Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-02
Surprise Sprung at Meeting.

|
sprung. After the doors had been fas-
tened and all present examined as to
| their right to be present George A.
| Nolte, vice president of the Brother
| hood of Railway Carmen, who had been
! conducting the meeting, announced
| that all the men had sought was to
have their grievances investigated and
| that justice should be done them on the
| evidence shown. He said legal rep
resentative of one of the roads was
| present to make such an investigation,
| and that he hoped much good for the
men would result. He introduced Ed
| mund Leigh of Baltimore.
Mr.. Leigh made it clear that he had
no connection with the Washington
Railway Terminal Company. and that
/ he was acting as agent for no one to
promise any overtures or settlement of
their labor troubles. He stated he was
there under instructions from A. w.
Thompson, vice president of the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad, ito investigate
to the bottom these charges
Mr. Leigh Immediately won the con-
fidence of the nearly 200 men present.
He said that while he and they might
feel sure that all these charges are
true. what he was there for was to sift
matters down and get absolute proofs
and afidavits from eye witnesses who
saw the money handed over to the
foremen or superintendent. He said
the railroad recognized II StOOG under
a terrible Indictment until such charges
were proved and justice done.
Will Hold the Guilty Responsible.
"If we can prove these charges, we
must do so. Personally, I do not re-
frain," he said from stating positively
my opinion of the men who would do
such a thing. 1t is unAmerican. 1t
removes US from this enlightened coun-
try and carries US back to the old
world The men who would be guilty
of exaction on men who have wives and
families to support are low, mean, con-
temptible. If | found one of them was
my own brother. l would not hesitate to
treat him as he deserved" He was en-
Enthusiastically applauded.
Mr.. Leigh then proceeded to take exact
testimony from some of the men en-
ployed as car cleaners and as ice men
They gave specific afdavits as to the
man and men to whom they paid trib-
ute, first to get job, and then in regu-
lar stipends on pay days. and again to
get better Jobs
They gave dates and places and sew
eral Of them confirmed each others
statements, saying they had seen the
money paid over. One such payment
of s15, to which three men were wit
nesses, was in small room in a saloon
on North Capitol street; another, where
wv iii"ii -" CIV pau over 10 d lore
man, was in the ice house. Generally
1T was the same foreman, although the
names Of three men to whom money
and whisky were given on demand were
written into the aftidavits
AS these statements were recorded.
Mr.. Leigh warned the men to be care
full and state merely the exact truth as
II could be proved without the least
exaggeration, and to remember the
gravity of their oath and the serious
ness of their charges. These affidavits
being taken today are supplementary to
other affidavits taken by j. B. Dens-
more, solicitor of the Department of
Labor. and William Blackman, concilia-
tor of the Department of Labor, in the
offices Of the Washington Terminal
Company. May II. These earlier afn-
| davits have been printed in pamphlet
form and were distributed to all mem
| bers of Congress. both in the House and
Senate, today.