Helena weekly herald., 1888-04-05
SWITCHMEN STRIKE.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul En-
ployes Take Turn at Stopping
Work.
Serious Trouble IN Chicago---Ca Ditched
and Fighting Ensues.
SWITCHMEN:S STRIKE.
Cars Ditched and Engineers Driven
from Their Cabs.

CHICAGO, March 29-The Burlington
company received information this morn
ing that fifty of their switchmen at Cres-
ton, Iowa, had quit work.
CHICAGO, March 29.-The first serious
trouble since the Inauguration of the Bur-
lington switchmen's strike occurred this
afternoon, about o'clock, at Kenzie street
and Western avenue. A Burlington switch
engine and crew attempted to transfer some
freight cars to the Northwestern track, a
crowd of switchmen of other roads, together
with miscellaneous mob of roughs stand
ing about and ieering the new men. When
a train reached Western avenue the switch
was thrown by some one and number of
cars were ditched. The crowd then drove
the fireman, engineer and new switchmen
away, using them roughly. Six or eight
Pinkerton men were on the train and at
tempted to repel the attack, but were
quickly disarmed, and took to their heels
to escape the mob. General Superintend-
ent Bessler, of the Burlington road, who
was on the train, was soon recognized by
the mob and set upon. He was badly used
up, having both eyes blacked and being
badly bruised, but finally made his escape
into switch house Thirty city police
men were then brought to the scene and
the mob quickly dispersed. William Quirk,
Milwaukee & st. Paul switchman, was
arrested. The crowd followed him to the
West Madison street station and
offered any amount of bail for
his release. The police refused, however,
and locked him up. The Milwaukee q
st. Paul switchmen, then enraged, decided
to quit work, and Immediately deserted
their trains. The whole force Of engineers
and fremen, 227 in all, stopped, leaving
% engines standing on the track. 1t is
supposed that the brakemen on the same
road will 90 out tonight. An evening paper
asserts that at meeting of engineers, fire.
men and switchmen this afternoon the
representatives from all the roads resolved
that general boycott should be declared
against Burlington freight on all lines.
The sentiment expressed was that the
Burlington road had gone too far, and that
there was no reason why the demand of
the engineers should not be complied
with. The Burlington road put forty new
switchmen at work to-day, and are gradu-
ally raising the blockade in the yards.
No freight has yet been offered other roads
except to the Stock Yards Transit COM
pany, the manager of which this after
noon notified the Burlington that he was
unable to do anything with their cars,
because the company's switchmen would
not touch them. The truth of the rum
ored boycott on other roads remains to be
seen. Various roads in the city have an
enormous number of cars consigned to the
Burlington road on their tracks, and must
get rid of them soon to avoid blockade.
CHICAGO, March 29.-The strike Of the
st. Paul men came to an end as quickly as
it begun TO- day. At $50 p. m. two officials
of the st. Paul Co. succeeded in having
Quirk released on bail. He went at once
where the strikers were in session and was
greeted with enthusiasm. His presence
put the men in good humor, and it was
speedily resolved that a resumption of
work was the proper course to pursue. By
8 p m. the men were again at their post,
and every thing on the st. Paul was NOV
ing along as smoothly as though nothing
untoward bad happened.