Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1894 — BULLETS AND BLOOD. [ARTICLE]

BULLETS AND BLOOD.

PROGRESS OF THE GREAT PELLMAS STRIKE. Great Riots at Chicago, Sensing ton and Hammond. United States Regulars and State Troops to the Rescue—Many Fatalities. JGreat dissatisfaction exists at A. R. U. headquarters at Chicago because of the quiet attitude of the strikers at Indianapolisand throughout Indiana. It was announced, Tuesday morning that fifty agitators had left Chicago for Indianapolis to stir up the “weak kneed" and bring matters to a crisis. Police were at once ordered to take extra precautions to receive these men. Great uneasiness existed at the Union Station alt Monday l ight and double guard was on duty. ,y' 1 a. m. Tuesday, a general strike Gig Four firemen from Cincinnati to St Louis was announced. It went into effect at midnight and involves more than one hundred men. A provision was made in the order to strike that all mail trains should be allowed to run without interruption, the Strike affecting freight firemen more particularly, At Chicago, Monday, the principal event of interest was the annonneement that at an all-night session of the allied trades unions, which ended„at 4 a. m. Monday, a general strike was ordered to take effect at 4 p. m. Tuesday, unless George M. Pullman should have agreed before the meridian of that day to settle the differences between his company and his striking employes by arbitration or otherwise. Grand Master Sovereign, however, decided to postpone the walkout until 7 o'clock Wednesday morning. Late Monday afternoon it was announced that President Gompers had called a meeting of the executive committee A. F. L. for Thursday at Chicago, and it was supposed that no radical measures would be inaugurated until after that meeting iiad indorsed the action taken by the allied unions. At 2 p. m. Monday a joint committee of the federated unions ofrGbicago called on Vice-Presicent Wfckos, of the Pullman company, and asked him to consent to the appointment of a committe of live citizens whose functions should be not those as arbitration, but to determine whether or not the Pullman company has anything to arbitrate. The committee, as proposed, was to consist of two citizens chosen by the Pullman company, two by the Circuit Judges, and one by these four. At the close of the interview Mr« Wickes retired with his attorney and returning after a brief consultation declared that the company could not receive the proposed committee. Regulations which prevailed in the government building at Chicago, Monday, were a near approach to martial law. Deputy marshals wero stationed on every floor and everybody was challenged who could not show that he had business in the building. More than 1,030 additional federal troops arrived Tuesday, morning, and railway business, it is believed, can »oon be resumed. The Central Labor Union, at Indianapalis, Monday night, indorsed the strike and voted to extend moral support aud financial aid to the American Railway Union in its manly struggle for the rights of labor. Ex-Union soldiers held a mass meeting at Indianapolis, Monday night. Patriotic speeches were made by Ex-Gov. Chase, lien. McGinnis, Thomas llanna, Gen. Carnahan and others. The following resolutions were passed unanimously in the midst of great applause and enthusiasm: lle it Resolved, That we, the comrades of the Grand Army of the Republic and Hx-Unjon soldiers, residents of tlv eity of Indianapolis, in mass conventioir assembled, do hereby express our unqualified disapproval of the riotous and unlawful demonstrations that have been and are now being carried on in different portions of the country. We do further denounce all parties engaged in said disturbances, and in the destruction of property and in the hindrance to travel and commerce, saying and believing that such unlawful conduct marks the perpetrators as enemies of our country and unworthy the lympathy of loyal and law-abiding jfftL tens. Resolved, That we, as Ex-Union soldiers regardless of political affiliations, but believing that loyalty to the United States, and obedience to the laws of the land are the crowning virtues of American citizen* ship, do most heartily indorse the loyal ana patriotic conduct of President Cleveland in his efforts to supprms the present riots throughout the country: and as citizens of tho State of Indiana and all her loyal peoplo have been honored in the patriotic course pursued throughout this crisis by our governor. Claude Matthews and Mayor Denny, our most earnest support in their efforts to preserve the peace, protect property and enforce the laws of the land, and do now tender our service to aid in preserving the peace und protecting property. A mass meeting of citizens at Hammond, Monday night, passed strong resolutions dtuf&tincing the use of the Federal troofjp and characterizing the shooting on Sunday as an unnecessary and uncalled for outrage. A demand was made on Senators and Representatives to use their influence to compel the government to pay damages to the family of Charles Floscher. Gov Altgold's course was also indorsed. The coroner, Monday, held an inquest on the body of Charles Floscher, who was killed by the soldiers, Sunday, and his verdict was that the “decedent came to his death by accident, occasioned by soldiers of Company 1), Fifteenth Infantry, U. S. A., shooting wantonly and carelessly into a crowd of peaceable citizens.” Federal troops were withdrawn from Hammond. Monday, nnd the Indiana militia is now in sole control of the local situation. All mail trains passing through, however, are guarded witli United States regulars. Gov. Matthews. Monday, received at least one hundred telegrams tendering mffitary aid. Gen, Lew Wallaco sent the following telegram: “If, in your praiseworthy intention to keep the peace by enforcing the laws, you see I can bo of service to you, please consider me at your orders. The Governor replied as follows: Thanks for your words of approval and tender of aid. I have faith In the intelligence and patriotism of our people to render unnecessary a call outside of the present organized force to restore peace and enforce laws. None, however could give better aid than they who so bravely fought to preservo all. Major Doxoy, from Anderson, sent the following: To Governor Matthews—ls an emergency arise, which I hope will not. my service with a thousand mounted men men from the gas Helds is at your disposal lo protect life, liberty and property. I onlv want forty-eight hours to mount and organize ready for duty. These will

