Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1886 — FIRST BLOOD. [ARTICLE]

FIRST BLOOD.

A Blatant Socialist Incites a Mob to Deeds of Violence in Chicago. Battle Between Police and Strikers—Several Wounded—The Gould Strike Ended—Labor Rotes. Serious Riot in Chicago. A very serious outbreak in connection with the labor troubles in Chicago occurred at the great McCormick Reaper Factory on the attemoon of the 3d inst. About 7,000 strikers gathered in some open lots near the works. They consisted largely of employes of lumberyards and planing mills. Most of the men were Germans, Bohemians, and Poles. A rather “tough” looking individual addressed the crowd from an empty beer keg in German, and other speakers delivered harangues in Bohemian and Polish. All speeches were of an inflammatory character, such as the Anarchists delight to indulge in. Their words did not fail to have an effect upon the ignorant, excitable audience, many of whom were under the influence of beer. When the Anarchist leaders thought that the excitement had been wrought up to a sufficiently high pitch, one fellow exclaimed, pointing to the buildings of tho McCormick works: “Do you see that hastile of monopoly? Now is the time for you to wrest it from tiio Lands of your oppressors!” The crowd set up au approving howl and immediately began moving toward the factory, arming themselves on the way with bricks and clubs. When they reached the big gate, the workingmen were just emerging from it. They were greeted with yells of “Scab” and “ltats,” and bombarded with stones. The surprised workingmen beat a hasty retreat, hut the mob followed them into the yard. The men were stoned and ever} 7 window 7 in the building was demolished. When the police interfered they were pelted with stones and fired upon. Two hundred officers were rushed to the scene ns fast as horses could draw the patrol wagons, and a short, shaip battle between the police and the rabble followed. A number of the mob were shot, hut were earned away by their, friends, so that their names might not be obtained. A dozen policemen were hurt. The officers finally succeeded in driving the men away. A crowd of about 250 sheetmetal workers undertook to compel the suspension of work at the tin-can factory of Norton Brothers, in Eiver street, but were frightened off by the police. The butchers employed by Swift A Co., at the Stock Yards, were forced by a mob to quit work. The managers of the railways met at the Burlington offioes and resolved to net as a unit in refusing all demands for higher wages or shorter hours. An attempt was made at the various yards to handle freight with new men, hut considerable difficulty was experienced. The men in Aftnour's packing-house are to receive ten hours’ pay for eight hours’ work. Between 400 and 500 women employed in Chicago tailor-shops went on a strike for better wages and shorter hours. New York. % Almost ‘every branch of labor in Now York is more or less disturbed over the determination of the men to obtain a reduction in the length of the working day. As a general rule the demand for nine hours five days in the week and eight hours on Saturday has been conceded by the employers with little or no demur, hut there is opposition, more or less oruanized, iu the different trades, to the granting of the eight-hour day. Pittsburgh. At Pittsburgh about 5,000 men are on a strike. They are tho stonemasons, tho plasterers, the carpenters, and furnituremakers. The stonemasons want $3.25 per day for nine hours’ work, instead of $3.30, which they have been receiving, for ton hours’ work. The plasterers ask for nine hours’ work every day except Saturday, when it shall he eight, and no reduction in wages from those paid for ten hours’ labor. Carpenters demand a reduction of working hours from ten to nine, wages to remain the same. Detroit. One thousand men employed in the shops of the Michigan Car Company quit work at Detroit. There seemed to be no organization, and there was some little confusion as to the demands, hut it all amounted to less work for the same pay. Some wanted nine and others eight hours’ work l'or ten hours’ wages. Boston. Four thousand men—carpenters, painters, plumbers, and masons—are on a strike in Boston. Work on a number of buildings has ceased, while on Others the master builders have employed non-union men to carry on the work. The strike affects buildings in all stages of construction, and contractors have had to shut down on some foundations. St. Louis. The whole force of employes out in St. Louis through tho eight-hour movement probably numbers between two and three thousand, reports a dispatch from the Bridge City. As yet there seems to be no likelihood of the movement becoming general here, though tho indications may be the other way to-morrow. There has been no violence so far, and no request for police protection has been made. Louisville. The refusal of the furniture manufacturers to concede ten hours’ pay for eight hours’ work caused a general lock-out of furniture workers at Louisville, Ky., which is the second largest furniture market in America. About 3,000 men are idle as a consequence. The Gould Strike at an End. The great strike on the Gonld system of railroads has been declared off, and the idle employes of the road will endeavor to regain their old situations. This result, says a St. Louis dispatch, has been brought about by the efforts of the citizens’ committee, appointed about three weeks ago, which has been in constant communication with the Executive Board of the Knights of Labor and the Curtin Congressional Investigating Committee, which recently made a formal request to the Knights to bring the strike to a conclusion.