The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-20
The Strikers Appoint Committee of Safety.
and Disclaim Violence, but UncoupIe Cars
and Prevent Freight Trains Moving.
The Day Marked by Riotous Demonstra-
tons in New York and Baltimore.
The Police Of the Former City Charge and
Dispense the Crowds, Injuring Seventy
Of the Rioters-0ther Strike News.
THE STRIKING swITCHMEN.

Business Suspended In The Lake shore Yards
"A Call for County and State Aid Probable.
CHICAGO, April 19-Business has been entire
ly suspended in the yards of the Lake Shore g.
Michigan Southern road ever since the switch
men struck Saturday night. ALI day yesterday
there was big crowd Of strikers and spectators
at the Forty third street yards. but deeds of
violence we're committed. The switchmen held
meeting last night and appointed committee
of thirty men to do picket duty and protect the
companys property. One half are to stand guard
by day and the other half are to go on duty az
night. The strikers deny that they have asked
the company to discharge the eight Objectionable
non union men. They say they would be salts
fed if the company removed them to some other
department. of the road outside of the capacity
of switchmen. At 8 o'clock this morning the
freight officials reported everything quiet No
attempt has been made yet to move freight
A crowd of some two hundred men were congre-
gated around the tracks and round houses of the
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railway, at
Forty third street, this morning. AS
only seventy men are involved in
the strike the majority of the crowd
is composed of outsiders and sympathizers,
The COMMITTEE of safety" which the strikers
appointed to look out for the interests of the
company, and to prevent damage TO property, or
violence TO men, is on hand At $50 A. NJ an
engine, guarded by two deputies, left the round
house and steamed slowly up the track in the di-
rection of the freight yards. The groups of
strikers who had been standing around idly Cos
sping with the policemen on duty Immediately
broke up Two or three of them jumped on to
the moving engine, and had an earnest consulta-
ton with the engineer. They jumped off again,
and the engine proceeded to where a train Of
three refrigerator cars, and one common car.
| ana a eabooss stood. The engine was coupled
on without any difficulty, the signal to 60 ahead
given, and, with two policemen stationed at the
end of each car the train slowly started up.
General Freight Agent Blodgett and General
Yardmaster Jones boarded the caboose, and
| everything seemed to be moving all right. when
| a dozen men climbed on top Of the
train and set the brakes The train be-
| gan to slow up and in a moment the
| full head of steam which the engineer turned on
| only served to turn the engine wheels like so
many wind mills, without moving the train an
| inch. Cries of derison were sent up by the
| crowd of strikers, which rushed for the train,
and in spite Of the representations of the police,
uncoupled every ear and sent the coupling pins
| flying through the air on the other side of the
trains of cars standing on siie-tracks. The Off
| Gals dismounted from the caboose with the DO
| licemen, and the strikers formed into little
knots to discuss the affair and await further de-
| velopments. Not blow was struck by either
| the police or the men, who maintained the ut
most good humor throughout the affair The
| town of Lake has about thirty policemen on the
| scene. or about rs per cent. of the entire force
| 1t is stated on good authority that the Lake
| Shore officials propose to make the present strike
an absolute issue as to their right to retain their
non-union men and afford them adequate protec-
| ton. The failure of the town of Lake police to
| protect their property against the strikers will
be taken as clearly showing that the town can.
not or will not afford protection, and the sheriff
| and Governor, in turn, will be called on for as
| sistance.
| A freight train was started out from the
| Twelfth street yards of the Lake Shore this
afternoon. Upon reachii-g the stockyards, how.
| ever, the strikers took possession of it, setting
| the brakes and withdrawing the coupling pins.
| A train was moved from the yards at Twelfth
street by means of ruse on the part of the rail.
road officials. To accomplish their purpose they
held back the regular mail train; then Assistant
Yardmaster Brackley started to couple on the
caboose A committee Of three switchmen ap-
pointed to watch the Twelfth-st crossing.
asked him not to do SO, but Brackley made the
coupling. The mail train then pulled in behind
| the freight. and orders were given to
the engineer of the latter to pull out.
| This he did, closely followed by the mail No
| effort was made to interfere with the movement
of the train beyond the request made to Brack-
| ley, and the committee at Twelfth street aver
| that they will not countenance any overt acts.
They also want it distinctly understood that the
| Switchmen's Union has nothing to do with tina
| strike It is the switchmen Of tho Lake Shore
road that they represent
| The superintendent of the Lake Shore said to
reporter this evening: 1--WE are trying TO start
| our trains, but we have no protection. We have
| plenty of switchmen, and as fast as they couple
cars they are uncoupled. The numbers arc
about six to one against rs. rs there are details
| of men sent there to defeat US All that pre-
tents bloodshed is the fact that we use no force
| in srying to start trains. This strike question
is al, old one, and it is time it was settled, and
we propose to settle it this time"
| It now looks as if the county and State would
! both be asked for aid.
Seventeen men, some from points as far east
as Buffalo and Erie, wero on hand this after
noon to take theplaces OF the striking switchmen.
| By promise of other employment, or intimida-
tion some of the seventeen. immediately upon
their arrival, were made TO believe that it was
TO their interest to refrain from doing stroke
OF work. The remainder of the seventeen ex
! planned to tho strikers that they were without