Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-04-05
RIOT AT CHICAGO.

A Freight Train Ditcacd and Riot Fol
1ows-AnOther strike Which Soon Ter
inmates.
CHICAGO, March 30-The first encounter
between the sympai hiZers of the striking
switchmen and the men who had replaced
them took place at 30 yesterday afternoon
when . switch: engine and its crew at
tempted TO transfer some freight cars TO
the Northwestern tracks. A crowd OF
switchmen of other roads were about the
place and began to jeer at the new men on
the Q engine and when the train reached
kinzie street and Western avenue it ran of
on ii switch that had been turned and
number OF cars were dItched. The mob
then set upon the crew of the engine and
train and the fireman and engineer took TO
their heels, getting numerous cuffs as they
escaped. The new switchmen followed
suit and were pursued and roughly used by
the crowd. which was made up OF the
toughest kind OF citizens.
The PInkerton men. of whom there were
six or eight on the train, attempted to pro-
tect the trainmen, but the mob set upon
them with savage glee and disarmed them
in twinkling and after they had made a
few efforts to defend themselves they took
to flight to escape the dru bling they were
receiving at the hands of the furious mob.
Several OF the Pinkerton men were hurt
and one of them is thought to have sus-
tanned serious injuries. On the same train
was Division Superintendent John Besler,
of the Burlington. When the trouble COM
menced he hurried to the front and some
one IN the crowd recognized him. The dis
closure OF his identity was the signal for
the mob to fall on him and beat him. The
attack came from all sides and it was only
after having been badly used up that he es-
capped and ran to a switchhouse, where he
locked himself In and escaped further pun
ishment
The riot created great excitement and
the Pinkerton men and officers hocked to
the scene, but the mob quickly dispersed
and only one man was arrested. HIS name
was William Quirk, and he is locked up at
the West Madison street police station.
Police were ordered to the scene of the
disturbance from nearly all the stations
Quirk is a Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
switchman, and his arrest precipitated a
strike OF III switchmen, twenty-eIght en-
gineers and twenty-eight tiremen on the
Chicago, Milwaukee q st. Paul road. When
1t was known that he had been arrested q
crowd followed him to the West Madison
street station and endeavored to get him re,
leased Numerous offers of bail were
made, IS 000 surety for his appearance be-
ing offered and refused. He was locked up.
When the crowd realized that their COM
radc had to remain in the police station,
the Milwaukee q st. Paul men in their rage
decided to strike and Immediately deserted
their engines. The whole yard force of
switchmen, engineers and fremen, 227 in
all, quit work. leaving twenty-eight en-
gines standing on the tracks. 1t was rumored
the brakemen OF the same road would also
go out. The strikers say the Milwaukee
q st. Paul road has been particularly
friendly to the Burlington, and they have
been ready and willing to quit for some
time.
The strike of the st. Paul came to an end
as quickly as it had begun. Al $3.50 p. m.
the officials of the st. Paul Company sue
ceeded In having Quirk released on bail
and he went at once To where the strikers
were in session and was greeted with en-
thusiasm. His presence put the men in
good humor and it was speedily resolved
that a resumption of work was the proper
course to pursue. At nine p. m. the men
were again at their posts and every thing
on the st. Paul was moving along smoothly
as though nothing unusual had happened.
Division Superintendent Besler, who
took refuge from the mob in switch
house, had both eyes blackened and was
very badly bruised up. The fireman and
engineer of the train which was attacked
were also badly pounded.