Verdict for the plaintiffs in the case of Loewe v. Lawlor
10/11/1912
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This document is part of the file on the case of Loewe v. Lawlor. In 1901 - 1902, the United Hatters of North America attempted to unionize the employees of Dietrich Loewe and Partners, a hat making company in Danbury, CT. When the company resisted the attempt to unionize, its employees and the union called a strike and a nation-wide boycott of the company's products. Loewe then sued the 191 members of the local for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. The US District Court agreed with the plaintiff and fined the union $74,000. The Circuit Court of Appeals (2nd Circuit) overruled this decision but then the US Supreme Court revised the Court of Appeals decision and sent the case back for retrial in 1908. The union again lost in 1912 and was fined $250,000. Because the union was not incorporated, the individual union members were liable for the fine. In 1917, the US District Court ordered the sale of the homes of 140 members of the local union in order to pay for the fine.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 278249
Full Citation: Verdict for the plaintiffs in the case of Loewe v. Lawlor; 10/11/1912; Loewe v. Lawlor; Case Files, 1790 - 1911; Records of District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21; National Archives at Boston, Waltham MA. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/1-verdict-for-the-plaintiffs-in-the-case-of-loewe-v-lawlor, May 21, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
