The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-01-18
SHATTERED BY DYNAMITE.
A HAT FACTORY AT SOUTH NORWALK
ROUGHLY SHAKEN UP.

vi rTluBy ul8nL bOutn NOrW0lk was
shaken up worse than at any time during the
nine weeks that the hatters have been on their
strike. and the excitement which had been
langulshing Of late. suddenly reached the boil
ing point Shop No. 2 Of tho Arm OF Crofut 4
Knapp tho most important hat factory in tho
PLACED 10 long two-story brick building run
ming along Water street. with one end facing
on Tolles street. Ninety men. the employers
say. work there during tho day. and thirteen
OF Thorn. who have been imported from
New Jersey. eat their meals there and
sleep there at night In dormitory pre-
pared for Thorn on the second story and at that
end Of the building further from Tolles street.
This measure was adopted. the bosses say
partly for the safety OF the men. but prin cipally
because boarding house and hotel keepers
have boyootted the firm and will not receive
any one connected with It. Besides these
thirteen men. the members OF tho firm and
their sons take turns In sleeping In the factory.
and George Youngs remains awake In the
engine room to keep up steam and attend to
the machinery. At II O'Clock ON Friday night
the thirteen workmen had turned into bed.
Howard Knapp. son OF one OF the firm. and
John Scott. q bookkeeper, lay on cots In the
front ONCE, partly dressed and with revolvers
:. The night was bad. and tho watchman was in
the engine room. out Of the rain, talking with
tho engineer. when both suddenly found them
terrific explosion that had shaken the building
TO its foundations. Scott and Knapp rolled on
ns s sss hPf as Ffsssn
In South Norrwalk was awakened by the noise.
IL NIT sv sSS
.hM Nearly every one who heard y thought y was
nns sh9D SSh
dynamite /" and SGT about to verify their theory.
the building. on the corner OF Water and Toles
streets. thirty feet away from the engine. That
thither the fifteen men went. lantern in hind.
to find tho Waterman and engineer. still hold
ner w%e Mss hs
tSc
the result Of the explosion, Every pane Of
s las In that par. q the building was shiysTsd
Hsts TSs esns s5Ss
was periprated like 4, Sieve With hoies lie sias
OF as Man's fist. big green safe was Scared
We're i!sttsnsd and twistsd almost t boyoad
r r,s, The rest q the furniture was
long while alternately listening to the dis Is
Chief Of Police was on the SPOT and had SUR
Ee
went to bed. leaving the members Of the firm.
sns dawn the sn
showed them clearly what 1t was they had been
:, The iirst thing they settled upon was the.
TINT The explosive had beon placed on tho stone
E1sa q ;SPi ~
s sns
Tue sxpIo.!ss toros ssS had saeS .S do%n.
E Ensa ' ssa osho who q h: :s s :
almost rn Tpnihysr:aiiy and seems the
on hs hss Ss 2, the
across the way. They consisted of q pies s'e Of
iron cap which had evidently bes beer screwed into
the h pipe, piece Of lead and z leather washer.
that they wanted 70 do serious damage. they sS
q. IN dyns
%ss Mh # na bs sa Sa had pn
s SsS .sssySsS III
shaken the building and tho town al''0 nau
tt host OF nsswsspaper men swarmed In early
inc them in the face With part Of the in6abi-
tants helieying one assertion and the remainder
down at tho shop and seemed much aGltated.
."of course 1t is the work Of the strikers;
they arc playing their last card. and think to
irighten our men away from u.s. They evil
riiy them into leaving town or joining the the
union. But our men are not frightened. They
MI; James Il: Knapp. tho senior partner, Of
the firm. was pale and nervous. and seemed to
3. fs :so ssen dog
ma AZ r. s,oss%'
fhs SSnlSes q ths Pabiie IL supporsins the@ e.
tS y \. isr tho strikers. and Wish YOU would
=. All the other manufacturers were much OF
the the same n opi1ion. They ssid they wore en-.
didn't recognize the existence Of any strike.
They employed e what men they chose, and
should be conSersei with. and said that they hey
preferred to agree unon a statement and
nHHmpernS g dozen men. ,r spent the day in their
Just tho reverse OF thu, OF the manuiaeturers err.
Every man wore a smile, and seemed pleased.
Bile. and telegrGms were being sent on, They
said it was ridiculous TO accuse them Of having
Any one can SEE" said one Of them. that
h9 1ossss aa mat n to turn public
to u.s. MAZE seem GeS aaa L
didn't injuro AM body. II we had wanted to do
any dynamite work would We not have put tho
the mon were z That would have been the best
waylof putting them on, II VIC had wanted them
to go. And. then. there was the boiler room.
thirty foot away. 1t was siorming hard no one
could hear man walking on the outside,
putting his dynamite on the window OF the en-
CINE room2 Then hs would have killed tho
engines would have effectuaily stopped the
work; The fact Is. the man who put that dyna:.
ALL. He was on the inside. and put it on tho
inside Of the window. The binds were closed,
street. II ths'dynan,ite had been outside the
shutters. it would have blown the shutters Into
tho room. Most OF tho glass was blown out
upon the sidewalk. Look a. this. and see what
you think"
He exhibited q handful headed. In big
characters. $500 reward" II was an offer OF
that sum 70 any one who who would cnuse the