The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-05-10
Eight-hour Riot in Chieago-An Busi-
ness Disorganized.
From the Chicago Journal, 81

SUITS III tUlS CITY amtf8 Lue CiuplOyciS anu
employed, in various branches Of business,
and 1t is plain that the industrial interests
of the city are being afectad quite deleteri.
ously thereby.
In a very large number Of the manufac,
turing and other business establishments
operations have been either wholly or par
tally suspended for the present, the men
heretofore employed in them insisting Oh
the new system, as to the number Of hours
which are to constitute legal days work,
while their employers refuse to make any
such change.
Last night, Captain Kennedy, of the Sec
ond Precinct Police Force, received word
from parties engaged in the freight-hou>o
of the Chicago, Burlington and Qaincy
railroad, located near Seventeenth street
and the river that trouble was anticipated
at the establishment, if the men employed
there should continue their work under the
ten hour system, and that threats of in
reference and personal violence had been
made by numerous "eight-hour men.
Early this morning Captain Kennedy de-
tailed Sargean. Clarity with squad of ten
men to protect the freight-house and pre-
serve order in that part of the city. On
arriving at the above mentioned building,
at half past six o'clock, Sergeant Garrity
encountered nothing like riotous assem-
blage there, but soon learned that mob OF
men, had been 'raiding' quite extensively
The chief object of the mob seemed to be
to close up every establishment in which
''ten hour men were at work. Their first
raid was upon the lumber yard of King u
Brothers, at the head of canal street, which
they summarily closed up. They then Wis
tied three or four lumber yards in that part
of the city, and served them in similar
manner They subsequently went to the
large planning mill of Goss L Phillips on
the corner OF Twelfth and Clark streets,
and that of similar establishment on the
corner of Canal and Harrison streets, and
compelled the proprietors to suspend OPP
erations and their employees to leave the
premises.
Their next demonstration was upon tho
lumber yards Of O. NJ Dalton & Bro, and
Bigelow & Brothers, which are located side
by side on the west side Of the South
Branch, near the Eighteenth street bridge.
Rushing into these yards with wild yslls
aDd shouts for the Eight Hour Law" &c !,
they were about to eject the men at work
when they encounte,ed Sergeant Clarity
and his posse The mob was too strong,
numerically, for the Sergeant and his small
squad to attempt any arrests, but the police-
men firmly stood their ground, and insisted
that the crowd must disperse. When the
mob first rushed into the yard of Bigelow L
Brothers, a number Of men were engaged
in unloading the lumber vessel Wyoming"
lying at the yard, and it was expected that
an attack would be made upon them, but it
soon being ascertained that those men we're
employed by the job, with no reference to
the number of hours, the mob seemed to
feel as though they had gotten into the
wrong pew" In the course of half an
hour or more, the excited crowd moved
away from the yards and disappeared from
the scene, when the police force returned to
| the Burlington freight house to await fur
| ther developments.
| After lspss Of nearly an hour, about
1.-TWO hundred Of the mohoorats We're seen
rushing down the railroad track towards the
| Fort Wayne freight house, yelling like so
many Indians Nearly all were armed With
sticks, clubs, or pieces OF lumber, while
many carried stones and brickbats in their
hands.
As soon as this attempted d" flank mora-
ment' was discovered, Sergeant Clarity
and his men started for the last mentioned
freight house Then commenced lively
race between the mob and the police-each
party striving to reach the building first,
The police were the swiftest They reached
the building about one minute before tho
mob, and takinga position on the platform
in front of the entrance of the building,
each man placed his hand upon his revolver
and stood ready to repel an attack. As the
surging mob came up, one malicious look
ing fellow, who seemed to be a sort Of ring
leader for the gang, shouted, as he picked
up huge boulder, Stones. boys, stones,
livery divil Nv ye git a stone !" which many
of them did, while those having clubs raised
them menacingly over their heads, shout,
ing "No more ten hour men here - The
But, Oh arriving in front of the platform,
the spectacle presented by the police force
checked them, and a sudden halt was made.
A parley cnsued Safgeant Clarity in,
formed the mob that they must dispcfse,
that their proceedings were unlawful, and
that they must not interfere with other
men S business, etc. After much loud talk
and numerous ominous threats, the rioters
finally retired from that spot and started.
as was supposed, for Bridgeport. Where
their next demonstration may occur, it IS
impossible at this hour to foretell. Another
mob attacked man engaged at work, at
Parker & Stearns' sash manufactory, Nos.
327 and 329 Canal street, and dragged him
into that thoroughfare. He drew Ievol.
yer and kept his assailants at bay, and f.
nally intimidated them so as to cause their
moving off in search of other game In
the struggle, the object of the mob's wrath
received cash on his face and nose, the
latter being injured very badly.
A request, about eight o clock was sent
to the police headquarters, asking that a
detachment Of men be.sent to,he Michigan
Central Railway depot, on account of the
presence Of gang of strikers, who were
driyinsoff the company's $ workmen Be-
fore the police arrived, the mob had dis-
persed, and quiet again reigned. How long
peace will last cannot be supposed, as the
rioters left the scene grumbllng and mutter.
ing threats of violence.
The journal Of the 9th, inst, says that
in some large shops the hands have gone
back to work on the ten-hour plan, while
in others they work eight-hours at reduced
wages.