The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-14
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The Attack on Captain Nicar and His Res
cue by the Members of the G. A. II.
more wages

cue by the Members of the G. A. IL.
| To the Western Associated Press.
| SOUTH BEND, Jan. 13-Yesterday two hundred
employees at the Oliver Chilled Plow Works
| struck for higher wages, and compelled all the
men to quit. At an early hour this morning
two hundred men congregated in front of the
| gate and would not allow any to enter. Those
who tried to enter were beaten about the head
and body. Officer Kelly, while trying to quiet
the mob, was shot through the scalp and badly
| wounded. Captain Ed Nicar attempted to go
into the Office, when the men attacked him
with clubs and he was badly hurt
| about the head. He entered, locked
the door. and was held prisoner in the office,
| his only companion being a boy.
| He telephoned to the city, and the Veteran
| Guards of the G. A. r. mustered about seventy
rnsla.te-Rescue Captain Nissgs wheis member of
the Guard. Sheriff Roekstrap empowered them to
act as State militia to preserve the peace and to
] disperse the strikers. On hearing this, some of
the strikers left.
| Following is list ef the wounded: Captain
Ed Ncar, Dave Hoffman, Mr.. Card Officer
| Kelly and Jacob Barnhard, the foreman in the
paint shop
Immense crowds thronged the streets and fol-
lowed the Veteran Guards to the factory. Great
excitement prevails.
LATER.-Last evening between and o'clock,
about 200 grinders in the Oliver Chilled Plow
Works struck, and, arming themselves with iron
rods and clubs, marched to the other depart
ments of the factory and compelled the en-
ployes to quit work. Where men refused to
quit they were attacked and brutally beaten. They
then cut the belts, and finally went to the engine
room and forced engineer Roberts to shut down.
Previous to this demonstration the superin-
tendent of the works told these grinders, who are
principally Poles with few Hungarians, if
they had any grievances to place them in writ
ing and appoint committee to present
them, and they would be considered.
They refused to do this. The molders, who
were dissatisfied, agreed to do this last evening,
when they quit work.
| This morning, before daylight, several hun
dred of the Poles gathered in the streets at and
near the gates When the superintendent came
they refused to allow him to go in, and also pre-
| vented any of the workmen entering; they also
| stationed guards at the doors of the Office, to
| prevent any Of the Office force entering The
first of these to arrive was Captain Edwin Nicar,
who forced his way up the steps, and, while
crowding through Them to the door, he was
| struck with club from behind, and he
turned to defend himself other blows with
clubs were showered on his head cutting
| deep gashes. He also cut on his
| wrist The first reports were that he
had been killed, but while severely beaten, he
was only dangerously wounded He succeeded
| in getting into the Office Mr. Keller and Ma
| ior Wadsmith, in defending him and themselves,
were severely injured. Once in, Captain Nicar
and an office boy, named Bayner, held the mob
at bay till the Veterans came to their rescue,
they having been ordered out by the sheriff
| Meantime the mob succeeded in beating the
gate open David Jones, gate-keeper, was
| Swede who refused to strike, was made
to run the gauntlet between two rows
of Poles, who beat him .insensible
with their clubs man, name unknown, had
| his shoulder broken. John Dumbroski, watch
man. was badly beaten, and a dozen others
more or less severely injured. These men being
/ disposed of, the mob had the works at their
mercy, and until the Veteran Guards arrived,
extent of several thousand dollars. At present
/ all is quiet, but there is danger of an outbreak
at any time. Guards patroling the streets.
| The cause of the trouble is this: Previous to
the annual meeting of branch managers, the Oil
vers found that owing to the depression in trade,
| theil goods were accumulating. AT this meet
/ ing it was decided that they must restrict pro-
duction. They first tried running on half time
at the old rate of wages; this was done for about
fourteen days but proved unsatisfactory to the
men; the divers then proposed reduction of
| 121 per cent. OH the average throughout the en-
| tire factory, and to run full time. The Poles
would not agree to this and went out,
and wore out about three weeks. They
then agreed to accept the reduction, and
went to work Dec s. The ring
leaders in the previous strike were
refused work These ringleaders melted this
riot and had the men who were at work make un-
reasonable demands that they knew the divers
| couldn't accept They demanded not only a res
toration of the old wages, previous to the 123 per
/ cent cut but considerable advance. Before
this cut the men were earning an ayeraye of 81 80