be good, honest workingmen that believe in law and ordeh C. T. Doxey. A mass meeting of ex-soldiers was held at Shelbyville, Monday night. Resolutions indorsing the action of Governor Matthews and tendering support were passed. The Governor also received'the following dispatch from Muncie: Williams Post, G. A. R.. heartily Indorses the President’s proclamation and your prompt action in the present crisis. It is resolved the majesty and supremacy of the law should be maintained at all hazards. Frank McGrath, Commander. Miners’ riots in the Grape Creek region, near Danville. HI.. Monday, resulted in a deadly volley from the State militia. Two women were killed. The soldiers intended to fire over the heads of the mob but made a miscalculation. Later in the day a fireman on tho Terre Haute road was killed by a stray shot at the Fairchild street crossing in Danville. This fatality resulted from a quarrel in a crowd that had assembled to see the train come in and was entirely accidental. The man who fired the shot was not apprehended. The killing of the two women so frenzied tho mob that they at once began to collect all the guns to be found in Westville and Grape Creek. These arms were stacked in one of the saloons at Grape Creek. What the final outcome will be can not be foretold.

John J. Hannahan, Vice Grand Master Brotherhood Locomotive Firemen, was arrested at Chicago, Tuesday. The complaint on which the warrant was issued charged that on July 7.Hannahan boarded an engine on the Western Indiana and induced the engineer, George Bradey, and the fireman, J. C. Trail, to leave the engine, thereby stopping the train. Hannahan was indignant when he was before the commissioner, and protested against being compelled to give 83,000 bail. “I don’t care for myself,” said he, “for I can give that amount. Don’testablish such a precedent.” When he was told that $3,000 was the usual bail, he said no more. Mayor Hopkins, at Chicago, Monday, announced that no labor meetings would be permitted until matters have quieted down. No serious trouble was reported in Chicago, Monday. The B. &O. brought in a heavy coal train during the day for tho water works under guard of United States soldiers.ZHad it not arrived when it did the water works would have been compelled to close down. Trouble broke out among the miners in Vermillion county, Monday evening, and Marshal Hawkins at Indianapolis received telegrams from the Chicago & Eastern Illinois road asking for deputies at Clinton and* Norton Springs and at Brazil. At Clinton 150 men took possession of the freight train, derailed three cars across the track, and drove the crew away. They said passenger trains could run, but no freights. Deputies were also asked for at New Albany and Evansville. The strike is a faiiuro at Milwaukee and the railway officials - stated that they had no trouble in handling trains. A correspondent of the Inter-Ocean at Alexandria Bay, N, Y., denies that Secretary Herbert has been there in consultation with Mr. Pullman. He obtained a written statement for the Inter-Ocean, but was denied an interview. The written statement by Mr. Pullman is as follows: There is no solution practicable unless those who wish to be employed at the Pullman shops realize and act upon the rule of business, that the aggregate cost of a piece of work must not exceed its selling price. A continuous violation of that rule must wreck tho Pullman shops or any other shops and permanently stop all work of -its employes. This company can not control the selling price of cars, and it cannot pay more for making them than it can contract to sell them for. It is impossible to submit to arbitration whether or not it shall be so, and that it shall be so is the only demand made upon the company.

