The Portland daily press., 1886-04-10
Officers Jeered by a Crowd Open
Fire Upon Them.
The Strikers Take Revenge by Burn
Ing Cars.
Fight Between Deputy Sheriffs and
Strikers in Arkansas.
A Sheriff MortalIy Wounded and
Four Strikers Arrested.
Missouri Pacific Officials Receive
Favorable Reports of Business.
How the Knights Propose to Cripple
the Gould System.
Several of the Latter Shot Dead.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, April 9.-From certain
signs it has been evident that during the last
few days, another move in the great strike
was planned by the general executive board
and its associates. That the key to the plans
of this move is in the already much mooted
question of coal supply, is tolerably certain.
Now that the bulk of the Knights employed
by the Gould system are out,and there is lit
tie hope of securing cooperation from the
engineers, blow at the sorrce of the supply
that furnishes the motive power itself is sug-
gested. The shutting of. of the coal supply
that caused so much CONSERVATION here a
| short time ago, was probably an incident of
the strike, rather than the result of a pre-
| concerted idea. For the attempt was not on
| ly made to stop coal, but everything else as
well, from crossing the river. The real rea-
| son why the embargo on coal was raised was
| in the shape of the following notice which
| was generally circulated among the strikers
| at East st. Louis:
| The strikers are booming Gould's coal company
| by shutting off the East st. Louis coal supply
| from all the routes except the Wabash, which is
protected by United States marshals, and by
| yards. The strikers have driven an immense
| trade to the Wabash tracks, where Jay Gould's
company is reaping harvest.
| The executive committee then ordered the
| of coal; and the blockade was raised.
| The present plan of the strikers which has
been decided upon, aims first at the Ellsworth
mine, which is owned by Jay Gould. The
company employs m 0y! very very large number nn OF
| where the shafts are located. A great pro-
| portion of these are Knights of Labor. To
| their assembly word has been sent to make
| demand on the company to cease to load coal
| for the Missouri Pacific, or any of it's branch
| es. Should this demand not be conceded, a
| cessation of work is the next thing on the
| programme.
Mr.. Bailey, of the general executive board
Of the Knights of Labor, has been seen at
st, Louis and questioned concerning this
plan. He was reluctant to say anything, but
finally admitted that the story was in sub
stance trNe.
"Wil che order for the strike, if one is
given, come from the general board?' was
asked.
''Yes, l suppose it will''
when will the demand be made upon the
Ellsworth people not to load for the Missouri
"Well, it is liable to be done at any moment
now"
Suppose, Mr. Bailey, they refuse, there is
| a strike, and the Missouri Pacific simply gets
| its coal from some other point what then ?"
Then the same programme will be repeat
ed at that other point and from place to place
until, if necessary, there is a general STOP
page of coal mining all over Illinois,"
"Will not that cause immense suffering
among innocent people?"
Probably. So does war cause immense
suffering among innocent people. If the
coal company refuses to accede to our de-
mands, it is they who are responsible for the
consequences, not we."
Master Mechanic Bartlett, of the Missouri
Pacific railroad yesterday sent to % of the
fremen who left their engines during the
first part of the strike and have been out
since, notice that their services were no
longer required, and requesting them to call
for pay at his office. This action may posi-
bly, result In an agitation among the firemen
that vi u cause the ease nf these DISCHARGED
that is done the % men will either be rein
stated by the company or there Will be
strike of 1.-THE brotherhood along the entire
system. The Brotherhood , has very care
fully drawn contract with the company, and
in this the circumstances under which the
firemen may be discharged are plainly relat-
ed The fremen in this strike have persist
entity claimed that they were not on strike,
but had left their engines because they
thought it safer to do so than to stay on
them.
A crowd of strikers formed at the relay
depot at East st. Louis at 40 O'Clock this
afternoon and advanced in the direction OF
the railway yards to stop the new men EN-.
ployed there, They were met by guard OF
deputies, who ordered them to disperse. The
mob refused and made rush for the yards,
when the deputies levelled their Wlnchesters
and fired, killing six OF the strikers.
The following dispatches were received at
the office of the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Company this forenoon;
FORT WORTH, Texas, April g.
Everything in good shape and and trains running ting
since the trouble began
The following despatch was received from
Parsons, Kas.:
The city of Parsons will never be dominated by
a lawless mob. Our law abiding citizens have Or
Inx and nrIln
the protection OF persons and property against
violence and crime. The mayor authorizes me to
that the city will make ak good any damage done
(SigneO, c. ii. KIMBALL,
President Law and Order League.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, April 8.
| Two hundred and ninety-fiye freight trains
| moved in the system yesterday, consisting of
| 1895 loaded cars; an increase of 80 trains
| and 412 loads as compared with the same day
| last year.
(Signed), I'll. M. HoxIE.
LITTLE Rock, Ark, April 9.-Between
| midnight and 1 o'clock this morning, Deputy
| Sheriff Williams, who has charge of force
| of deputies guarding the St. Louis and Iron
| Mountain round house and machine shops at
| Argenta, opposite this city was approached
| by F. H. Darby, leading member of the
| Knights of Labor, and notified to take his
| liams said, ''I'll take you in now," and tax
| ing Darby locked him up in one of the rooms.
| Just then the outlines Of 20 or 30 men were
| seen a short distance away, and Williams Or
| dered them out, saying that he was there to
| guard the property, aud would do it if he
| fell dead on the tracks. Some one from the
crowd replied, "Well die then," and an ir-
regular shooting between the deputies and
the assailants began: Probably hundred
| shots were fired, and Williams was danger
ously wounded by bullet in his right side,
| and one or two other lesser wounds in other
| portions of his body. The mob soon after
| fled. 1t is reported that several were wound
| ed but if so, they were taken away by their
| comrades.
| Sheriff Worthen was telephoned, and hur-
| riedly called posse and went over to Arge-
| ma. Near the south end of the Iron Mountain
bridge, the men were halted and arrested.
| One, Charles Stepp, had double barreled
| gun. Another named Cook, a ticket agent,
| was intoxicated and abusive, and was lock-
| ed up in the bridge ticket office. A strong
| guard was placed about the round house and
| shops. Then with an engine and car Will
liams and four prisoners were brought to the
city of Little Rock.
Everything was quiet this morning. Will
| liam's condition is pronounced critical. He
is well known and very popular man.
Another Version.
ST. LOUIS, April .9-(2.40 p. m.)-Four dep
| uty guards stationed at the Louisville &
Nashville yards, near Broadway, fired into
a crowd of 300 strikers about 2.20 this after
noon, and five men and one woman were
shot. Three of the men were killed and the
| woman is supposed to be mortally wounded
The killed are: Pat Bristol, an employe OF
the water works and not a striker; Oscar
Washington, painter; John Bohman, a
water works laborer, ,and not a striker Major
Richman, shot in the head and shoulder, will