"You won't recognize any union? I want to know how I stand with them at the beginning."
"I'll recognize no union," said Bonbright.
The card of a young man from Richmond's office was brought in.
Bonbright sent word for him to be admitted.
"I came about that Hammil accident case," said the young man. "Hammil was hurt yesterday, pretty badly, and the report makes it look as if we'd be stuck if the thing goes to a jury."
"I know nothing about it," said Bonbright, with a little shock. It was possible, then, for a man to be maimed or killed in his own plant and news of it to reach him after days or perhaps never. He made a note to rectify THAT state of affairs. "You mean that this man Hammil was hurt through our fault?"
"I'm afraid a jury would say so." The young man explained the accident in detail. "He complained about the condition of his machine, and his foreman told him he could stick to his job there or quit."
"Forced him to work on an unsafe machine or quit?"
"Yes."
Bonbright stared at his blotter a moment. "What did you want to see me about?"
"We'd better settle. Right now I can probably run up and put a wad of bills under Hammil's nose and his wife's, and it'll look pretty big. Before some ambulance-chaser gets hold of him. He hasn't been able to talk until awhile ago, so nobody's seen him."