Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-08
Youngstown Companies Are
Charged With Conspiring to
Fix Laborers' Pay.
JUDGE E. H. GARY AMONG
THE BIG MEN MENTIONED
Mayor and Six Councilmen Also Ac-
cused by Grand Jury of Be-
ing Implicated.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, March
8.-Indictments were returned
today by the Mahoning county
grand jury against the 1oungs-
town Sheet and Tube Company
the Republic Iron and Steel
Company, the Brier Hill Steel
Company. the Youngstown Iron
and Steel Company, the Carnegie
Steel Company, the United States
Steel Company and Judge +. IL.
Gary, executive chairman Of the
United States Steel Company
The defendants are charged
with having formed a trust to FIX
the wages of common labor in
violation of the laws OF Ohio.
These indictments followed d
sweeping investigation of the
East Youngstown riots and labor
troubles OF January.
The specific offense charged against
the six steel concerns is that they con-
spired to keep the wages of common
labor at the same figure at the time of
the strike at the RepAblic Iron, and
Steel Company and the Youngstown
Sheet and Tube Company in January.
was made by all these
<.1rp los lin dox- nf
10 per cent increase in wages. This ac-
tion is held to be due to an agreement
Mayor and Councilmen Indicted.
Indictments were also returned
against Mayor w. H. Cunningham and
six councilmen Of East Youngstown,
charging them with being financially
interested in property purchased for
village purposes.
The jury report sets forth that the
grand jury was unable to fix any par
ticuiar cause for the recent East
Youngstown reign of anarchy. The re-
port f1ays Mayor W. Fl. Cunningham
and members of the East Youngstown
police force. saying that neither the
mayor nor any member of the police
force made an effort whatever to dis
perse the mob.
Mayor Cunningham is criticised for
not closing the saloons of East Youngs-
town early on Friday morning after he
had received notice of the temper of
the mob. The report says that the
mayor and police officers of East
were guilty of such ineffi-
cheney and disregard for the law as to
be unfit and unworthy to fill the posi-
tions which they hold.
Charge Illegal Use OF Militia.
The report recites the fact that
guard at the Youngstown Sheet and
Tube Company who is a member of
the state militia. without legal author
ity took ten members of the National
Guard to the Sheet and Tube Company's
to guard the same.
1t is also stated that the guard ap-
propriated state ammunition. although
the grand jurors say that, they do not
feel that he intended to steal the am
munition 1t is set forth that the ac-
ton of the guard made it impossible
for the sheriff or the captain of the
militia to mobilize militiamen in .:me
Of grave public danger.
Guards on the Sheet and Tube Com
pauy bridge who fired into the crowd
the rotinS began, are cenSured. The
report says that the guards were not of
The standard to be trusted with such
duty. The report goes on
to say that the grand jury was unable
to find that the influence of any foreign
was responsible for the
riot The alleged combination of manu-
facturers with the intent to keep down
the wages of common labor is criticised
Calls Indictment an Outrage.
NEW YORK. March s.-when in
formed of the indictment returned at
Y youngstown against the United States
Steel Corporation, other steel companies
and himself. Judge Ebert H. Gary to-
lay issued the following statement:
There are no facts to justify the in
iictments returned by the Mahoning
county grand jury against the United
states Steel Corporation or the Car
legie Steel Company or any of the Off
:ers, or so far as | know against any
IF the other companies. The indictment
s an outrage travesty.'