The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-24
Striking Against
Postal, Attacked.
Interference With Interstate
Business Alleged by U. S.
TROUBLE BEGAN LAST FALL.
Poles Burned, Wires Destroyed,
Charged in Complaint.
Temporary Injunction Against
Strikers Is Asked.

Chicago Feb. 24.-An alleged ia
Dor trust was attacked by the federal
government in a civil suit filed here
today against local union No. 9 and
134 of the International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers engaged in
strike against the Postal Telegraph &
Cable company.
AS part of the labor war against the
telegraph company the government
charges officers and employees of the
unions with combining and conspiring,
through acts of violence and depreda-
tions, to injure the Postal telegraph
wire to interfere with the transmits
sion of government and commercial
messages in Interstate commerce. The
alleged interference is declared to have
been deliberate.
While restraint of interstate COM
merce is alleged the Sherman law is
not specifically mentioned in the gov
ernment bill of complaint which gen
orally declares that the defendants al
legged unlawful acts have violated the
rights under the constitution and laws
of the United States to the telegraph
company and the senders of messages.
| The government asked that the de-
PENDANTS be enjoined from obStructing
interstate and government messages
over the Postal, from cutting, burning
or otherwise injuring its telegraph
lines and from interfering by their
force with employees or prospective
employees of the company.
Pending final hearing the petition
pleads for a temporary Injunction
against the alleged unlawful acts.
All Defendants in Chicago.
The following are named as defend
ants:
International Brotherhood of Elec-
trical Workers local unions Nos. 9 and
134, Martin J. EHealey, Michael Boyle,
I r wy n
LAME, ]. J. Elliott, w. Conrad, E. d.
| Shanks, G.. Florian, w. Saunders, H.
Warner, w. Sinclair, S. o. Miner, A. ".
Breckner, F. s. Allen, H. Coghill and
Frank H. Carroll, all of Chicago.
Pointing particularly to the packing
house industry centering in Chicago
and the operators of the Chicago
! board of trade, the bill declares that
without prompt and uninterrupted
telegraphic communication between
Chicago and points in other states and
foreign countries the sale and ship
! ment of products and merchandise in
| interstate commerce would be serious
ly interfered with and adds that the
efficiency of the different departments
of the government of the United States
would be greatly impaired.
Labor trouble between the Postal
and the electrical unions arose in Sep
tember last when, it is alleged, union
| officials insisted that the telegraph
/ company should tabliSh the ''closed
| is added, because it would have neces-
/ STATED the discharge of old and faith
full employees not members of the
union.
Some of the defendants are alleged
to have informed the postal company
that if it refused to agree they would
call a strike. At this stage when a
! strike was imminent, the government
says, the telegraph company on Oc-
tober Is, discharged employees who
were members of the unions and sup
| piled their places with non-members.
Then Came Acts of Violence.
| Threats against officers and en-
ployees of the telegraph company
Immediately followed, it is charged
and acts of violence began to be COM
mitted daily in Chicago against the
company's property whereby tele-
graph lines were cut, injured or de-
Stroyed by the use of axes or other
means, interfering with and Gripping G
the service. These acts of depreda-
ton said to have been repeated aim ost
daily during the period since the dis
charge of the former employees, have
been performed or directed or con-
nived at, it is charged, by the defen-
dants Healy and Boyle and others.
The telegraph company, the gov
ernment continues, has been power
less to prevent frequent acts of vio-
lence committed usually at night on
its 35 miles of cables hung along the
elevated railway lines in Chicago or
placed IN Underground cOndu1tS- These
cables used for the transmission of
! interstate messages it is pointed out,
are particularly open to attack and
difficult to guard.
Unless relief is afforded by the
court the petition maintains that
these alleged acts of violence will con-
tinue the irreparable injury of tele-
graph company and users of its lines.
/ The governm bill was signed by
| Attorney Wickersham and his assis-
7f IoT a InT
! by U. S. Attorney Wilkerson of Chi
I