Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-05-14
THE ATTACK ON THE TRAINS.

THE ATTACK ON THE TRAINS
While every thing was progressing thus
quietly at Mount Clare, and all four trains
had passed off apparently without difficulty,
it appears that the intima:ioh Of being CON-
PEELED to "run the GAUNTLET Of the road
had more direct meaning than was anti
cipatel.
The first train ina, left the sta ton was
composed of about fifteen house cars, with
conductor and four brakesmen. After
crossing Gwvnn's Falls, which is near the
city bo undary, they proceeded on until they
got near to Carroll Spence's place, which
is about two miles from Mount Clare, when
about one hundred men started up from the
roadside, and, notwithstanding speed o:
over ten miles an hour, jumped in between
every car, put down the brakes, pulled out
the coupling pins. and set the whole train
at sea over the road. While this was beng
accomplished the brakesmen and conductor
Jumped off and ran for the woods. pursued
with yells ard stones by the infuriaied mob.
A stone was also thrown at the engineer,
Mr.. Woodail, which slightly injured him
and broke the glass OF his engine house.
By the time tn s was accomplished the
second train came in sight, when seeing
The cars standing on the road, and crowd
of men running toward them, the engineer
stopped. and the conductors and bri kesmen
fed, 70 lowed into the woods bv port on
of :he mob. The third train was served in
the same way, and all hands driven off
The conductors and ,,orakesmen who fed
to the woods, tits thought were not over
taken or injured, unless by the stones thrown
at them, as Their pursuers soon returned
They returned to their homes il is pre- sumed
during the evening, not returning to the
trains.
The rioters carried off all the coupling
and pins, so that, to bring the cars back to
the Company's yard, at Mount Clare, it was
necessary to push all the trains together.
and back them in without couplings, which
was accomplished after considerable labor :.
The scene was of the most exciting
character, the riotors rushing on the cars as
if they had been stationary, and mounting
them so quickly that the engineer had no
idea of the cause, but continued whistliLg
to raise breaks until be found his engine
separate from the cars, and the whole train
uncoupled and scattered over the road.
INTENTIONS OF THE COMPANY.
The strikers have taken such ground in
this matter that the officers of the Company
deem all attempts at compromise impossible.
The bills of all the men have been made :,
out, the M ney sent TO the various stations
and they will be discharged from the service
OF the Company. 1t is also the present In
iention to refuse to re-employ any of those
engaged in the strike, but to man lhe whole
road with new lreignt conductors.
CAUSE OF THE DIFFIcULTY.
The plan Of sealing the cars is nothing
new, being used on The Erie road, and also
on several of the Western roads, with ie-
cided advantage and satisfaction to all par
ties. The strikers. as far as their views
could be gathered, say they do not object to
the seal, but contend that, as many of the
cars have no locks. and other locks are in
dilapidated condition. they are unwilling TO
become responsible for the safety of the
goods that are only secured by piece of
twine, the ends OF which are loosely sealed.
They also say they are unwilling to become
responsible for the alleged contents of a
sealed car, of which they have no knowledge
of the correctness. and urge that in case of
seal being hr, ken, the manifest might ca II
for packages that were never in the cars, and
for which they would be held responsible.
Su far as the protection which the seal W Ill
give them from any suspicion of dishonesty,
they profess to be pleased with it, but require
some guaranty of safety from the malicious
or wilful breaking of The seal by persons
along the line of the ad.
A despatch from the strikers at Martins
burg, however. demands that the conductors
shall have an abstract manifest OF the con-
tents of each car delivered to them, and an
opportunity of examining its contents, before
they will be willing to receipt for the sealed
cars.
The Company deny that they have suspect
ed any OF the conductors to BIZ concerned in
the petty depreda,lons that have been CON-
mitted ON the cars but that the thieving was
done at the stations where the Gars lay over
and the object OF the sealing was to find
out where it was done. They deny that any
cars are sent out without locks, Or with locks
not of sufficient strength, oil that any car is
ever sent out which does not contain every
article OR package mentioned in the man.
iiest.