Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-05-07
CREIGHTON ANSWERS
CHARGES OF HOYER
IContinued from First Page.l

Railroad Tralnmen urged organization
of the Altoona shopmen.
Two Did Not Agree
Unfortunately, Mr.. Hoyer and my
self, although we usually agreed on
public affairs. did not agree as to how
this strike should be handled. Through
out the trouble it was absolutely neces-
sary that we knew in advance what
the labor leaders were going to do
about it.
Incident to failure to get proper
protection from the city, we would
appeal to the county, and from the
county we got fifty detectives. Our
plants and yards constantly were in
vaded. Strikers threw missiles at our
trains and there was actual violence
toward us constantly"
Creighton, referring to Hoyer's tes-
timony on an assault by Constable
Luther upon Gallagher. a labor or
ganizer, declared the attack had moth
ing to do with the strike. Luther, he
said, attacked Gallagher because Mrs.
Luther said he had insulted her.
did you know that Gallagher died
shortly after that ASSAULT" asked
Commissioner O'Connell.
II did not"
We'll. he did If the PENNSYLVANIA
company was not interested in that
case. why did the master mechanic of
your shop go to the mayor to appeal
for Luther, stating that the judge, dis
trict attorney and everybody and the
mayor had been fixed ?"
IT called Mr.. Redding (the master
mechanic) on the long distance tele-
phone last night" said Creighton, land
| he declared that he never said any
thing of the kind to Hoyer. l think
the mayors use of the word fixed was
an unfortunate one. I don't think he
meant it Just that way"
do you think the mayor would ac-
cuse an officer of Your company that
way If nothing of the kind happened? Z?
Did Mr.. Redding indicate that he
didn't appeal at all to Mayor Hoyer in
Luther's case?"
Mr.. Redding told me that the
charge was unqualifiedly false" aid
| Creighton.
Chairman Walsh asked Creighton to
get an affidavit from Redding.
At the time of the Altoona strike.
| Creighton said, arms were secured
| from the purchasing agent at Phila-
delphia, who kept revolvers on hand
in times of peace.
Ordinary policemen's clubs are
turned out in our factories whenever
there is trouble" said he.
The questioning turned to conditions
in Altoona.
Altoona is dominated by the Penn
sylvania in a certain way" said he
because the people are all affiliated
with the company and would be with
us If left to their own devices There
was absolutely no trouble there until
these organizers tried to stir up trouble
in order to win a strike at Pitcairn"
Commissioner Ashton asked Creigh-
ton about Mayor Hoyer's charge that
he was trying to incite trouble in urg-
ing him to arrest strikers
THE streets were filled with threat
ening mobs and / thought we ought TO
get action from him." said Mr..
Creighton.
"It was clearly a case of his failure
to appreciate the danger OF an upris-
ing"
That the labor unions should here
after instruct their members in mill
tary methods in order that thew might
repel attacks made by such bodies as
the PENNSYLVANIA State Constabulary
was the sensational statement made by
Representative Maurer. member of the
Pennsylvania State Legislature and
president of the PENNSYLVANIA state
Federation of Labor. before the Com
mission on Industrial Relations last
evening.
He said that labor men should he
instructed in military tactics. They
should, he asserted dellberat tely. meet
force with force. Apparently the fact
that the constabulary was established
to enforce the law and put down riots
and disorders did not concern the wit
ness.
No more sensational testimony ha
been given before the commission. 1t
was the first time that such nIan
suggesting civic warfare, had ever been
| advanced publicly.