State Ex Rel. Bruns Coal Co. v. Compton

123 N.E.2d 43, 96 Ohio App. 541, 55 Ohio Op. 127, 1953 Ohio App. LEXIS 690
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 6, 1953
Docket758, 759, 760, 761, 762, 763, 764, 765, 766, 767 and 768
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 123 N.E.2d 43 (State Ex Rel. Bruns Coal Co. v. Compton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. Bruns Coal Co. v. Compton, 123 N.E.2d 43, 96 Ohio App. 541, 55 Ohio Op. 127, 1953 Ohio App. LEXIS 690 (Ohio Ct. App. 1953).

Opinion

Putnam, P. J.

These causes, each a separate appeal on questions of law, were consolidated for argument in this court, and this opinion will cover all of them.

The questions involved concern violations of certain orders of the Common Pleas Court of Muskingum County, in which that court issued an injunction against Certain picketing and other obstruction tactics of labor organizations in the operation of certain nonunion mines producing coal in Muskingum county. The defendants were cited for contempt for a viola *544 tion of those orders. They were found guilty and given sentences therefor, and it is from those judgments that these appeals are taken on questions of law.

The following background is necessary to understand the propositions involved herein. On October 1, 1951, the plaintiff, Bruns Coal Company, Inc., filed a petition in equity in the Common Pleas Court, being case No. 38040, seeking an injunction. The defendants in that case were: The United Mine Workers of America, and the officers and members thereof; District No. 6, The United Mine Workers of America and the officers and members thereof; Adolph Pacifico, President of District No. 6, The United Mine Workers of America; George Waters, local organizer for The United Mine Workers of America; Walter Kovaleski, organizer for The United Mine Workers of America; and seven other individuals who do not figure in these appeals. The petition alleges, in substance, that plaintiff was and had been operating a strip coal mine in Muskingum county for four and one-half years; that on September 21, 1951, defendants caused about 200 of their members to enter and trespass upon plaintiff’s property and demanded that the mine be closed; and that by threats, intimidation and overt acts, defendants caused the mine to close. Service was had on all defendants personally, except The United Mine Workers of America, which organization was served by registered mail at their office in Washington, D. C. On October 11, 1951, a temporary restraining order was granted. On November 2, 1951, the defendants each entered an appearance in the action by filing an answer to the petition. On May 28, 1952, after full hearing, a permanent injunction was granted, and no appeal from this order was ever prosecuted. Conse *545 quently, all questions as to the merits of the permanent injunction, including parties, jurisdiction and the terms thereof are fixed by the law of the case. This permanent injunction is as follows :

“It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed that the defendants, and each of them named and unnamed, and all others associated with them, be and they hereby are permanently enjoined from:

“1. From interfering with the ingress to and egress from any entrance to the mining property or operations of the plaintiff by the plaintiff, its employees or any other person or persons who may have lawful occasion to enter or leave said premises or operations on plaintiff’s business or for employment.

‘ ‘ 2. From interfering by coercion, intimidation, violence or threats of violence or suggestions of danger to any of the several employees of plaintiff or to any of the persons who might offer themselves for employment at the entrance or at the office or mine operation and places of business of plaintiff, or by molesting such employees in. their return from the mining property or operations to and from their mines.

“3. From using abusive, slanderous or threatening language to any employees or persons seeking employment at the mining property, operations or office of plaintiff.

“4. From any unlawful obstructing, delaying or stopping the business of plaintiff.

“5. Unlawfully loitering on or near the mining property, operations, offices, right of way, entrances or territory at or near the mining property, premises or offices of the plaintiff, or from unlawfully picketing said mining property, operations or offices, or from disturbing in any manner the peace, quiet and order of the mining property, operations or place of business *546 of plaintiff, or the homes and premises of the several employees of the plaintiff, or from loitering, stopping, attempting to stop, or interfering in any way with the employees of the plaintiff to and from their homes to their place of employment for the purpose of intimidating or coercing the employees of plaintiff, or from in any way threatening, intimidating, injuring or attempting to injure or coerce any customers of the plaintiff or employees of plaintiff’s customers, who are purchasing coal from plaintiff, and from in any way injuring or threatening to injure any of said plaintiff’s customers or their employees who by truck or otherwise are on their way to and from the plaintiff’s mining property, operations or offices, for the purpose of purchasing and hauling said coal so sold to plaintiff’s customers, or from threatening, intimidating, injuring or attempting to injure or interfere with plaintiff’s trucks, or employees of plaintiff in making deliveries to plaintiff’s customers.

“6. From suggesting, directing, inciting, abetting or aiding any person or persons in committing any of the acts complained of in this petition or set forth in this restraining order, particularly inducing or inciting large crowds to congregate at or near or upon the mining property, operations' or offices of plaintiff.

“7. It is further ordered by the court that the pickets authorized to picket said mining property, operations or offices of the plaintiff, is fixed as follows: Not more than two pickets at any entrance way used by employees going to' and from said mining property, operations or offices; said pickets shall at no time congregate in such a manner that there shall be more than one at each side of each entrance and shall stand when picketing individually on separate sides of said entrance; each picket shall remain on the side *547 of the entrance way that he stations himself on and shall remain on that side until he ceases picketing.”

In the fall of 1952, the plaintiff having reopened its mine, the incidents giving rise to the present litigation occurred. On October 23 there was a violent disturbance in which union organizers and miners again attempted to close down plaintiff’s mine. The court, becoming apprised of this fact, on October 25 entered the following order as-a journal entry:

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Bluebook (online)
123 N.E.2d 43, 96 Ohio App. 541, 55 Ohio Op. 127, 1953 Ohio App. LEXIS 690, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-bruns-coal-co-v-compton-ohioctapp-1953.