Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1905 — EMPLOYERS CALL FOR PROTECTION [ARTICLE]

EMPLOYERS CALL FOR PROTECTION

Chicago's Mayor Responds with a Very Large Increase of the Police Force. ANOTHER INJUNCTION ISSUED Express Companies Call on the United States Court for Help. DAY OF RIOT; MUCH BLOOD SHED Another Issue tn the Fight—Transfer Companies Told They Must < Fish or Cut Bait, and Get Down Off the Fence. Chicago, April 3. —An injunction based on the interstate commerce act has been issued by Judge Kohlsaat on the application of the express companies. It enjoins all strikers or others from interfering in any way with the transaction of business by the said express companies. This was probably the most important happening in strike circles in the city. Of excitement there was an abundance, and of rioting an ample sufficiency. In view of this latter fact, amf'the utter inability of the police to protect the “struck’’ firms in their right to conduct their business the mayor authorized Chief O’Neill to demand from the civil senice commission 1,000 men police for duty during the strike; to call in all police for strike duty, leaving only the desk sergeants and lockup-keepers for duty at the stations. Demands of the Employers' Teaming Co. The Employers’ Teaming company has 2,000 teams manned with drivers, and demands that these teams be protected in their right to traverse the streets, and this will require a large number of policemen. The Employers’ Teaming company is tired of making up caravans, and demands that its wagons, singly or otherwise shall have the same freedom of the streets as the most insignificant team whose driver wears a union button. The mayor’s proclamation, issued last Saturday was posted everywhere, and of this the mayor said: “To one thing I desire to direct public attention—that is the duty of the disinterested citizen to go along about his business. There will be no trouble tomorrow morning if the public heeds my procla ma tion.” Carry Says He Will Shoot. A notable feature of anti-strike operations is the presence of Frank Curry, the “strike-breaker,” in the thick of the fray. He was a mark for many a missile, and whenever he saw where it came from he sent a bullet in return. ‘Til shoot at any one who hits me while in the performance of my work,” said Curry. Lewis Eiseman, George Clark (colored) and James Harvey, three of Curry’s strike-breakers, who were with him on an expedition after some missing wagon, were badly injured by flying missiles. EMPLOYERS TACKLE TRANSFER MEN flay They Should Either Fish or Cat Balt ia Thia Row—The Reply. Five transfer and teaming compa nies, ssi id to do the greater part of the railway freight hauling in Chicago, are holding firm positions on the fence in this fight They will not send their teams to “struck” houses unless the union will permit. They will start the loads, but if the pickets stop the drivers the latter have orders to drive back to the barns. These transfer companies were informed by the Employers’ association they must either deliver freight to the boycotted stores or lose a large part of their business. To deliver goods as demanded would cause a strike of the drivers. The five teaming companies are: Arthur Dixon Transfer company. Joseph Stockton company, W. P. Rend Transportation company, Christopher M. Lynch and Stephen T. Clarke. These companies have contracts with “struck” Arms, but are practically refusing to deliver goods as called for in the contracts, because if they did there would be a strike of their teamsters. This did uot worry the employers, who said it is up,to the transfer companies whether they will keep their contracts or have them canceled, and never renewed. The Employers’ Teaming company was ready to help the transfer men if a strike was the result of keeping their contracts; the employers themselves said that if the transfer men failed them now they would never have another chance to be a factor in such a fight. It was twenty-four hours before the transfer men replied to the demand of the Employers. These transfer companies belong to the Team Owners’ association, and through that association they flatly refused to make deliveries to any of the firms now Involved In the strike. When the Employers received this ultimatum they notified the team owners that in case there was any discrimination made In deliveries an effort would be made to have all existing contracts between the team owners and the business houses and the railroads canceled. This they failed to do so far as the railways are concerned. The railway men are getting all the hauling done they want, and see no need to enter the fight. The employers, however, will cancel all their contracts with the Team Owners, and this amounts to millions of dollars annual-

