The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-06
THE PACKING-H0USE STRIKE.
An Order for Which No Responsible Author
Can Be FOund-Deputies on Guard.

Chicago, Nov. SIN accordance with the or
der of Master Workman Butler, fifteen hundred
of the besf-kiliers employed in Armour's packing
house joined the strikers already out in making
demand that their employers should re-estab-
lish the eight-hour working day.
About two hundred men remained at work at
Armours beef department, and that house is
killing Jew cattle, as usual, this morning. The
pork men are ali at work. as usual Information
from the stock-yards. of a reliable character, in
dicates that all the pork men will be ordered cut
by the Knights of Labor, thus renewing the
strike for eight hours in all its former proper
lions. throwing between twenty and twenty five
thousand men out of employment
At o'clock this afternoon the men employed
in the pork packing houses were still at work.
The striking beef mon were endeavoring to IN
dnce two hundred men who are still at Armours,
and who refused to join the others IL quitting
work. to come out
Two hundred and fifty men were sworn in as
deputies by the sheriff this afternoon, and will
be started for the stockyards at o'clock this
afternoon. 1t was represented TO the sheriff
that the situation required the presence OF an
armed force to preserve order. ard calls were
made on Sheriff Hanchett to summon a posse
and have it in readiness 70! speedy transporta-
ton to Packingtown. Supervisor Stafford OF
the town of Lake was among those who first
asked for this protection. The meE are armed
with clubs and rovelvers. Great care was exer-
clsed IL the selection of these men, Said a dep
uty, "These men had to qualify before they
were taken. They are al! citizens and voters;
we know where they live and all about them;
they are neither scalawags nor loafers, but
picked men, and we can rely upon them every
time"
Are any Pinkerton men included among
them2'
mo, SIR
Contrary to first reports, large majority of
the beef men at Armour's declined to leave their
work at the order promulgated as coming from
M. j. Butler, their master workman In the
Knights of Labor. Mr.. Butler refused to-day to
acknowledge having issued the order for the
men to strike, and denied being responsible for
any such mandate. Just 400 men, out of the
1900 employed in Armour's house. obey~d the
instructions to quit Fully $50 of the 400 quickly
returned to work. No clear explanation of how
the order came TO be circulated was obtainable
this evening. Master Workman Butler said he
was unwilling to talk upon the subject, further
than to state that he was not at the meeting last
night when the order read, and that he
must disciaim ali knowledge Of the order. Not
withstanding Mr.. Buffers declaration, an en-
ploye who refused to-day to strike said the order
vas not Only in the handwriting of the master
workman, but IL had also his signature appended
to it.
The appearance at the stockyards, this even
ing, of l50 armed men under command of dep
uty sheriff and Captain Foley of Pinkerton's
private police. created good deal of excitement.
Each of the $50. when summoned was told to
report at the Pinkerton headquarters. There a
deputy sheriff swore them in as special deputies.
the report that men were sworn in at Pinkerton
headquarters gave rise to the report that they
we're wholly Or in part members of the Pinkerton
guard concerned in the recent shooting of Ter
ence Begley. This the sheriff and lis deputies
at first denied. but later would only give to in
terrogatores on the subject evasive replies.
A meeting of twenty three delegates from the
different departments of the packing houses was
held tonight to consider the question of contin
ing or ending the strike. The committee has ad
visory power merely. What decision was ar.
rived at the delegates declined to say.