Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-05-12
THE LABOR UPRISING.
HOt-headed WOrkingmen
and Their Advisers.
A Bloody Riot at Chicago
Dynamite Bombs.
Militia at Bay View Fire on the Mob
With Fatal Effects.
Militia at NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. I'm
der Arrest.

The striking mama which has been
sweeping over the country reached it's
climax on the Sd. At Chicago g. mob
of about 5000 men, after listening to
inhammatory speeches by number
of anarchists, went frantic and started
out on the rampage. They attacked
the Mccormick Reaper Works, smash
ing windows and stonlng the work men.
The police arrived and scattered the
mob, but another rush was made, in
which ciuos and stones were freely
used and few shots were fired.
The crowd was again repulsed
and more police called for. The
works were surrounded by blue
coats. At O'Clock the workmen
employed in the shops were escorted
by the police to a point beyond the
reach of the mob. While the fight be.
tween the police and the mob was in
progress Officer Casey assisted one of
the wounded strikers to ais home.
While at the house he was set upon by
a bowling mob, who dragged him out
onto the sidewalk, tore his clothes
from him, and attempted to hang him
to a lamppost. Casey, who is a giant,
OIOhO ILOu1 LIS CnpUO1SS blu, III UDO
midst of a shower of stones and bull
let's, escaped up the street, where he
was met by patrol wagon and
taken to the station. The man
who furnished the rope was ar
rested. AS a result of the assault
on the Mccormick works four men
were found wounded by bullets, two
seriously, and a. large number hurt by
flying stones. 1t is understood that
threats have been made to burn the
Mccormick works. The switchmen on
all the roads centering in Chicago have
struck out of sympathy for the freight
handlers. The places of the latter
have been partially filled by men from
out of town, but after one day of work
q large number seeded to join tae
strikers. The girls employed in tailor
ing establishments on the North Side
went out to the number of $50, formed
procession and marched to the shops
where there was no strike, where they
emulated the example OF the other
sex and forced out the girls en-
ployed, threatening to demolish the
machines if the employees refused to
go out. Nearly every shop in the dis
trict was forced to close. The girls de-
mand eight hours work and increased
pay. At the stock yards 1000 men
employed at Swift's Dressed Beef es-
tablishment, and 1,5OO at the Fair
bank Canning Works, walked out on q
demand for eight hours. The men in
nearly all the similar establishments
joined the strikers, but the trouble was
of short duration, as the employers
granted the demand and the men went
back.
The striking fever reached its height
in Milwaukee on the Sd, when it is es-
timated that 5000 men quit work of
their own accord, and as many more
were forced out by the gangs OF
strikers who visited the shops for the
purpose. Among the latter were l.
400 men in the West Milwaukee st.
Paul shops and the employees in
Falk's brewery. A gang of Polish
laborers attempted to force an en-
trance into e. P. Allis' iron works,
but the men turned on the fire hose
and drove them away. During the
day Mr.. Allis decided to close the
works temporarily. The total num-
Der of men idle, voluntarily or other
wise, in the city on that day was es-
timated at $4,000. Three of the
large brewerles gave in to the
men, agreeing to the advance of $40
per month asked for. A number of
the boss carpenters conceded the eight
hour day. During the afternoon the
newsboys created great excitement on
the streets by refusing to take out the
Evening Wisconsin at the regular
price, demanding reduction of a half
cent. Several little fellows who at
tempted to sell papers on the streets
were badly used by the strikers, and
number of arrests were made.
Everything was quiet in New York
with the exception of a small collision
between mob and the police in front
of the Herald office, in which clubs
were freely used. All the men employ
ed in the furniture manufacture in
augurated the eight-hour day by going
to work at 8 and quitting at 5. There
was no remonstrance from the pro-
prietors. The piano makers made g.
demand for shorter hours, expecting g.
lockout, but more chan half the fac
tories granted the demand.
About 5000 men employed by the
Michigan Car Company, at Detroit,
quit work on the refusal of the com
pany to grant the eight-hour day.
Several brewers have agreed to the
schedule offered by the men. One Of
the establishments settled on the basis
of share in the profits.
The eight-hour movement in Chicago
led to bloody conflict between the So
cialists and police in Haymarket
Square about 1870 o'clock on the
night of the 4th.. Socialist speakers
were haranguing mob which the po-
lice attempted to dispense. Some
mysterious hand hurled two dynamite
bombs, which exploded in the midst
of the officers. One was instantly
killed and more than thirty were
wounded. three of them fatally. The
police returned broadside fire, kill
ing one Socialist and wounding seven
teen. The volley scattered the mob,
and the dead and dying were removed
from the field with all possible dispatch.
Just before midnight another dash