Beaton v. Tarrant

102 Ill. App. 124, 1902 Ill. App. LEXIS 480
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided May 22, 1902·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

Mr. Justice Ball

delivered the opinion of the court.

Appellants, in an appendix to their brief, have favored us with the opinion of the learned chancellor who heard this case and who entered the restraining order herein. A careful reading of the record, in the light of history and a knowledge of human nature, convinces us that the finding of facts set forth in such opinion is clearly sustained by the preponderance of the evidence; and we therefore adopt the same as to such facts :

“ In support of the motion for a temporary injunction complainant presents numerous affidavits from which it appears that no acts of physical violence have been committed by the defendants, and that picketing has been employed to carry out their purposes and enforce their demands. It appears from these affidavits that pickets, consisting of groups of persons, varying in number from five to fifteen persons, have daily gathered in the streets and alleys in the neighborhood of or in front of complainant’s shop, and in the alleys and in the rear of and near the approaches and entrances of said shop, and at all times of the day walk up and down the sidewalks and congregate in the vicinity of and around said shop, stop complainant’s men while going to and from work, and when alone surround them, call them ‘ scabs,’ and vil enames, and threaten them with personal injury. Five of complainant’s employes swear that they have been so frightened by the acts, threats, pursuit and conduct of the pickets and persons accompanying them that they have been compelled to quit complainant’s service and dare not return for fear of personal violence, and these men, as to the facts and cause of their leaving, are corroborated by the affidavit of complainant.

“Frank Vallet swears that he was in complainant’s employ one month; that October 23d he was accompanied home by Sam Eose, also a machinist in complainant’s employ; that one Carl Woltschloger, one of the pickets, and another person, followed them to Vallet’s boarding house; that Woltschloger said, 1 We are only arguing with you now, but, by G-d, if you don’t quit Tarrant’s we will fix you fellows so you can’t work;’ that October 24th, Woltschloger, in company with another picket, said to Vallet and Eose, ‘You G-d d—n scab, )rou ought to have your face kicked off.’ Sam Eose, a machinist formerly in complainant’s employ, makes a similar affidavit. Thomas Murray, in complainant’s employ, swears that Woltschloger and another man followed him from the shop to his home, and when near there Woltschloger said : ‘ Are you working for Tarrant’s ? You are a dirty scab, and if you know what is good for your skin you had better not go back there to work to-morrow morning, you G-d d—n son of a bitch of a scab.’ Best, also in complainant’s employ, swears he was stopped by four men within fifteen feet of the entrance to complainant’s shop, of whom were Wilson and Woltschloger, who surrounded him; called him a G-d d—n scab.; that he tried to move on, but the four men doubled up their fists and Wilson and Woltschloger drew back their fists as if to strike, when several of complainant’s machinists came out of the shop to Best’s assistance, and the pickets stepped away.

“ From the affidavit of one of the defendants, Carl Woltschloger, it wTould appear that all the seven pickets who are patrolling the neighborhood of complainant’s plant are peaceably inclined, and that five of them are more than forty-five years old ; that he and other pickets stationed at said plant have carefully avoided any hostile demonstrations; have not made menaces nor threats, nor used vile and abusive language, but that they have only resorted to peaceable means and persuasion; and he specifically denies the language attributed to him by Murray, Vailet, Ross and Best.

“Arthur E. Ireland testifies that he is the business agent of the International Association of Machinists, District Eight; that he was instructed by the executive officers of said association and respectfully requested the complainant not to do work for the Allis-Chalmers Company, and that if he did, the men in his employ would quit; that he persisted in doing such work, and that the strike followed; that the association only regularly employed seven persons for the purpose of picketing complainant’s shops, five of whom were more than fifty years old, and the other two temperate and discreet, and that all were instructed not to use violence, but only argument and peaceable persuasion. Coesfield, Singos, Sturreck and Holden, pickets, all swear that violence, intimidation, threats and abusive language had not been used toward complainant’s employes and those seeking employment, but that only peaceable means had been employed to induce men to quit work or remain away from complainant’s shop; and in this they are corroborated by Quinn and Spears. Keppler, president of District Eight of the International Machinists’ Association, swears that only twro or three pickets were on duty at any one time, and that no violence was offered, within his knowledge, and that no strike was called by the officers of the association.

“ Notwithstanding the conflict in the evidence, the court is constrained to find, as was "in fact admitted in some of defendants’ affidavits, that a strike was called because the complainant refused to discontinue work on the Allis-Ohah mers Company contract; that as a result of this action, which was approved by the executive officers of District Eight, pickets in large numbers were established for the purpose of patrolling the neighborhood in and about complainant’s shop, and that crowds gathered in and about the streets, alleys and entrances about complainant’s shop, and although no actual physical violence was used, the acts, threats and conduct of said pickets and of the persons accompanying them, were of such a character as were calculated to intimidate a reasonable and prudent man, and it appears that they in fact did intimidate and frighten some of complainant’s employes and those who sought his employment. * * * The court notes that so far as the evidence shows, there was on the part of the executive officers of District Eight of the International Machinists’ Association a determination to abstain from actual physical violence, but the evidence shows that there was more than argument, inducement and peaceable persuasion in the occurrences set forth, and that the conduct and acts of the pickets and those accompanying them constitute a continuing trespass from which injury and interruption to complainant’s business resulted.”

The chancellor then states his conclusions of law, as follows :

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Beaton v. Tarrant, 102 Ill. App. 124, 1902 Ill. App. LEXIS 480 (Ill. Ct. App. 1902).

102 Ill. App. 124 (Beaton v. Tarrant) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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