Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-04-04
THE STRIKE.
BlOOdshed Near Fort
Worth, Texas.
mupEE AEETCERG KILLED
THREE OFFICERS KILLED
The Strikers Get the Best of the
COntlict-The Town I'M
der Arms,

Especial to the Herald bV the associated Press.
Fort WoRTH. Texas, April S.--What
has been predicted has come to pass
the striking Knights of Labor and Off
GERS of the law have met in deadly con
flict. Two officers fatally wounded and
a third shot through both hips are the
casualties on the side Of the law. Oh
the strikers, so far as can be ascer-
tanned, one has been wounded. 1t was
announced yesterday by the officers of
the Missouri Pacific that trains would
move to-day or there would be blood
shed. The strikers, ON the other hand,
had put it down that no trains would be
allowed to pass over the Missouri Pa
cific until the demand of the strikers for
arbitration was conceded. There are
only six msn among the strikers here
who were formerly employed by the
Missouri Pacific, that road and the Tex
as and Pacific having pooled their Fort
Worth business SO that freight was
handled and trains moved almost exolu-
sively by the Texas and Pacific employees.
The places Of these men have long been
filled, but they dared not make fight on
the Texas and Pacific because that road
| in in the hands OF receivers. Last night
the Sheriff and his deputies were busily
engaged in serving writs in an injunc-
tion against the strikers and their con-
federates, and by the time this morning
dawned most Of them had received an
official notice to keep away from the
yards Of the Missouri Pacific road and
warning them against interfering with
the servants Of the company in their
efforts to take out trains. The effect of
the v,rits was to keep the yards clear,
and at O'Clock this morning not man
save the employees could be seen in them.
In the streets near the yards, however,
could be seen lots of men who had col
lected to see what would be done to-day.
At IL o'clock the officers began to collect
at the Union depot and numbers of them
were stationed in the yards. At 10;l5
| O'Clock a dozen or more of them went to
| the roundhouse and in a few minutes
| engine 54, loaded down with armed Off
GERS, pulled out and steamed up to the
Missouri Pacific yards. As it ratified
past the crowd collected on either side
OF the road derisive cheers went
| up from a hundred throats but not a
man attempted to interfere with the
movement Of the engine, or to prevent
| it from coupling onto the caboose which
was standing on the side track. Hav-
| ing done this the engine was run onto
the main track aud then backed up the
road to Hodges, from which point it
was to pull freight train into the city.
For nearly two hours the crowd waited
the return of the engine with the train
from Hodges and as the minutes rolled
by amused themselves in various ways.
At l:30 o'clock theengine left Hodges
and at II :35 O'Clock steamed into the
yard. The train consisted of the caboose
and ten cars, loaded with coal. As the
train approached Sixteenth street the
crowd rolled out, but halted on the line
of the right of way, and remained there.
Not a man made move toward the
train. The train passed on by the Union
depot and continued on its journey
south. The suggestive silence that
mark ed the passage of the train through
the city was not without its sequel.
When the train left the depot it was
under the protection of posse of II Off
GERS. The train proceeded slowly to the
crossing of the Fort Worth& New Orleans
railway, about mile and half south
of the town, where it stopped, as is Gus
tomary, before crossing, the switch was
4 i n l..t<x -. H.
crossing. Officers approached the
switch and as they did so they discov-
cred five men with Winchester riff IS
partly concealed in the weeds few
yards distant. The entire posse ad-
vaneed toward the men in ambush.
They had reached ditch along side the
track when they ordered them to throw
| up their hands. The command was
obeyed, but as the hands came up they
brought Winchester rifles. The Off
GERS were armed only with revolv-
ers. They demanded the surrender
of the strikers: Both sides opened
FIRE almost simultaneously, there being
not more than two seconds between the
time the first and second shots were
fired. The casualties among the posse
were found to be three police officers,
Fulford, special officer Dick Townsend
He died at $50 o'clock this afternoon.
Special officer Charles Snead, his wounds
are fatal. Doctors Volker and Fanan of
the Missouri Pacific hospital say, that
Snead and Fulford cannot possibly sur
vive. Only one of the strikers, Tom
Mace, switchman, was wounded. The
posse returned to the city and was
there reformed, armed with Win
chester rifles and started in
pursuit Of the murderers. Tom Mace,
the wounded striker, was brought to
this city in a wagon this afternoon, and
as soon as the officers learned Of his
whereabouts he was arrested and carried
to jail, where he will be strongly guard
ed. No other arrests have as yet been
made. No further attempt will proba-
bly, be made to move trains before Mon
day. The posse will probably be kept
under arms night and day. The people
arc in terrible state Of excitement and
appear completely dumbfounded. The
breach between the law and the strikers
has been widened and the bitterest ex.
pressions can be heard on every side.
There are hundreds Of Knights OF
Labor in the city who do not appear to
regret the occurrence of to-day. 1t has
been learned that the strikers yesterday
purchased ten Winchesters in this city.
The Mayor issued proclamation appoint
ing seventy-fve deputy policemen and
ordering all saloons closed until Wednes-
day next. A petition has been sent to
Governor Ireland for the State Rangers,
and military transportation for the
troops has been applied for from Re-
ceiver Sheldon, A high wind is blow.
ling tonight and if FIRE occurs the
whole town will be an easy prey to the
flames. The streets are fnll Of armed
men. Precautions will be taken to pre-
vent trouble. 1t is thought that if to.
might is tided over there will be no fur.
ther danger Of mob violence as the
troops will be here tomorrow.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
ST.. LOUIS, April 3.-The details Of q
desperate affair at Fort Worth, Texas.
are given as follows in specials to the
Poss-D Dispatch: The suggestive quiet that
marked the passage of freight tram
through the city was not without its
sequel. When the train left the depot
it was under the protection of officers,
commanded by Jim Courtright. The
train proceeded to the crossing of the
Fort Worth and New Orleans roads.
when it stopped, as is customary. What
followed is reported by railroad en-
ploye who was on the train. He says
that when the train stopped il was no.
ticed that several men were congregated
on the track in front of the train. The
posse commander approached the men
and asked why they impeded the pro-
gress of the train, to which they replied
that they had nothing to do with it
that they were not armed and had no in.
tention Of interfering with the road. As
the officers returned to the train they saw
several men sitting or lying ON the
grass few yards from the track. The
entire pssse advanced toward the men
in ambush until they had reached a