The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-07-19
THE B. ( 0. R. R. STRIKE.
RESISTANCE TO,A REDUCTION
OF WAGES.
Soldiers Fire into the Mob at Mar
tinsburg.
One Man Killed and others Wounded

TrOublewith the Baltimore & Ohio Fire.
men--RiOtOus Demonstration at Bal.
timOre and Martinsburgh.
BALTIMORE, July 16.-About forty fire.
men and brakemen of freight trains on
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in this
city refused to work this morning on &C.
count Of the reduction in wages which
went into effect to day, They stopped
two freight trains and beat one of the
new fremen, The policy dispersed the
strikers, and no further difficulty occur
red.
MARTINsBURGH, W. Va, July 16.-The
fremen of all freight trains, on the Balti-
more q Ohio road at this place, twenty
! fiveor thirty in number struck this eve
nlng and left their trains. The company
put new men on their engines at once,
but the strikers interfered to prevent
them from starting the trains, A large
mob assembled at the depot and riot at
one time was imminent. Colonel Shut,
Mayor of the town, with all the police at
his command, arrested the ringeaders of
the strike and attempted to protect the
new men in the discharge of their duties,
bot the strikers were reinforced by large
body of citizens swelling the crowd till it
reached the proportions of large mob.
With the assistance of this mob the strik-
ers succeeded in rescuing their comrades.
The new fireman are now completely in
timidated, and there is no prospect at
present of any freight trains being able
to pass that point to night, The strikers
have done no damage to property and
passenger trains are permitted to pas un-
interrupted.
BALTIMORE, July 1.-THE strikers threw
freight train from the Baltimore & Ohio
track early this morning, damaging the
engine and some cars, and injuring the
engineer and fireman. There is some ex-
cltement here over the attack of the
strikers upon the military at Martins
burg and the shooting ofone striker. No
freight trains have lef Baltimore to-day,
and probably will not move until the
blockade at Martinsburg is removed. The
strike is said to be confined to fremen
and brakemen in Baltimore and at Mar
tinsburg. While quiet prevails in the
city the widest rumors are ahoat of a
general strike this afternoon. From
Martinsburg the latest dispatches state
that the strikers have absolut control of
everything. Passenger trains are not
molested, and are running on time East
and West,
The Attack at Martinsburg.
MARTNsBURe, W. Va, July 17.-Colo-
mel Faulkner with seventy-fve men of
the Berkley Light Infantry Guards ar
rived with loaded muskets and took
charge of one of the west-bound freight
traing that had been detained by the
strikers here and placing his men on
board of the train attempted to move it
on its way west. The strikers and their
friends had gathered in Strong force, not
less than 400 of them being on the scene.
They were armed with every conceivable
weapon, and as the train was about to
start they rushed upon it and cut the
couplings of the cars. Colonel Faulkner
called on them to disperse and ordered |
them back, but these orders were met |
with jeers and threats. The Colonel |
then threatened that he would order the |
soldiers to fire on them il they did not |
Immediately desist Scarcely had the |
words fallen from his lips when fusilade |
of small arms was opened on the soldiers |
by the rioters. One of the soldiers was
wounded by pistol shot and the COM
manding officer Immediately gave the
order to the men to return the fire. The |
soldiers obeyed orders and the fire was
returned, and one of the rioters killed |
outright. Others were supposed to be
wounded as several was seen to be carried
off the ground by their comrades. This
firing caused scene of the widest con-
fusion, and several times the mob charged
on the train, but the military had reload
ed and stood firm and the rioters were
repulsed.
LA1ER-The rioters still are firm and
determined and the presence of the mill
tary only serves to further exasperate
them. The town is wild with excitement
and the strikers and their friends, num-
bering at this time fully 1000 men, are
about bidding defiance to the
military and authorities. Some seventy
five or eighty engineers are congregated
here and none are allowed to depart. A
from the striking firefhen have
notified the engineers that in case any
engineer shall attempt to take train out
Of town he will be Immediately shot. At
noon cattle train bound for Baltimore
to start, whereupon the rioters
locked on board and with drawn revol-
vers placed at the hads of the engineer
and fireman compelled them to run the
train into the stock-yards, where the
cattle were unloaded.
The Situation Along the Line.
BALTIMORE, July 1.-THE situation
along the Baltimore & Ohio Road tonight
Is as follows: Between this city and Mar
;insburg there is no disturbance. At
Martinsburg the strikers have absolute
control and refuse to allow any freight
rains to move. From Martinsburg the i
itrike has extended west to Wheeling on
he main stem and also on the Parkers- ,
1urg branch. At Grafton violence was
but was promptly checked by :
he civil authorities. AtKeyser the new /;
men were forced from trains by the
trikers, who threatened to shoot anyone
attempting to move them. At Martins
,urg seventy trains consisting of about
200 freight cars loaded and empty, two =
birds bound east and one-third west, are I
leld by the strikers. Between 800 and
90 head of cattle were on the eastward '
'ound trains, large proportion of which 9
AVE been turned into the stock-yards or b
djacent pastures. Many of the cars are
aden with grain. Governor Matthews 4;
J now at Grafton with the Matthews :
iuard, numbering sixty men. 3