The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-22
HEAR CRANE CASE
Employees of Printing Firm
Charged With "Picketing."
Restrain Order Is Asked by
Publishing Company.
NO DECISION IS REACHED
Striking Printers Said to Have
MOIested Workers.
Questions Pertaining to Cause
of Strike To Be Barred.

The suit which Crane & Company
brought about ten days ago against
certain former employees, now on strike
and charged with ''picketing," asking
for an order restraining them from
raolesting present employees or inter
fering in any way with the work at its
publishing plant is being heard today
by Judge James A. Mcclure in the
first division of the Shawnee county
district court.
A decision in the case is not ex-
pected until late today or perhaps not
until Saturday morning, altho the
court is urging the attorneys in the
case to make all haste possible so that
the hearing can be completed before
night. When court adjourned for the
noon recess, eight witnesses had been
on the stand for Crane & Company
and Ed McKeever, attorney for the
plaintiff, said he had five or six more
to testify this afternoon. A. A. Ora
ham, attorney for the defendants, said
he had thirty or forty witnesses he
could put on the stand. but said not
that many would be required to pre-
sent his side of the case.
Picket Lines Formed.
The gist of the plaintiffs evidence
submitted this forenoon showed that
the striking employees have been form
ing picket lines in front of and near
the company's plant on East Eighth
avenue, jeering and laughing at the
present employees as they approach
and leave the place, calling them such
names as rats" and "scabs." The
picket line, witnesses said, is formed
twice a day, first in the morning when
the employees go to work, and again
at o'clock in the afternoon when
they are ready to leave the place. No
acts of actual violence were testified
feeder. admitted while on the stand
that he had become so scared by the
actions of the crowd that he left the
building by a rear door
To Bar Cause OF Strike.
At the start of the hearing this
morning, Judge Mcclure announced to
the attorneys that all questions per-
tanning to the strike, why it was called,
its merits or dement's, and the views
of each side concerning it, were to be
omitted entirely, pointing out that the
defendants were not on trial for
striking. The court also stated that
according to the statute, the practice
known as 'picketing" is permissible
in Kansas under certain limitations,
specifying that peaceful persuasion
methods may be used in settling diff
ferences of this nature. The court
made it pain that the only question
involved in the hearing was whether
reached the limitations set forth by
law and had resorted to other than
peaceful persuasion methods toward
the Crane & Company employees.
Case Filed Against Eight Persons.
The hearing today is based upon
information which the company filed
against eight persons, including two
women. They are Bert Snowden,
Harry Westbrooks, Ella Gill. H. D.
Anthony, Paul Cody, ]. w. Loveless,
Minnie Resinger and y. F. Sieber. All
We're present at the hearing with the
exception of Snowden. against whom
no summons was served, and who is
reported to be out of the city.
If the restraining order should be
granted it would affect only those
named, and would not prevent other
striking employees forming a picket
line. but that the company expects to
carry the fight to a finish and attempt
to have the picket line abolished en-
t.rely. is shown by the fact that a Sec
ond information of similar nature has
already been filed against Hall Blake.
w. H. Corning, John Everett and D.
A Dodd. These four persons We're
among the spectators this forenoon.
but their case will come up for a
hearing later.
Many Employees Present.
The striking employees formed a
"solid front" at the hearing today.
filling most of the seats in the rear
OF the court room, and forming the
biggest part of the crowd. They ap-
peared much interested III the pro-