ly. The Commission Team Owners’ and the Lake Transportation Team Owners’ associations have also taken a similar stand as the Chicago Team Owners’ association. DAT WAS A BLOODY ONE ■triken Stop Caitouqen from “Struck** Stores—Rough Work Everywhere. The death of one man and the injury of scores of others was tite immediate result of the day's fighting between the striking teamsters and their sympathizers on the one side and the police and the non-union men on the other. There were riots in all parts of the city. Men were clubbed and stoned almost to death within a square of police headquarters, and five miles away men were shot down in the streets. At a hundred places between these two extremes of distance there were assaults and fights in the streets. Blood was shed on State street in the heart of the fashionable shopping district, and furious riots took place almost in the doorways of the leading hotels. Non-union men were pelted with ■tones, bricks, and every other conceivable sort of missile. They were dragged from their wagons, beaten, clubbed add stamped upon. In many Instances men walking along the streets who had no active connection whatever with the strike were assaulted, beaten first and later accused of being strike breakers. A notable instance of this kind wns that of Rev. W. K. Wheeler, pastor of the Ninth Presbyterian church, who, while passing the corner of Desplaines and Adams street on his way to the Pennsylvania station was attacked by three men, who knocked him down and beat him unmercifully. Another proceeding of the strikers was to stop customers leaving the “struck” stores and Interfere with them because they had •'boycotted” goods in their arms. In mauy instances those stopped were ladies and the dty authorities are determined to stop this. As far as known but one man was killed during the day. The list of injured is much greater than that which it Is possible obtain. In many cases the non-union men swung their clubs with great effect, knocking men from their wagons headlong into the street; in other instances, when assailed by mobs, they fired point blank into the crowds, and it is difficult to see how the members of the mob could escape many broken beads or how any bullets fired during the day should have gone wild. The death list has one more name —that of Sergeant Richard Cummings, who was in charge of a police squad guarding a number of wagons Thursday, when he was knocked down in Washington street near Dearborn by the horses attached to a ’bus. The ’bus was trying to pass a blockade of teams caused by sympathetic union drivers who were not on strike. DIFFERENCE OF OPINION Mayor and Employers Do Not Agree oa Military Aid. Chicago, May 4. —The utter failure of the Chicago police to secure freedom of the streets for the business of the firms boycotted by the striking teamsters has moved the center of interest outside of actual violence, to Springfield. Although at this writing there seems to have been no request made to the governor for troops, it seems certain that the request will be made. Rioting in the streets was so prolonged and of so fierce a character that many of the leading business men declare there will be neither peace in the city nor safety for its business interests until the state militia has been called out to restore order. Chief of Police O’Neill says he is confident that he has control of the situation, and can keep peace in the city. Mayor Dunne supports him in this view ami has declared that in his opinion the emergency has not arisen requiring the presence of troops. On the other hand the business men point to the long list of injured which marked the rioting of Tuesday and the greater number of those who were hurt yesterday, and declare that this alone Is sufficient proof that the police are not unaided sufficiently strong to cope with the stiuation.. Mayor Dunne was emphatic in bis declaration that he will not acquiesce In any call for outside assistance in preserving order. He said It would be disgraceful to ask for troops until Chicago had exhausted her resources, and said he could call on. every able-bodied man In town to help keep the peate. He declared he would, however, in this ease not call on either the strikers or the strike-breakers or their sympathizers. The mobs that filled the streets In the business section yesterday were larger and uglier In disposition than Tuesday. There was fighting In all sections of the down-town district throughout the day and over a dozMi times the police were compelled to use their clubs. There wns a number of instances where mobs boarded street cars and wantonly attacked people riding in them, giving as a “reason” later that those assailed were strike-break-ers, when In fact they had nothing whatever to do with the trouble. T. C. Carlson, employed by Montgomery Ward & Co., was struck in the head by a brick thrown from the window of the strikers’ headquarters. The case will probably be murder, but no arrest was made. Thirty-one names are on the day’s casualty list, and this is not half of those hurt.