Middletown transcript., 1877-07-28
THE LABORERO' REBELLION +!
RIoTTNGAND BL0oDSHED
Mob Violence, Anarchy and Ruin !
Wanton Destruction Of
Propertyt
BArrLns or mILITARY ASD MONS ]
a COMMUNISTS WAR;.

A COMMUNISTS WAR!
The troubles between the employees Of III,
great railroad corporations, which led to III,
strikes of the workmen last week, the aban
donment of trains and the forcible resistanc,
TO the operation Of the roads, extended 10 +
degree, in the latter part of last and the frs
of this week, unparalleled in the history o.
strikes or mobs in this country. The trouble
at Martinsburg, of whiclnwe gave an account
last week, having extended to Cumberland,
Governor Carroll, on Friday, issued procla-
nation ordering the dispersion Of the strikers,
and, at the same time, ordered the Fifth and
Sixth. Regiments Of the Maryland National
Guards Of Baltimore to repair to the scene b
difficulty to aid in The maintenance Of III,
law and in the protection Of the property o.
the railroad company. The attempt Of the
troops to obey this order of the Governor wa;
resisted by sympathizers with the strikers and
led to
TERRIBLE RIOT IN BALTIMORE.
The vengeance of the mob seemed especially
directed towards the members of the Sixth
Regiment, it being composed chiefly of ner
from the iaboring classes, for which reason
doubtless the rioters thought that they (iht
soldiers) ought 10 sympathize with the stri
kers. When the signal was sounded for tho
troops TO assemble, m immense crowd gath.
cred around the armory Of the Sixth and be-
gan hooting and jeering the soldiers and pelt
ing with stones every lpckless ''uniform" that
appeared upon the street. Some two hun
dred Of the men, however, had succeeded in
reaching the armory, and at length the order
was given for them to begin their march tC
Camden Street Station. As soon as the head
of the column made its appearance it was as
saulted with a terrible shower of bricks, cob.
ble-stones, pistol balls, and other missiles
and driven pell nell back into the armory
The panic, however, was but temporary, and
in few minutes the troops again sailed forth
cnly to be met by heavier storm than the
former one, and several of them were knocked
down and badly hurt by the heavy missiles
This was more than their untried patience
could endure, end without waiting for The
orders Of their officers the men levelled theil
guns and began
FIRING UPON THE MOB.
Several Of the rioters dropped dead in theii
tracks and many others fell severely wound
cd, and many innocent persons who wert
merely spectators, or passers, were also wound.
ed by the wildly flying balls OF the soldieryi
some being killed outright This promiseu-
Gus firing of the troops exasperated and en-
reged the mob to the utmost desperation, and
when the troops reached Baltimore street they
were again assailed by the crowd which by
this time had swelled 10 immense proportions.
Again and again the troops fred, and each
time the mob was driven back and scattered,
only to rally again and renew the attack. AT
every corner, and from every alley, rocks;
bricks, paving stones aud pistol balls were
poured upon the troops until at last the sta
ton was reached and the men were sheltered
from further attack, having fought their way,
step by step, with the freuzied mob over the
entire route.
MARCH OF THE FIFTH REGIMENT.
When the Fifth Regiment, the Baltmoreans'
pride, debouched from its armory the small
crowd gathered 10 see them pass greeted them
good natgredIy, bidding them goodbye and
advising them to stake care of themselves in
the war, and using other good-humored ex-
pressions, but as they proceeded up the streets
they were met by the vast crowd already
goaded to madness and desperation by the
fatal firing of the Sixth, and were assailed, in
their turn, by shower Of bricks and cobble-
stones, many of them receiving severe and
painful blows and bruises from the heavy
missiles bul these true and veteran soldiers
NEVER FIRED SHOT,
but calmly took the terrible attack Of the
mob without Hinching, those who were struck
being supported by their comrades and con-
tinuing their march until the junction Of Cam
den and Eniaw streets was reached, when the
way was found 10 be blocked by a solid mass
of rough looking men, who seemed determine
ed that the military should not pass The
troops halted for a moment, but, though the
missiles of the mob were falling upon them in
a fearful shower, still not "a shot was fired,
and at the word of command from Capt Zol-
linger, charge, with fixed bayonels, was
made at the double quick, and n passage
forced through the vast crowd at the depot
amid the yels and-shouis of tie mob The
troops'took their positions in the cars 10 be
transported 10 Cumberland, whittier they had
been ordered, bul the mob tore up the rail
road track and thus prevented the cars from
leaving The city. By this time no O'Clock,
p. m, the crowd had reached vast size, es-
fimated al from 10, 600 TO $4,000 people.
THE WORK OF DESTRUCTION.
Three passenger cars were set on fire and the
fire department were notallowed 10 extinguish
the flames, and great fears were entertained
lest the rioters should burn the city The tel
egraph Office, at the railroad station, was de-
stroyed and the wires cut; the platform of
the passenger depot was set on fire, but was
extinguished by the 6remen in spite of the
mob. The depots were fred and partially
destroyed, also several freight cars and loco
motives. In the midst of the riot men were
seen TO jump upon engines, pnt full heads of
steam on and jump 10 the ground again, leav-
ing the engines TO run down the track al their
utmost speed until they were overturned. In
this way many locomotives were broken up
and rendered useless.
Having thus gained their point and pre-
vented the military from leaving The city, the
fury of the maddened crowd gradually subs-
ded, the storm became lulled and comparative
quiet was restored, and on Saturday all was
still
ANOTHER OUTBREAK.
Between two and three O. clock Sunday morn
ing an alarm of fire was given, and it was
found that several cars Of a coal oil train, at
the Camden street depot, had been fred. |