Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-03-31
ECHOES FROM THE STRIKE.
MEN SkIRMISH.NG AND THE RAIL- ROAD MANAGERS DETERMINED.
Several of Pinkerton's Detectives Injured. Paving Stones, Links ants Coupling Pins Flying in Air-New Hands Supplied with Weapons.


 Flying in Air-New Hands Supplied
 with Weapons.
 CHICAGO, March 31.-The outlook in the switchmen's strike is more serious than at any time since the trouble began. Coupling pins and paving stones were Tn the ar yesterday. Trouble began early in the morn ing, when the men who have been coming from the Reading road began to go to work Their first task was to take care of about 100 cars of freight that had been left in the vicin- ity of the stock yards The men began to gather as soon as the cars were started, and in a little while the coupling pins, coal and stones began to fall in showers around the ears of the new men. A lot of Pinkerton deputies and Town of Lake police were on the cars but they were utterly powerless to control the crowd While the bombardment was going Chicago and Eastern Illinois locomotive came down the track, and some one threw coupling pin into the cab of the Burlington switch engine. It struck w. w. Thomas, the fireman, in the eye, and knocked him to the ground insensible
 His fall encouraged the strikers to redouble the bombardment, and several Pinkerton men and switchmen were badly used up before they got through The in ured fireman is said to be seriously hurt Soon after Burlington freight pulling out of the Harrison street yard downtown attacked by lot of Canal street hOOdlums. Coupling pins, links and paving stones were their weapons, and with them they laid open switchman's head, knocked down two Pinkertons and drove the rest of the ''scabs' away. Wherever switch man or Pinkerton man showed his head all along the line it began to rain scrap iron and rocks. There were twelve of the hated depu- ties on short train that pulled out for the stock yards about 10 o'clock. The hoodlums ran in a dense throng by the side of the track, throwing their favorite missiles all the time. By the time they reached the stock yards one of the twelve had been hit the head with a lump of hard coal and made insensible, four had been hit by flying coupling pins and three had received slighter wounds from rocks and billets
 Out at the stock yards switch engine 344 was making up train when the bowling mob esp.ed the scab crew who were at work upon it and made rush for them. One of the switchnen smashed the fireman over the head with the handy coupling pin, but the engineer pulled the throttle open and got away rom the dangerous vicinity in time to save E.m c {. The fireman was sent to a hospital by the Burlington company. The Pmkerto3s and town of Lake police made several rTshes at the strikers along the track ut tEey effected nothing except to
 
 The ''EiiCd assassins,' as the deputies were ca led, wtro dared to try to dsperse the crowd by force, but they had no stomach to meet 300 or ;U determined men armed with coupling pins, and the mob had pretty much its own way al day.
 The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul | switchmen who struck Thursday night ex- pected to go back to work yesterday, but they did not. When they appeared for duty the division superintendent told them plainly that the only terms which they would be taken back were unconditional surrender 1 The men refused to accept any such terms | and were practically locked out.
 1 Last igEt the switch engineers wore re- l volvers ill their clothes and had others lylng handy in their cabs ready for use Paul l Morton, general passenger agent of the Bur- | lin2ton, k the spokesman for that company. | He said: w have considered the possibility of scr.es of strikes with the intention of crpplilg'tEe "Q,' and we decided that our 1 policy lay ill the line of duty. It is text y question, for I think it would decide whether 1 there would be any more great strikes. If we give in it means that we give up the manage l ment of the road to these men. If every man on the road except the general passenger agent struck we should still keep up the fight. The strikers have become desperate and it would not surprise us at all if we had a repetition of the scenes at Western avenue :"
 The Burlington managers claim they have engaged all the switchmen they need to take the place of the strikers and that they are fast getting the road into good running condition Nearly 200 cars of stock were brought in yesterday, besides many cars of merchandise. Considerable work was also done in the lumber district The statement is officially made that the Burlington con- pany is just determined and has just as lit tie thought of backing down as ever. The recent riots do not appear to have weakened the officers in the least-