Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-08-04

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and three officers. TO retake the buildings; but
the handful Of troops we're met with shouts Of
derislon and a vOlley Of stones, and we're
Obliged to retreat through the yelling throng
on the double quick, number OF the troops
being cut with knives and dubbed, while Col
Flach was badly beaten, and twice knocked
down before he escaped. At Hornellsville,
n. Y, an attempt to compromise between the
Erie railroad strikers and the company was
made, but an offer by the former was rejected
by the latter. The Twenty-third regiment, Of
Brooklyn, was sent to the scene. Several I'M
successful attempts to stop the train containing
the troops were made, and when within mile
OF Hornellsyille about twenty men boarded the
cars, having previously torn up rail about a
mile ahead The Seyenty-fourth regiment
soon arrived from the town and deployed on
each side Of the track as skirmishers, while the
Brooklyn troops left the train. The rail was re-
placed and the train moved slowly into the
town, where a strong body of militia was already
stationed. At st. Louis strike took place
among employees Of the Eastern roads, and all
freight trains were stopped, and at Marietta,
Pa, three loaded cars were thrown from the
track and rolled into the Susquehanna river
At Fort Wayne, Ind, and Columbus, Ohio
bodies of strikers marched from place to place,
compelled the workmen in the machine shops
rolling mills and factories to quit work. Three
special cabinet meetings we're held in Washing
ton, and proclamation was issued by the
President, commanding the..rioters in Pennsyl-
vania to disperse.
-Four days after the breaking out of the ter
ribe railroad riots the strike was still spread
ing all over the country, although the terrible
scenes of bloodshed witnessed on the previous
days had ahated. The strike extends across
the continent from the Atlantic to the Missis-
sippi and not less than one hundred thousand
men were concerned in it and over a million
dollars worth of property was affected. Not
only the railroad interests were touched by
the strike, but also the great iron, coal and
other industries. At East Albany, N. Y, the
employees of the New York Central railroad,
who had not yet been drawn into the strike,
began the movement by quitting work, visiting
the shops of the company and inducing the
workmen there to knock off. East Albany was
visited by crowd and the freight tracks torn
up. The Ninth regiment, from New York city,
proceeded to the scene and arrived safely i'll
Albany, although their train was stoned on the
way. At Buffalo mob fell upon a militia
company on the outskirts of the city and took
away the muskets of the soldiers after fight,
in which one striker was killed and q number
wounded. Another Buffalo mob set fire to a
train of empty grain cars and were watching
the confagration when body Of one hundred
policemen appeared. The officer in command
ordered the crowd to dispense, but no answer
was made to the demand Then he ordered a
charge, and the police, with extra large clubs
in their hands, fell upon the mob right and
left with such impetuous vigor that the rioters
fled in dismay, many of them receiving broken
heads The employees of the New York Cen
trail at Syracuse also struck and detained six
hundred freight cars, seventy engines and forty
freight trains. A stranger who advised the
strikers to burn the buildings of the company
was driven from the yard with elevated pistols
At Hornelsville, N. Y, the large force of
militia sent there guarded the railroad proper
ty, although the tracks leading to the place
were torn up. A detachment of the Twenty
third regiment of Brooklyn on its way to Hor-
nelsville experienced considerable difficulty in
getting to the town, as the strikers tore up the
rails ahead of the train and constantly OBJ
structed the track. Finally company was de,
tailed to pursue the strikers and dispense them,
which was done, and the train reached its
destination. Five rlngleaders of the rioters at
Hornellsville were arrested. At Reading, Pa,
thirteen persons were killed and forty-three
wounded during the riot Members of the
Sixteenth regiment, sent to Reading, cooper
ated with tho rioters to the extent of furnish
ing them with arms and ammunition and
threatening not only not to fire upon them but
to turn their guns upon the other regiments in
case of further trouble. The Fourth regiment,
also stationed at Reading, was greeted with
Kisses and a shower of brickbats for the part
taken by it in the bloody affray of the previous
day. At night five batteries of the regular army
reached the place, and as they marched
through the streets, which was lined with
dense throngs, not hand or voice was raised
against them, the presence of United States
troops seemingly having more effect than that
of the militia At Chicago nearly all the en-
ployees of the many railroads there struck and
marched through the streets, compelling the
90 tho
factories which lay in their way to cease work
and join them. At st. Louis all passenger
and freight traffic WAS blockaded, and at Kan,
sas City, Mo.,-a large railroad center
strikers closed all railroad shops and compelled
the workmen in packing houses, brickworks,
and ON the public buildings and streets to STOP
working. At Indianapolis, Ind, all travel and
traffic were stopped, and at Scranton, Pa, the
men employed in the rolling mills of the Lacka-
wanna Iron and Coal Company left their work
in body.
The fifth day of the great railroad war passed
and the blockade of trains continued, while the
business interests of the country were still
partially paralyzed. In those sections where
the strike first resulted in scenes of bloodshed
and violence-in Maryland Pennsylvania and
New York-matters had taken a quieter look
and the West had in turn became the ground
of riotous demonstrations In Chicago a moi
of about 5000 persons congregated in the
vicinity of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
round house with the evident intention of max.
ing an attack on the railroad property. de.
tachment Of twenty policemen was sent to the
scene, and the officers, on arriving there, found
themselves surrounded by a dense mob who
assailed them on every side with bricks and
stones The police made charge and begal
to force their way out, using their clubs will
desperate vigor and without stint. When the
police reached the outer edge of the crowd
three of the rioters had been killed and q mum
Der wounded, while several of the officers were
also badly injured. Another detachment Of
400 officers was sent to the scene of riot ant
the disturbance was quelled and property saved
Several other large mobs passed through diff
ferent parts of the city during the day. com
pelling the workmen of the establishments they
passed to cease work, and occasional collisions
occurred between the police and the rioters, il
which the latter we're generally dispersed. Ii
New York o meeting, called by society O
Internationalsts or social reformers, wa
held in the evening in Tompkins Square, stu
ated in the heart of the crowded portion of tn,
city. About 10000 people were gathered il
| and about the Square, and several hundred
! policemen we're near at hand to prevent an,
disturbance. The meeting was quiet and order
| ly, although at its close crowd marching il
procession through a side street were charge,
by the police and scattered, one mana locker
on being dubbed by several officers and break
ing leg in his efforts to escape. At Louis
vile, KY, an unsuccessful attempt was mad
to burn railroad Office All business ther
was suspended and 700 militiamen were o.
duty, ready for an emergency. In Toledo
Ohio, the strikers closed all manufactures an
broke up meeting of citizens presided owe
by the mayor. In st. Louis and Kansas City
NO., the strikers were still master of the situa
| tiOn and all railroad traffic WAS retarded
! Chicago and San Francisco were the scene
of sanguinary riots on the sixth day of tn
labor troubles, and in st. Louis several demon
STATIONS by mobs took place, without any SER
GUS conflict occurring, however. In Chicag
rioters began to gather at the Halstead stree
viaduct at an early hour, and soon their nun
bers were swelled to 10000. A body of polio
approached and at first the mob ran in ever
direction but gathering courage from thel