a verdict OF not
guilty.