Mayor Hopkins approves the President’s proclamation and telegraphed to the President to that effect. He denies having ever expressed dissatisfaction with tho Presideht's course. Congressman Hammond, in an interview at Washington, condemns the recent shooting of innocent spectators at Hammond in the :tr.) igest terms. Mayor Pingree, of Detroit, is trying to got all the Mayors in the country to unite with him in a petition to George M. Pullman to arbitrate. The President Monday evening, issued another proclamation similar to that of Sunday night, directed especially against strikers in the States of North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, Colorado and California, and tha Territories of Utah and New Mexico, and especially along the lines of such railroads traversing said States and Teritories as are military roads and post routes, warning them to disperse and cease from all unlawful acts and obstructions. A San Francisco dispatch, July 10, says that the strikers in that section of the country are fully armed audit is generally believed will resist the troops on all occasions, The A. 11. U. arsenal at Sacramtffito holds 1,600 rifles and plenty of shotguns and ammunition. In the face of this warlike attitude of the A. R. U. the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers tendered their services to tho railway companies and announced that they were ready to return to work. Superltendent Fillmore replied that the railway was not ready and promised tho men that he would notify them if he decided to accept their services.

An unknown man at Chicago attempted to kill Vice-President Wickcs, of the Pullman company, Tuesday, with an infernal machine. The Hig Four shops at Indianapolis closed down, Tuesday, because of the strike, throwing six hundred men oqt of employment. General Master Workman Sovereign, at Chicago, late Tuesday oven in", issued a proclamation calling on all Knights of Labor in America to quit their usual avocations and show their sympathy for the A. R. U. by refraining from all work until Mr. Pullman consents to arbitration. Mr. Sovereign denounces Pullman in strong terms and says the ilames of discord have beep fanned by railway corporations. In conclusion Mr. Sovereign says: If the present strike is lost to labor It will retard the progress of civilization and reduco tho possibility of labor to ever emancipate itself from the thralldom of greed. The dignity of labor and all tho victories won in the past are at stake in this conflict. I beseech you to be true to your obligations in this hour of trial. Court the co-operation of the generous public. Stand firm and united in our common cao«o and the victory will be one of peace and prosperity for the faithful. Mr. Debs also issued an address to the

,A. ,R. 0. Tuesday evening urging all strikers to absolutely refrain from acts of violence. Mr. Debs predicts that the stoppage of work will become general, asserting the people are with the strikers, who, he says, are merely contending for justice for their fellow-workingmen. Gen. Miles stated Tuesday evening that h(? did note look for any more serious trouble. Nor did he .believe there would be apy serious interruption of business from a general strike by organized labor. He stated that there were 50,000 union laborers in Chicago who might quit work, but that there were 200,030 men who work who belonged to no organization who had to work for a living, to say nothing of the tens of thousands of unemployed who could fill the places of every striker. A gang of incendiaries burned the Monon bridge over the Little Calumet river four miles south of Hammond, Tuesday. Gen. Robbins detailed Company E, of Elkhart, to go to that point, and a wrecking crew went along to rebuild the bridge. Twelve hundred people attended the funeral of Charles Fleischer, who was shot by tho U. S. troops, Tuesday afternoon. At Spring Valley, 111., Company C, of the Fifteenth regiment. State militia, came in collision with a mob of strikers, who attacked them viciously with stones. The soldiers finally fired into the mob killing two men' and wounding several. The mob was made up of Poles, Huns Lithuanians, and a few Italians. Tne situation in California became more dangerous, Wednesday. Twice during the day the troops were ambushed at Sacramento. Six hundred U. S. regulars arrived and went to the support of the State militia, but subsequently withdrew. They had no sooner left than strikers on the wharves opened fire on the militia. Two hundred shots were fired. A Japanese boy was killed accidentally, A train under guard of U. S’. regulars was derailed by strikers between Sacramento and Davisville. The engineer and three private soldiers were killed. Five other soldiers were dangerously injured. Harry Knox, leader of the strikers at Sacramento, is- | sued a statement denying, all knowledge |of the outrage, Col. Graham, in comj mand of the regulars issued orders extend - i ing the picket lines and placing the city practically under martial law. Two other trains were ditched at Oakland and great damage was done to railroad property at various points. The ultimate effect of the appeal issued by Grand Master Sovereign of the Knights of Labor, calling on all knights throughout the country to quit work, and the order issued about the same time by the representatives of allied labor in Chicago to do likewise, can not be foreseen. All that is now definitely known is that the Knights of Labor at all points heard from, including nearly all of the larger centers of population in the United States,remained at work, Wednesday, with practical unanimity, and that, in Chicago, tho number of members of the allied trades which remained at work so far outnumbered those who quit as to make no appreciable change in the industrial appearance of the city Tho leaders, however, say there is nothing in the the situation to cause them discouragement. Attorney General Olney sent a telegram, Wednesday, to special U. S. Attorney Walker, regretting the great mistake made by the officers in seizing Mr. Debs’ private papers. Ho stated that the Government’s case was too strong and righteous to warrant any questionable methods to secure evidence. Knights of Labor contemplate the impeachment of Attorney-General Olney. Judge Grosscup, at Chicago, Wednesday, called the deputy marshals into court and reprimanded them for the seizure of Mr. Debs’ private correspondence and peremptorily ordered the return of ail such papers. The officers set up the defense that the seizure was unintentional and oniv happened because the papers were in confusion with the records of the A. R. U. Mr. Debs expressed himself as satisfied with the apology.

