Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 99, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 August 1904 — POISON AS A WEAPON. [ARTICLE]

POISON AS A WEAPON.

Hundred Nonunion Men in East St. Louis Made 111. At East St. Louis, 111., one hundred men employed at the Armour plant in place of the striking butchers and meat cutters, were made violently ill, an unidentified person having drugged the soup served for supper. Shortly after the meal had been eaten first one and then another of the men complained of feeling ill. Soon the list of sick became so large that those in charge of the plant became frightened end Dr. J. L. Wiggins was notified. He hurried to the plant and discovered what was the matter With the men. Representatives of the packers say that several hundred of the men who went on strike have been taken back, but it is not stated in what department they work. It was said further that the packers are getting skilled butcher help, which at first they had trouble iu securing. This, however, Is denied by the strikers, woh assert that the packers are not getting any union men back. At Kansas City many additional strikers, practically all of them unskilled laborers, applied for their old places at the plants of Swift & Co., Armour & Co. and the Fowler Packing Company, and were re-employed. With the receipts at the yards the heaviest for more than a month the packers asserted that the sitnation from their standpoint was greatly Improved. Local strike leaders; however, appear satisfied with, the situation and say that the men who returned to work were some of the newest' members of the union, whose action would not affect the older men.