The Arizona champion., 1885-08-01
Among the Workmen on the Prescott 6 Arizona Central
 Railroad.
A Suspension of Work. LabOrers FuriOus.-.- The Sheriff Called
 Upon to Main
 tain the Law.

| fTeSCOtt U ATlZOna central KallrOaC Company, received telegram from President Hamilton at St. Paul, Minn., that in consequence of the A. & P. and A. T. & s. F. R. R. Co.'S raising their shipping ireights about 40 per cent. they deemed it pruden, to suspend work until the difficulty was tided over, and instructed Col Andrews to suspend the working force but to keep corps of engineer: in the field to complete the location
 The telegram became known in the camp several hours before Col. An. drews, who was away with the engi neers, heard of it, and a false con. struction was put upon the telegram. in consequence of which, when Col, Andrews made the announcement, and with it proposition to either board the men for work for a few days until the money was sent to pay the bills of the Co.,, or continue work as before for wages. The men be. came furious and refused to listen to reason, and by force of arms and threats of personal violence and blood. shed, took possession of camp and attempted to make Col. Andrews 8 prisoner and hold him as hostage un- til the money came. He promptly telegraphed to the President at St. Paul 10 forward him the mon. ey at once to pay the laborers, and showed by his efforts that he was a. anxious to have the men paid as they were themselves. When his pay roll. were made out and his several tele grams and letters were completed Col. Andrews ordered his horse tc go to the station to forward them when to his surprise the whole body of men, armed with shot-guns ano pistols barred his passage and at tempt to leave camp before the money came, one of them going SC far as to propose rope and tree. Col. Andrews then quietly sent his foreman, MT. ]. E. Anderson, to Ash Fork, where he fortunately met Sher. if Mulvenon and they together with Deputy Sheriff Oliver, took the train for the camp, and now instead oi Andrews beng d prisoner in camp, the deputy sheriff is holding the men in subjection with the aid of the as sistance of Messrs. Anderson, Colgan and Lynch. In our interview with Col. Andrews he assured us that the { men would be paid and that Major Wilson was even now on the way to Chino with the money to pay all bills. He added that it was never his inten- tion to desert the men until their wages were paid, and that in giving the orders to suspend work, President Hamilton had no intention of leav- ing the men or bills unpaid, but in the same telegram directed Andrews to telegraph the amonnt needed and that Major Wilson would start at once with the money. Had MT. Hamil. ton been aware of the stringency of our Territorial laws in the protection of laborers' wages, which are differ. ent from those in the East, Mir. An drews assures us that he would not have ordered suspension of work until the money was here to pay the labor bills. And in consequence of our existing laws the Colonel exceed ed his orders by proposing to the men to continue work and then pay would go on as usual. A large ma jority would have consented were 1t not for four or five desperate ring leaders, pad characters, who find their way among good citizens, who not only refused to work themselves, but by threats and force of arms pre- vented others from working and even threatened to kill mules and horses if they were allowed 10 work.
 In consequence oi this attitude the men have forfeited what rights they had under the law in being dis charged without pay. and hence are liable to deduction from their wages for their board since the suspensson, and are further liable to an indict, ment and prose ation for the murder ous threats and resort to arms to take possession of the camp and provis- ions. We hope this matter will be peaceably settled and work resumed as soon as freight difficulties are ad iusted.