Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-16
~aLoopshEn IN


A Collision Between Omccrs and Strikers
ut Fort Wortl. Tex. in Which Two Men
Arc Killed and Several BADLY Woundeo
Mr.. Hsxts Snubs the Executive boara
Of tho Knights-The strike Ordered to
BE Continued-Passakc OF the ArDltfs"
tion Bill by the House.
FoRr WoRrn, Tex, April 5.-The first
tragedy to result from the strike on the
Texas & Pacific occurred Sat urday alter
noon, when a group OF strikers. lying in
| ambush a short distance south OF the
city, fired on Il portion OF the
sheriff's posse, fatally wounding Officers
Townsend and Snead and sending n
bullet through the thighs of Po-
liceman Fulford. One OF the strikers,
Frank Piecce, a s%witchman, was killed, and
Toni eece. another, was shotin the groin.
Two other strikers are believed to have
been wounded. Officer Townsend died ut
$50 Sunday afternoon and Officer Smcad
is now lying at the point OF death.
A freight train was made upin the yards
| Saturday morning. and about half-past
eleven O'Clock proceeded on its way south
guarded by twelve officers, armed with re-
v~olvers, under the command OF Special
Deputy Marsal Courtwright. Atthe cross
| ing IL mile and q hall from town a switch
was found open and the train halted. The
officers approached the switch and discov-
cred about twenty OF the strikers lying in
ambush, with their Winchester rifles aimed,
ready to shoot. Firing was opened by
both sides almost simultaneously, and aft.
err about fifty shots had been fired the Off
GERS retreated to the train and returned
with their wounded comrades to the city.
The tragedy occasioned terrible excite
ment throughout the city and Sheriff Mad
dox at once armed two companies OF citi-
zens with carbines and stationed them at
the depot to be ready for future energen-
c1es. The mayor issued a proclamation
appointing seventy-five special policemen,
and kilograms were sent to Governor Ire
land urging him to hurry or a regiment
OF militia at once. He Immediately
ordered out the troops. The
tant-General King, Brigadier. General A.. S.
Roberts, Acknowledgement Templeton, In
spector-General z. Smyth and Colonel w.
7. Gaines are on the ground.
The statement is. made that the strikers
have determined that Fort Worth shall be
the point where trains shall be stopped ut
all hazards, and that there they will win or
lose their battle. On the other hand, it is
said the citizens declare that the Missouri
Pacific trains shall move, even though
it costs scores of lives to accom-
plish it.
ST. LOUIS, April 5.-secretary Turner
and William II; Bailey, OF the general ex-
ecutive committee of the Knights of La-
Dor, arrived from Cincinnati Saturday
morning, and after q long conference with
the joint committee OF the district assem-
blies went to the office of HI. NJ. Hoxic,
vice-president of the Missouri Pacific.
Their interview was OF short duration and
was very unsatisfactory. Secretary Tur-
ner told the story in the following inter-
view:
I'VE called on Mr.. Hoxie Saturday after
not ask us to be seated. Ibegan by asking
him il the statement was true that he had
refused to take back any of the strikers.
He said no; that he would consider per-
sonal applications, but use his own
say that he now needed about fifty per cent
of the number of men who struck, but
was careful not to say that he would not
employ from the body of strikers. I said
that Mr.. Gould had given us to understand
that all except those who actually commit
ted acts OF violence would be taken back.
He said that neither those who committed
such acts nor those who advised
them,, would be accepted. He N
employees before and preferred cut
ting down The force to cutting down
the hours. AT this time MI. Bailey inter
rupted him by saying that that was prob
ably the reason why the company forced
ployes. MI. Hoxie said he could take it that
way if he wanted, and asked me about the
trouble at Sort Worth. told him / very
deeply deplored it. MI. Hoxie then went
had been presented. reminded him of
those presented last September, and he said
oh! Don't rake up ancient history.' /
said that it might be ancient history, but
that the grievances, while they had lain
dormant, Still existed. That was the inter-
view. 1t closed by telling him we would
consult with Nj. Hayes. We stood there
some time and were not asked back"
Mr.. Hayes, the third member of the gen
eral executive committee, Knights of La
Dor, arrived here last night, giving the
committee a quorum. Shortly after Mr..
Hayes arrived the general committee went
into secret session. with the local commit
tees and gave the situation avery fun and
exhaustive discussion The meeting lasted
until midnight, when the committee gave
out a statement to the public. They refer
to the fact that jay Gould had told
them that the officials OF the road would
meet and treat with q committee OF en-
ployes, and say that Mr.. Hoxic, in CON
ferring with them, stated that he would
consider applications, but would use his
own pleasure in acting on them; therefore
they have decided to recall the order given
to the men to return to work, the action
OF the road having made it impossible for
the men to fulfill the order.
A New York dispatch says that Mr..
Gould stated yesterday that the backbone
of the Southwestern strike was broken;
furthermore, that he had been surprised at
the weakness OF the Knights of Labor, and
also that the Missouri Pacific Company
was taking back few OF the strikers, as it
mad applications from new men largely in
excess OF the places to be filled.
WASHINGTON, April a-The Labor-Arbi-
tration bill was passed by tho House Sat-
yrday after amendments had been adopted
fixing the compensation of tho COMMITS
sloners, clerks, marshals, with esses, etc.
and providing that not more than 81. 900
shall be paid out of the treasury to defray
the expenses OF any single arbitration. The
vote on the bill was, yeas, 1876; navs, 20.
Tho following is the negative vote-ali
Democrats: -
nien lmlssl. Leruey,. Norwood,
tSNrIeS, Glover. + O'Eprrtl