The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-09
About Twenty Thousand Men Idle, of
Whom Eight Thousand Are Strikers.
Rioting in Small Way and an Abundance of
Individual Collisions-The Yards in Pos
session of PinkertOn'S Armed Men.
A BIG STRIKE BEGUN.

CHICAGO Oct. 8.-A big strike was begun at
the stockyards this morning. Nearly all the
hog men now idle. The employees say that
inasmuch as the packers intend to lock them out
on Monday unless they return to the ten-hour
day, they thought it best to give the first blow.
The struggle promises to be stubborn one.
The employees claim to be prepared for siege,
and say they will fight to the bitter end rather
than return to the old system. If the packers
cannot make money under the eght-hour sys-
tenn. they say they are willing to work for
smaller wages, but they wish continuance of
the eight-hour system.
The en- ployes Sf the Chicago Packing and
Provision Company, to the samher of 1,500,
were the first to 60 out this morning. They as
sembled outside, and marched down on the
other packing houses, and shortly before 2
o'clock, evidently by preconcerted action, ALT the
men employed by the following packing firms
refused to work, and Joined the strikers: Ar
mour s. Co., John Morel j. It. Hickey & Co.,
John Cudahy. the International Provision Com
pany, the AngloAmerican Packing Company,
Moran 6 Healy and Silberhorn & Co. About
5000 men struck during the day. Silberhorn &
Co. sent for theft men soon after they left, and
requested them to return to the house and clean
up. The result was that meeting was held,
and it was decided that twenty of the men
should go back and clean up the house They
worked all day, and will work tomorrow. Some
of Morells men, after going out, decided
to return to work. The strikers at once invaded
the place to compel them to quit. Quite riot
ensued, and the Town of Lake police were sum-
moned to quell it. This afternoon I50 Pinkerton
policemen left for the stockyards, at the re-
quest of the packers, to preserve the peace and
protect property. They were Immediately sworn
in special police officers for the Town of Lake,
and each one was provided with Winchester
rife In command Of their superior officers, the
armed force was marched down into Packing
town, and squads of them were distributed at
various places to protect property and prevent
violence, if possible. VIM. A. Pinkerton, who
is at the of the strike, says that he repre-
sents all the firms who published the circular
which stated that the ten-hour system would be
resumed on Monday. He says. also, that work
will be resumed on Monday, and if the old
employees interfere, he will look to the interests
of the packers. The specials are all in uniform,
and have several rounds of ammunition with
them. Two hundred more are expected to be
on the ground tonight or to morrow
The striking employees say there is no use for
all this display, as they are law w-abiding citizens
and mean to be peaceable. During the after
noon excitement of most marked character
prevailed all through the stockyards district.
While there was no organized riot, individual
encounters were very frequent, and there were
many broken heads and bloody noses received
The officials of the Town ofoLake declare they
will preserve order at all hazards. sr4 .a
Such packers as could be seen to-day were
very cautious but positive in their statements.
Mr. Robert Warren mad just arrived from ST.
Paul. and could not speak of the action of the
packers or of the workmen
At the Office of W. III. Silberhorn they said:
'This question undoubtedly has two serious
sides Those men work very hard, and deserve
all they get. If ali the packers of the
country adopted shorter hours the desires of the
workmen could be gratifed But New York
men are going by Chicago to buy at Kansas
City, because there they work ten hours, and
can give better rates. The Chicago packers
must be on an even footing with other cities, and
this forces US to return to our old hours"
Mr.. p. D. Armour was not pleased with the
reports which the wires at his desk brought
from the stockyards. 1--WE shall never open
the packing houses again until the men will work
ten hours a day, if the establishments go down"
said Mr.. Armour, with mild frmness thai
showed he was not speaking hastily. II under
stand the boys having a time to-day but
there will be no trouble. There is no law com
polling them to work if they do not wish to-"
will it be possible to reopen without the old
handsw
1.-THE houses will not close entirely, and men
will soon drift this way. But do not care to
discuss that matter now. One thing you can
set down, and that is, will hereafter run ten
hours a day or not at all"
S. w. Meek, attorney for the executive board
of the Knights of Labor, tonight, in behalf of
the workingmen involved, issued the following
statement to the press:
The posting of the announcement of return to the
ten-hour SYSTEM Thursday, by the packers with.
out explanation caused the employed by the Chi
cago Packing and Provision Company and Silberhorn
Co. to leave their work. not Tor violence and mob
rule but thoroughly organized for determined resist
in fair and honorable way; and they ask that
the people be not prejudiced against them by hasty
and erroneous reports of violence to serve the inter
ests of the packers. The workngmen have taken
their stand only after every offer of fair and honest
settlement of their differences has been refused by
their employers. Contracts embodying the agree |
ments already had between the packers anasheir en-
poyes have been rejected by the packersand it is |
simply question of the packers keeping their agree
ments. They on trial, and not the workingmen.
The action of the cutters, in returning to their
work and carefully clearing up and completing their
both the spirit of fairness with which they regard the
interests of their employers and the absence of all de-
sire their part loss waste of the neces
saries of life. 1t shows moreover, the perfect or
ganiZation never before attained by the workingmen
portion of them returning to their work for def.
mite time by direction of their leaders for the express
purpose of saving their employers from loss of perish
able property. The woPkingmen involved ask of the
public only fair and honest judgment on their ac
tons and to remember that their interests are the in
terests of the whole people of America.
At p NJ. 153 Pinkerton detectives sat down
to supper at the Transit House, with Winchester
repeating rifles between their knees. Captain
Foley, in charge said that by tomorrow he
would have 500 about the yards as an emergency
committee. The Pinkertons arrived at the yards
at o'clock via the Lake Shore railroad, and