The sun., 1916-08-28
SHERIFF POUNCES
ON UNIONS FUNDS
bridgeport FOundrics Use $50
Year Old Law to Prose.
cute Strikers.
JAIL THREAT IS RAISED
100000 Damages Sought by
Employcrs-Lcvics on
Homes and at Banks.

BRIDGEPORT, conn.,, w.. ga.--It -
quito likely that John G~a'sworthy would
Rave postponed writing his labor play
called strife II he could have FORE
eeen the spectacular developments in
Bridgeport in It's year Of industrial war
fare. l?I5-l6. A short stay In this
city Of factories and feuds would have
SUPPLIED him with more gripping scenes
than he imagined.
Bridgeport. described to-day by a
matter Of fact corporation lawyer as a
community which before the war held
starving workmen and factory owners
on the brink OF bankruptcy. but now
rlu,ied with prosperity. 10 staging a
new kind Of conflict between capital
and labor.
A succession OF strikes has hit Bridge
old forms CO defence. Now comes
campaign against strikers which will
pu. union activity on a new basis II the
courts only uphold the contention Of
the employers.
The moulders Of Bridgeport arc to be
proceeded against as were the matters Of
IdUUufN. Jul III " htof ~, N
An archaic law which has been on the
Connecticut statute books for $50 years
IL being directed In an entirely novel
way against the modern tactics OF the
American Federation of Labor.
The Monumental Bronxe Company.
Bridgeport Deoxldized Bronze and Metal
company. the Manufacturers Iron
Foundry and the Pequonneck Foundry
have begun civil action In this wise.
Attachment for 100000.
The Sheriff Of Fairfield county has
been instructed to attach 5000. 900 worth
Of the property OF local Union 40 OF the
International Moulders MOI Of North
America. and holding Individually
responsible ]. u. O'I.eary Of Worcester.
Mass. but now In bridgeport; Patrick
r Duffy. James A. Loveday and a
score OF moulders. who belong to the
union and who went on strike.
Duffy is an organizer Of the American
Federation OF Labor and O'Leary Is the
second vice-president Of the lnterna-
,ional. Loveday is business agent for
the local branch.
The Sheriff was ordered to take the
defendants, in default OF property. be-
fore the Superior Court. 1t means that
many OF these men are In danger OF
going 10 ja;; and staying there a. long
as the plaintiffs pay their board. THIS
Is not the explanation OF a frightened
unlonist. but Of a dis!nterested lawyer.
The case brought by the Monumental
Bronze Company Is typical Of the three
others. This concern says that some
time prior to July II last OLeary.
representing the International Moulders.
demanded that the Monumental Com.
pany establish certain rules for the con-
duct Of its foundry. which would In
c,ude the amount Of wages. hours OF
labor and recognition Of a committee OF
the workers.
II is declared by the Monumental COM
pany that O'Leary threatened to stop
he operation Of the factory by with
drawing all the workers. The strike was
called and The foundry was crippled. TIT
charge is made that the union heads ana
their followers entered into a conspiracy
70 prevent the foundry owners from
opera,!ng until their demands should be
complied with. The company said Its
p%aceabl. workers were prevented by
ir,im .da,ions from returning to the
foundry.
Valuable Contracts At Stake
Only July IS. the complaint recited. the
Monumental company had valuable
contracts which would have Melted
large sums OF money to the plaintin. but
BY reason Of the conspiracy "the COM
pany" could not get the work done and
lost many customers. Not only mat
but the compan say II stands to lose
them all II the conspiracy continues.
The company demands 100000 damages
Of the men, as does each OF the three
other concerns. .
The next step was to inform all the
banks. trust companies n savings
banks as we'll a. private bankers In
bridgeport that the property OF the
union leaders and workers was levied
upon. The bankers all must appear In
the Superior Court next and dis
close whether they hold any property
belonging to the defendants. The pa
pers are signed by Edward X. Nichol-
son as Commissioner Of the Superior
Court.
Now Nicholson is attorney for the
Monumental company. All that this
concern had to do In order to levy upon
the goods Of Its employees and tie them
up Indefinitely was to tell its lawyer
10 draw up the papers and sign them.
This right OF seizure before judgment
10 essentially a New England proceed
Ing. New York and other States look
askance at such a method. But lawyers
here say that II has been done for ESQ
years and will continue to be done The
foundry owners now are In possession OF
three homes which are not the property
of the workers. since only partial pay
ments have been made. and OF many
savings accounts.
II does not matter whether some OF
those who have been included In the
suit are without property. They will be
made prisoners until they plead bank
ruptcy.
It 50 happened that O'Leary. who
started the mixup. n Loveday. who
backed him up, managed 10 elude the
process servers until the warrants were
outlaNed, but Duffy and the workers
Nere -aIght. 1t Is the Peuornicks. the
Narko"skls, the Mike Wida and the
o'her foreign born moulders who are 60
ing 70 pay the damages II any one does.
Inc Unions funds have moi been levied
Upon 10 any extent.
Duffy DisilIusioned.
wien III" FOUNDRY men sprang this
ancient law upon the court the strikers
were taken by surprise and dismay.
olfy said to-day:
~ thought 1t was n joke at first. l
.h h". mink It was Siberia. but free