Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-25
Strike Of Electrical Work
ers Against Postal Tele-
graph Co. Leads to Civil
Action in U. S. Court.
FILING RESULT OF
CLOSED SHOP ORDER

y
tion of It's Property is
Laid. to Organization.
Chicago, Feb. 24.-Two local
unions CT the International Brother
hood of Electrical Workers were
sued by the federal government
here today under the Sherman anti
trust law for alleged interference with
messages of the Postal Telegraph
Cable Co., in interstate commerce.
Local unions number 9 and 1874 are
named as defendants.
As the result of labor war against
the telegraph company the government
charges officers and employees of the
union with combining and conspiring,
through acts of violence and depreda-
tions, 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.
Charge Restraint Of Commerce.
a e
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
alleged unlawful acts have violated
the rights granted under the constitu-
ton and laws OF the United States
to the telegraph company and to the
senders OF messages. The government
asks that the defendants be enjoined
from obstructing Interstate and gov
ernment messages over the Postal;
from cutting, burning or otherwise in
juring its telegraph lines and from in
terferring by threats, intimidation,
persuasion or force with employees or
employees of the company.
The following are named as defend
ants: .......,
International Brotherhood of Electri-
cal Workers, local unions Nos. 9 and
1874, Martin J. Healy, Michael J. Boyle,
VIM. ]. Sloan, w. H. Harris, e. M.
Lamie J. j. Elliott, w. Conrad, E. D.
shanks, G. Flo-ian, w. Saunders, H.
Warner, w. Sinclair S. 0. Minor, A.
v. Breckner, F. s.. Allen. c. G. Coghill.
M. o. Day. J. c. Carroll Jr., J. Gaul.
Bert Coghill and Frank ". Carroll, all
Of Chicago.
Pointing particularly to the packing
house industry center in Chicago and
the operations Of the Chicago board OF
trade, the bill declares that without
prompt and uninterrupted telegraphic
service between Chicago and points In
other states and foreign countries the
sale and shipments of products and
in interstate commerce
would be seriously interfered with
and adds that the efficiency of the diff
ferent departments of the government
Of the United States would be grealy
impaired: be"
Want Closed shop Rule.
Labor trouble between the Postal
and the electric unions arose in Sep
tember last when, 1t Is alleged. union
officials insisted that the telegraph
company should establish the "closed
shop" policy.
The company refused, it Is added.
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. At this stage
when q strike was imminent, the gov
enment says, the telegraph company
on October IS. discharged employees
who were members Of the union and
supplied their places with non-union
members.
Charge Wire Destruction.
Threats against officers and en-
ployes of the telegraph company i'm
mediately followed, it Is charged. and
acts Of violence began to be committed
daily in Chicago against the company's
whereby telegraph lines were
cut, injured or destroyed by the use
Of acids or other means, interfering
and crippling the company's service.
These alleged acts of depreciation said
to have been repeated almost daily
during the entire period since the dis
charge Of the former employees have
been performed or directed or con-
nived at, it is charged by the defend
ants, Healy and Boyle and others.
The telegraph company, the govern
ment continues, has been powerless to
prevent frequently recurring acts Of
on its. 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 tele-
graph company and users Of it's lines.
The governments bill signed by At
torney General Wickersham and his
assistant, James A. Fowler, was filed
BY United States Attorney Wilkerson
of Chicago.