The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-02-27
TRUST CHARGE IS
BROUGHT AGAINST
ELECTRIC WORKERS
oUTGRoWTH OF A STRIKE
Malicious Destruction Of Tele-
graph Wires 7Charged-Un-
Gle Sam Comes to Rescue
of Postal Company.

Chicago, Feb. 25.-Two local unions
OF the international brotherhood Of
Electrical Workers were sued by the
federal government here today under
the Sherman antitrust law for alleged
interference with messages of the Pos
tai Telegraph Gable company in inter-
state Local unions Nos. 8
and 1874 are named as defendants.
AS part Of the labor war against the
charges officers and employees of the
unions with combining and conspiring,
through acts OF violence n depreda-
tons, to injure the Postal Telegraph
wires, to interfere with the transmits
sion OF government and commercial
messages IN interstate commerce. The
alleged interference is declared to have
been deliberate. I X .G r.. tr..g. 49,"
AIieae Trade Restraint. l
While restraint Of interstate COM
merce is alleged, the, Sherman law IS
not specifically mentioned in the gov
ernment's bill Of complaint. which gen.
orally declares that the defendants' all
legged unlawful acts have violated the
rights granted under the constitution
and laws Of h United States to the
telegraph companies and the senders
Of messages. The government asked
that the defendants De enjoined from
~obstructing Interstate and government
messages over the Postal, from cutting,
burning or otherwise injuring its tele-
graph lines and from interfering by
threats, intimidation. persuasion OF
force with employees or prospective m
ployes of the company. @t
Pending final hearing, the petition
pleads for q temporary injunction
against the alleged unlawful acts. T."
List of Defendants.
The following are named as defend
ants: ... ~.
International Brotherhood of Electri-
cal Workers, local unions Nos. 8 and
134, Martin j. Healy, Michael ]. Boyle.
William J. Sloan, w. N, Harris. e. M.
LAME, ]. J.. Elliott. w. Conrad, F.. d.
shanks, G.. FIorian, w. Saunders, H.
Warner. w. Sinclair, s. o. Minor, A..
". Breckner, F. S. Allen. II. Cogill, M.
O'Day, j. G. Carroll, j. Gaul, Berg Cog
hill and Frank H. Carroll, all of Chi
cago. ...4.. . II .... If "
Pointing particularly to the packing
house industry centering In Chicago;
and the operations of the Chicago board
of trade, the bill declares that without
prompt and uninterrupted Geographic
communication between Chicago and
points I'M other states and foreign coun-
tries, the sale and shipment of pro-
ducts, the merchandise in interstate
commerce would be seriously inter
LtIECu Will IN oAio tAi1 LIZ
of the departments of the government
Of the United States would be greatly
impaired Al
Laber trouble between the Postal and
the electrical unions arose in Septern-s
Der, last. when, 1t is alleged. union Of
ficials insisted that the telegraph com
pany should establish the CLOSED shop"
policy. The COMPANY refused. IT is add
ed, because 1t would have necessitated
the discharge of old and faithful en-
ployes, not members Of the union. Some
of the defendants are alleged to have
informed the Postal company that IL
they refused to agree they would call a
strike.
History Of Strike.
J At this stage, when q strike was inn
minent, the government says. the tele-
graph company on October Is dts
charged employees who were members
of the union and supplied their places
with non-members. Threats against
officers and employees Of the telegraph
company Immediately followed. it Is
charged, and acts of violence began to
be committed daily in Chicago against
the company's property, whereby tele-
graph lines were cut, injured or de-
stroyed by the use Of acids or other
means, interfering with and gripping
the company's service.
These alleged, acts OF depredations,
said to have been almost
daily during the entire period since the
discharge of the former employees, have
been performed or directed or ON
nived at. 1t is charged. by the defend
ants, Healy and Boyle, and others.
The telegraph company, the govern
ment continues, has been uowerless to
prevent frequent ~re-occurring acts of
violence on it's cables and wires and
unless relief Is afforded by the court.
the petition maintains that these al
legged acts of violence will continue. to
the irreparable injury of the telegraph
company and users of its lines. '
The governments bill, signed by At
torney General Wickersham and his as
sistant, James A. Fowler, was filed by
United States Attorney Wilkerson. of
Chicago.