The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-11-03
RAILROAD STRATEGY.
THE VALLEY TRIES TO CROSS THE
CONNOTTON TRACK SUNDAY
NIGHT
But Are Caught i'm the Act and Stopped
by Sheriff Altclxruse and Posse
OF Policemen.


OF Policemen.
The lumber yards of Willis, Benskin &
Co., and Campbell, Eek & Co., receive a
large proportion of their lumber via the
Valley Railway. To reach their yards it
is necessary to transfer the cars on the
Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne 81 Chicago
track. Up to last June the latter COM
pany charged the Valley road 81 per car
for the work of transferring. In that
mOnth'the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne s.
Chicago authorities decided to increase
the price to SO per car. To avoid this
exhOrbitant price, as the Valley cOnsid-
cred it, the latter company got the per-
mission Of the city council to run a
side track along Mulberry street,
on which the principal manufacturing
establishments are located, cuTying
thence over Ninth and Eighth streets to
Seventh, where the yard of Campbell,
Eek & Co., is located. At the intersec-
tiOn of Mulberry and Ninth streets the
COnnOttOn road enters the city, and to
reach Seventh street it is necessary for
the Valley sidetrack to cross the main
line of the COnnOttOn. Track was laid
some months ago by the Valley road to
within two car lengths of the COnnOt-
ton line on each side. They were pre-
engine, placed upon the track at the
point of Intersection, until an injunc-
tiOn was issued by the Court of Common
Pleas, enjOining the Valley company
from crossing. 1t was anticipated sew
eTal weeks ago that a fOrcible attempt
to cross would be made by the Valley
folks and the COnnOttOn had the
place guarded. An injunction filed by
the COnnOttOn i'll Probate Court was
decided against the Valley some two OF
three weeks ago, and two similar in
functions are now pending in the Com
mon Pleas Court. The excitement over
the matter had subsidized and it was
thought the Valley would await the ac-
tiOn of the court. About midnight
Saturday night, Officer Lehnis noticed
an engine with three fiat cars, ON which
were some forty or fifty men, slowly and
as quietly as possible, pulling up the
Valley side track toward the COnnOttOn.
Divining the intention of the party he
hastened to the residence of John Allen,
COnnOttOn depot policeman, and these
two with Officer Schlegel, whom they
met on the way, hurried to the scene.
At the intersection of the COnnOttOp
line and the Valley side-track is the lum-
ber yard oJ Willis, Benskin & Co. This
firm allowed the Valley to extend
its track ON their premises for con-
venience in receiving lumber, but
the right of way was not sold
to the Valley Company. When the Off
GERS mentioned reached the scene the
gang of Valley wOrkmen were found
tearing down a fifteen foot high lumber
pile, which was stacked up at the ter
minus of the side track. Part of the
lumber was strewn about and part of it
loaded on the cars. The work of moving
thn Inmhar NUaG On uniat lU
that half block off no sound of the
work could be heard. Messengers, in the
meantime, had been sent to the COnnOt-
ton rOundhOuSe, to Sheriff AltekruSe,
Willis, Benskin 81 Co., and Superinten-
dent MOffett, and Attorney William A.
Lynch, Esq, of the COnnOttOn. In a few
minutes COnnOttOn engine No. 8, en-
gineered by Stephen Whitney, ConnOt-
ton emplOye, steamed up and was sta
toned on the disputed crossing. Shortly
after Sheriff Altekruse with posse OF
policemen and the above named gentle
men appeared. By this time it was one
o'clock and the Valley wOrkmen had re-
moved all but two feet in height of the
lumber pile. AS soon as Messrs. Viii.
lis and Benskin arrived, they jumped
up on the lumber pile, ordered the men
to cease work or be arrested by the
Sheriff. Work was ceased and the men
boarded the Valley cars. An attempt
was made to ascertain the name of the
foreman of the gang, but the men re-
fused to reveal. The night was moon
light, and the scene was quite a dra-
matte one. On the COnnOtton track at
the proposed crossing stood an engine
and round about it the COnnOttOn Off
cials. On the Valley side-track was an
engine and three flats, latter loaded
mil I'm hn- XVI al cfnn
fifty WOrkmen. On the intervening
space, about forty or fifty feet, were the
Sheriff and policemen, waiting for the
next move, while on the torn down
lumber pile stood Messrs. Willis and
Benskin. Matters remained thus until Z
O'Clock yesterday morning, when the
Valley train pulled up the track, a short
distance, and, backing down swiftly,
ran one of the fiat cars off the rails up
to within about car length of the en-
gine on the COnnOttOn track. 1t is sup
posed that this was done in the hope of
being able by sheer force to run the flat
cars against the COnnOttOn engine, with
the hope of dislOdging it from the track.
Shortly after the Valley engine with
drew. An hour or so later the Valley
workmen re-appeared and asked per.
mission to unload the lumber from their
cars and replace it, but this was per-
emptOrily refused by Sheriff Altekruse.
The scene of war was guarded all day
Sunday and last night, but no
new attempt to cross was made.
An engine was kept on the pro-
posed crossing place all the time. Sun
pay afternoon the COnnOttOn Company
dumped some five OF six car loads of
of sandstone at the terminus of the Val
ley side track on Willis, Benskin 81 Co.'S
premises. Crowds of people visited the
seat of war on Sunday. Mr.. Benskin
told DEMOCRAT reporter that their firm
will sue the Valley Company for dam
ages and have the men who moved the
lumber arrested. 1t was reported that
Superintendent Sam Briggs, of the Val
ley Company, was here Saturday night,
but this statement is entirely unfOunded.
Further developments, if there be any,
will be awaited with interest by Can