New-York tribune., 1917-07-15
Danbury Hatters'
Homes Saved; Case
Settled at Last
Sl65,000 of Labor Fedora.
tion Funds Satisfies
Boycott Judgment
Fight Lasted Id Years
Dietrich Loewe Twice Carried
Claim Against Workers to
u. S. Supreme Court

/ Danbury, Conn, July l4.-The famous
! Danbury Hatters' case, which wound
its way through the mazes Of the law
for fourteen years, going twice TO the
Supreme Court Of the United States,
was settled here to-day The 140 homes
which were to fall under the hammer
of the auctioneer on Monday have been
saved, and Dietrich Loewe. of d. f.
Loewe e. Co., the victorious plaintiff.
has been compensated for his judgment
against the hatters who had boycotted
| him.
! The adjustment of the celebrated con-
fict between capital and labor was
reached after a surprisingly short con-
ference between counsel for both sides.
/ II was learned that the amount paid in
[ final settlement of the judgment was
about $165,000, which, with the $4,000
previously collected by Loewe e. Co.
/ from savings banks deposits. under at
/ tachment, amounted to s235,000 A
check for the final payment was given,
and it is understood that formal steps
will be taken at once to have the at
tachments vacated in the Federal court.
Opinion here relative to Dietrich
Loewe. the aged litigsnt. is divided.
Many of the hatters whom he has be-
| friended are thankful that the scourge
Of Danbury has been wiped out, but
others who were bitter in their fight
against the house of Loewe are keen in
their resentment and still bitter against
/ the man who defied and beat the boy
cotting union.
"Bled to Last Cent
Representatives of the union at the
close of the conference to-day declined
TO state the exact amount involved in
the settlement of the case. They
merely conceded that il was about two
thirds of the amount of the judgment
I plus costs. II is understood that there
were several conditions eXacted in the
adjustment. but Martin Lawler, secre-
tary of the United Hatters of North
/ America, declined 10 state the terms.
"All ] can say" said Mr.. Lawler, sis
ters for the last cent"
The remarkable controversy began to
smolder in 1902, when organized labor
was striving to unionize all factories
in Danbury. At the very start Loewe
q Co. refused 10 make its plant closed
shop. Dietrich LOewe was determined
70 employ expert workmen, regardless
Of their relationship with unions, and
50 informed the labor leaders. He said
he wanted good work, steady men and
was willing to pay high wages. His
chief aim, he announced, was TO put
cut the best product that labor and ma
terial could afford.
Not satisfied with this ultimatum, the
unions called out their men at the
/ Loewe plant on July rs, 1903, and a
strike began.
/ Loewe's business seemed to thrive
for while with its non-union labor
and the hatters determined to reach
him through a boycott upon his wares
Across the union from Maine TO Texas
and up 70 Oregon and Washington the
union carried on a campaign OF boycott
against the Loewe hats. Through a
spy in the employ Of the manufacturer
he union was able to ascertain 70
whom goods were shipped, and their
I UNsNbbt was concentrated upoH bht
wholesale men, the jobbers and the re-
tailers.
Loewe Begins Fight
The Sherman antitrust law became
effective that fall, and Loewe sought tc
fight the boycott by aid of the pro
visions of the Sherman act. The case
went twice 70 the Supreme Court OF
the United States, and the fees paid to
counsel fees on both sides of the case
was over 100000. Loewe's judgment
embraced triple damages under the law
which brought the total up TO about
$3.50, 900. Attachments were levied
upon the homes of some 40 members
Of the union, and the firm managed ia
extract from the savings bank holdings
Of the defendants about $4,000.
The court finally fixed July Is Of this
year as the day in which foreclosures
were to be made on the homes of the
defendants, and the places would have
been sold to the highest bidder had not
the funds for adjustment been pro-
duced by the American Federation of
Labor. go
The satisfaction of the judgment will
bc Of enormous benefit to Loewe, as the
firm became involved in financial diff
fculties through investment IN another
hat factory and subsequently was
taken over and managed by creditors
committee.