Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-04-19
DODGLNG TnR FACTS.

The afterthought is not always the
best. 1t sometimes leads man into
the labyrlnths of confusion When the
FIGHT occurred at this place between the
strikers and the police, nobody ques-
toned that the assailants were members
OF the Knights of LABOR organization.
The evidence was too strong to be-
ignored or denied At conference OF
citizens and leading representatives OF
the Knights OF Labor, held few days
after the fight, no one Of the speakers in
behalf of that order assumed that the riot
ers were other than what they pretended to
be. One OF the most conservative among
the speakers, and leading Knight, de-
clared that he could not condemn the
strikers until IL was proved that they
tlred the first shot. Another said that
the order, rs such, should not be held
responsible for the acts OF a few members,
acting as individuals, and not as knights
OF Labor. This, indeed is the true view,
and the one to which they should have
chung. But unfortunately a change Of
policy was resolved upon that makes the
assertions of some OF the knights alb
surd, 1t is now contended that the assail-
ants were not Knights OF Labor at all,
but men in Jay Gould's employ, who
were hired to attack the officers on the
train to arouse public sentiment against
the strikers. This is the suggestion of
the Paris Tribune, whose editor is one
OF the executive committee OF District
Assembly No. rs. The Tribune says;
There was n olicoo an, who was knight of
Labor, killed by ambushcd men In Fort Worth
and no one knows who were the assassins
This is strange II IS yo strange that In city
Ike Fort Worth, surrounded by populcus
c, unity. that i've men could murder an officer
while In the discharge of hts duty. and get away
without leaving behind Glow or trace. These
are all remarkable condolences. Tho bridge
burning WAS traced by bloodhounds TO the all
road officials, the tapping of telegraph lines has
been traced TO the railroad officials, and the
shooting down OF men and women traced a.
drunken officers under the immediate command
of railroad officials, These facts should cause
people to suspend judgment about the 10 4
Worth affair may bo shown later that the
ambush was portion Of Gould's programme
Conspirlng 10 crimlnate or shooting citizens In
ST. Louis would be no worso than the same
thing In Texas, aud while the Tribune does not
say So II IL sim possible that The Fort Worth
ambush was a matured plan OF the Gould thugs
to arouse public opinion.
II is hardly worth while TO go TO the
trouble of disproying what Is here insn-
uated, Since, however, people outside of
Fort Worth may be mislcd TO believe 1t
possible that such was the case, let us re-
cite lew facts, not disputed anywhere
Mace, the wounded man who was shot
in the fight and captured, is Knight OF
labor, Hardin, the leader OF the strikers
in their assault upon the officers, is a
Knight OF Labor, and a very active one
Pierce, another OF that party, who was
wounded, is also member OF the order
Every man among them who was recog-
nized by the officers Is or was a Knight
OF Labor. To maintain tho proposition
Of the Tribune, 1t must so further aud
say that Jay Gould can hire members Of
that order TO attack and Stay their broth
ers.
We know that large majority OF the