Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-07-19
RAILROAD STRIKERS.
Riotous Work Along the Line of the Bal.
timore and Ohio.

Baltimore, July 1.-THE situation along
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad TO night is
as follows: Between this city and Martins
burg there is no disturbance. At Martins.
burg the strikers have absolute control and
refuse to allow any freight trains to move.
From Martinsburg the strike has extended
west to Wheeling on the main line, also to
Parkersburg on the branch, numbering a
total of 500 men. At Grafton violence was
attempted but was peremptorily checked by
the civil authorities. AT Keyser the new
men were forced from the trains by the
strikers who threatened to shoot anyone at
tempting to move them. AT Martinsburg
seventy trains, consisting of about 1,2t0
freight cars loaded, and of which two thirds
are bound east and one- third west, are held
by the strikers. Six hundred head of cattle
were on the eastward bound trains, a large
portion of which have been turned into the
stock yards or adjacent pastures. Many OF
the cars are laden with grain. Coy. Mat.
thews is now at Grafton with the Matthews
Guard, numbering sixty men.
Martinsburg, w. Va. July 17.-Colonel
Faulkner, with rs men of the Berkly light
infantry guards, arrived with loaded mus
kets and took charge Of one of the west
bound freight trains that had been detained
by the strikers, and, placing his men on
board, attempted to move it. 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 con
ceivable weapon, and as the train was about
to start they rushed upon it and uncoupled
the cars. Col. Faulkner called on them to
dispense, but the orders were met with jeers
and threats. The colonel then threatened
to fire on them if they did not Immediately
desist, but scarcely had the words fallen
from his lips when a fusillade of small arms
was opened on the soldiers by the rioters.
One of the soldiers was wounded by a pistol
shot and the commanding officer immedi-
ately gave the order to return the fire. The
soldiers obeyed the order and the fire was
returned and one of the rioters were killed
outright. Others were supposed to be woun-
ded as several were seen to be carried off the
ground by their comrades. This firing
caused q scene of the widest confusion and
several times the mob charged on the train,
but the military had reloaded and stood
firm and the rioters were repulsed.
LATER.-The rioters are still firm and
determined, and presence of the military
only serves to further exasperate them,
The town is wild with excitement and tie
strikers and their friends number now fully
1000. Men are marching about bidding
defiance to the military and the authorities
Seyenty-ive or eighty engines are congregat-
ed here and none are allowed to depart. A
committee from the striking firemen have
notified the engineers that in case any en-
gineer shall attempt to take a train out OF
town he will be Immediately shot.
At noon a cattle train bound for Baltimore
attempted to start, whereupon the rioters
tlocked on board and with drawn revolver
placed at the heads of the engine, rs and
fremen compelled them to run he train in
to the stock-yards, where the cattle were
unloaded.