LATEST. _ AT SACRAMENTO. Friday, at Sacramento. Cal., was one of the most exciting days in the history of the strike. A company of regulars escorting an engine were tired upon by strikers. The troops returned the Are and several men fell. Two were picked up by police and removed to the hospital, and will die. Both men denied that they were connectediwith the strike. United States Marshal Baldwin shortly after patrolled the city with all tho force at his command and proclaimed martial law. He called on the people to return to their homes and remain there till tho trouble was over, but the crowd remained upon the streets in defiance of the order. Later in the day, however, comparative quiet was restored and the railway succeeded in getting a train to Rocklin. AT CHICAGO. The conference of the Federation of Labor adjourned, Friday evening, after having decided against a general strike. One thousand dollars was voted for the defense of Debs. A lengthy address was issuecMrom which we make the following extracts: A general strike is not desirable. In making this declaration we do not wish it understood that we are in any way antagonistic to labor organizations now struggling for right and justice, but rather to the fact that the present contest has become surrounded and beset with complications so grave in their nature that we cannot consistently advise a course which would but add to the general coufusion. The public press, ever alive to tho interest of corporate wealth, has, with few exceptions, so maliciously misrepresented matters that, in the public mind, the working classes are now arrayed iuopen hostility to federal authority. This is a position we do not wisli to be placed in, nor will we occupy it without a protest. Industrial contests cannot beenterel into at the behest of any individual officer of this conference regardless of the position he may occupy in our organization. Strikes in our affiliated organizations are entered into as a last resort. While we may not have tho power to order a strike of the working people of our country we are fully aware that a recommendation from this conference to tlmn to lay down their tools of labor will largely influence the members of our affiliated organizations, and appreciating tho responsibility rest'ng upon ns. and the duty we owe to all, we declare Jt to be the sense of this conference that a general strike at this time is Inexpedient, unwise and contrary to the best interest of the working people. We further recommend that all connected with the American Federation if Labor now out on a sympathetic strike should return to work, and those who

contemplate going out on a sympathetic strike are advised to remain at their asaal avocations. By this railway strike the people areonce more reminded of the immense forces held at the call of corporate capital for the subjugation of labor. For years the rajlroad interests have shown the lawless examples of defiance ,to injunctions, and have set aside laws to control them. They have displayed the utmost contempt for the interstate commerce law, have avoided its penalties and sneered at its impotenev to prevent pooling, discriminations and other impositions on the public. President Debs, Friday, submitted a proposition to the general managers offering to declare the strike off on condition that the men be all be taken back except those convicted of crime, but the managers refused to consider it. It was understood after this rejection that Debs would renew the strike with all the power at his command. Grand Master Sovereign, in an Interview, also said that he would standby the A. R, U. and would make every effort to tie up the railroads.

AT HAMMOND. A mass meeting of citizens was held Friday night. Addresses were made by lion. Chas. F. Griffin. Rev. Herzberger and others. Mr. Griffin said that it was high time loyal citizens of Hammond should let the outside world know that the resolutions passed at a citizens’ meeting last Monday night not the sentiment of a majority of the citizens of this city; that the meeting had not been advertised so that anyone except those in sympathy with the strikers could know anything about it, and that it was the purpose of the persons who called the meeting to keep the loyal people away. Resolutions of the strongest character were parsed denouncing Mayor Reilley, Sheriff Fredericks and their hundreds of deputies as totally inefficient and incapable of dealing with the serious situation of the times. Disgust and alarm were expressed at the disloyal sentiments voiced by the mass meeting of strikers and their sympathizers held on the 9th. The actions of Gov. Altgeld were denounced as dis loyal and anarchistic. The death of Charles Fleischer was deplored, but the responsibility for the" same was laid on Mayor Reilly, Sheriff Fredericks and the United States Deputy Marshals who permitted grant violations of law day after day until the presence of troops became a military necessity. The resolutions approve heartily of the prompt, firm and patriotic action of President Cleveland and Gov. Matthews in furnishing military protection to life and property, and *he appointment by President CleyeUnd of a committee of arbitration. A movement was inaugurated looking to the organization of a committee of safety. Gen. Robbins is keeping the State militia busy. Every two or three hours during the night detachments patrol the city. Details have been sent to various points in Lake county and are doing efficient police duty. The “boys” at first were received with great disfavor by the people but are now treated with the greatest hospitality.