A. It was Rudolph Kreshner, and some one asked him from the crowd—there was, possibly, from five thousand to seven thousand people there—asked him what the object of the meeting was, and he told them if they would keep quiet for a few minutes they would learn. He didn't know. He said they would find out, and he talked to some of the men—I could not hear what he said, and then he rose, and he said he believed the meeting was to take some action with regard to those men that were working in the shops at that time, and there was then a party got up and offered a motion that a committee of I can't tell you how many—his motion was, that a committee, however, be appointed to ask these men to leave the work alone for the present, until the difficulty was settled. And after some little discussion, there was a motion made to amend that by making the committee twenty-five. Then that was objected to, on the ground that the companies would discharge all that would be appointed as a committee to go and ask these men to leave their work, and one man, I don't know his name now, he spoke there in favor of a committee of twenty-five, and others again spoke and objected to it, on the ground that they would be discharged—they had been before, and have been since, because they waited on these men. While this motion was under discussion, there was a motion made, that the whole body adjourn, and pass up around by the shops and ask the men to quit their work for the present, until the difficulty was settled with the company. Just at this time there was a man offered a letter to Kreshner, and wanted him to read it. He took up the letter and looked at it, and passed it back to the party and shook his head. Then this man got up on a little stand himself and read the letter to the body. Previous to that there had not been any unkind words, or anything boisterous—nothing out of the way at all, no abusive language, or anything—but as soon as the letter was read it was like a spark in a powder keg.
Q. Now, where did that letter come from?
A. I don't know.
Q. By whom was it signed?
A. It was signed by "Working Man."
Q. How many?
A. One working man.
Q. Just signed "Working Man?"
A. Just signed "Working Man."
Q. Can you give the contents of the letter, or the substance of it?