Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 162, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1917 — Troops Quell Labor Riots. [ARTICLE]

Troops Quell Labor Riots.

Three companies of the Second Indiana Infantry, camped near East Chicago, were rushed in special cars to that city Monday night to save the plant of the Grasselli Chemical Company from threatened destruction at the hands of irate foreign workmen, who were on strike.' The guardsmen were called out after the forty policemen in East Chicago had failed to quell a riot started by fifty of the workmen. Brick? were thrown and the police .used, their clubs freely, but the strikers stormed the outer buildings of the plant and the guard had to be called. Nearly 500 of the workers, practically all aliens, Hungarians and Austrians, walked out a few di ; ago when their demand for 4c an hour more pay was refused. The plant is engaged in making chemicals and aeids vital -to the manufacture of Munitions of war and for this reason no delay was experienced in getting the guardsmen to answer the riot call. It is the opinion of officials that the strikers were incited by enemies. D. W. Potter, who is here for o visit with Charles Clift and family, and party, wly> had been at Gary, were forced to pass through the strike district. They were in an automobile and upon nearing the plant were approached by guards and given orders to turn out the lights on their machine. They were then escorted through the turbulent district in safety. All motorists passing through the district at night are compelled to turn out their car lights. Mr. Potter stated that guardsmen could be seen everywhere an dthe reason that hp lights were allowed was to keep the position of the guardsmen a secret from the strikers. When the strike first broke -out several automobile parties were held up and severley beaten by the workmen. One motorist was so badly beaten that it is feared he may die. Two of the guardsmen are James Adams and John Scoffield, friends of Mr. Potter, and they told him that condition in that section were very serious, owing to the presence of so many foreigners and that they would no doubt be stationed there for some time.