People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1894 — THE CLOSING SESSIONS. [ARTICLE]

THE CLOSING SESSIONS.

Last Days of the Labor Commission's Work in Chicago. CHICAGO, Aug 31.—Chairman Wright has announced that all the witnesses on both sides who had been suggested to the commission had been examined, and there remained no more evidence to be heard, except what testimony may be added in rebuttal which either side may care to offer. The testimony given on Wednesday was brief and comparatively unimportant. The first witness was Town Agent Hoornbeck, of Pullman, who was questioned by Mr. Kernan. He said that he had charge of the houses and real estate in the model town. The witness said that he signed the leases of the houses for the company, and produced a form of the lease. The agent said that in the matter of repairs the company paid all the bills. The repairs on the houses last year amounted to $42,000. The repairs were not charged to the tenants. He could not say why the lease provided for the charging of repairs to the tenants. He only knew that the company did not charge the tenant with repairs. The Rock Island road furnished about thirty witnesses from Blue Island to show the character of the strike meeting at the village on that road. There were tailors, painters, carpenters, storekeepers and railroad men, but most of them knew nothing and were dismissed. Their testimony showed that of about 400 men who attended the meeting less than one-third were railroad men. Each testified that Vice President Howard, of the American Railway union, had used most violent language in the speech he made at the Blue Island meeting, suggesting violence and calling Mr. Pullman and the railroad managers hard and vile names. These witnesses said that Howard caused the strike on the Rock Island—Debs helped only incidentally to bring it on. H. R Saunders was recalled after the others had testified. He said that in his speech Mr. Howard had said that Pullman ought to be hanged, and that he, Howard, would like to. help hang him. Howard had also said the men who would take the places of those on strike should be killed with a coupling pin. CHICAGO, Aug. 31.—After hearing the testimony of Mayor Hopkins Thursday afternoon Chairman Wright announced that the work of the labor commission in Chicago was at an end. Mayor Hopkins being called testified that Mr. Wright, counsel for the Rock Island road, claimed on July 5 that mobs were interfering with the operation of trains. At that time the main line was clear to Thirty-seventh street, but at that place about 3,500 persons,mostly women and children, had congregated. A car had been overturned north of Thirty-seventh street, and the wrecking crew was working on it. He continued: "That same evening I learned that the First regiment was going into camp at Springfield. I wired the governor that they ought to be kept here, as they might be needed within twentyfour hours. At my suggestion he had them report at their armory for duty instead of going to Springfield. About 10:30 o’clock that night I learned that the Diamond special on the Illinois Central was stalled at Kensington and had the police clear the way for it. Friday morning, July 6, information came that crowds were gathering on the Rock Island tracks, and after consultation I decided to call on the governor for five regiments of state militia, which he ordered to report to me immediately. “I believe the police did their full duty all through the strike. I have been assured by a number of railroad officials that the protection of the police was all they needed. General Superintendent Sullivan, of the Illinois Central, President Thomas, of the Western Indiana, and Superintendent Ashby, of the Union Stock Yards & Transit company, have all congratulated the city authorities on the conduct of the police and the management of the dlsturbances.

“In all the evidence produced before tho ommisslon, so far as I could discover, I have seen no instance where a charge has been made against the city police that they have failed to do all that could have been expected of them. I suppose Mr. Egan might have made some complaint, but he was continually putting the police force to unnecessary trouble and effort by alarms of violence where there were none.” "Would you say. Mr. Mayor, that the police had shown no sympathy for the strikers or had not let their sympathy influence their conduct?” "I would not like to say the police had no sympathy with the strike. Doubt'ess some of them had. lam free to say that so far as the strikers at Pullman were concerned I was in sympathy with them myself. What Ido mean to say is that no policeplan let his sympathies keep him from doing his full duty during the strike so far as I have been able to discover. The police were on duty for ten days without going home. They lived at their posts or at the stations, and I think they did all that could have been expected of them.” The mayor told about the failure of his efforts to secure arbitration or other settlement of the trouble. July 12 the witness had accompanied Mayor Pingree to call on Mr. Wickes, Mr. Runnells and Mr. Brown, but they persisted In their statement that there was nothing to arbitrate. On July 18 came the communication from Debs and Howard to the general managers which the mayor agreed to take to the general managers. "I took it to their headquarters and found Mr. St. John, who said that the general managers did not wish to oonsider any communication coming from those men. He said, however, that since I had brought it he would consult the members of the association personally. Ho did, and the result was a letter returning the communication.” "It has been intimated that I protested against the presence in the city of federal troops. That is not so. I was not consulted with nor advised that federal troops were to be sent here. I had not up to that time been advised that anybody or any corporation needed protection of any kind that was not already supplied. 1 did not protest against the sending of federal troops, although I might have felt that the persons desiring protection should have called first upon municipal and state authorities for protection before they called for United States troops.” The commission then adjourned. •