The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05
NEWSBOYS IN ARMS.
They Strike Against the Press
Times New Edict.
THE RESULT ALMOST 4 RIOT.
They Institute > Boycott, Destroy Ps-
psrs ana Mob Their OpPsnents-
Their Leaders Arrested.

The uewsboys struck yesterday against the
prcss Times, and their vigorous assertion OF what
they ciain 70 be their rights almost caused
riot For hours the streets swarned with rnohs
Of boys, yelling with the full force of their
lungs. snsfching papers from those who tried TO
sell or give them sway and often resorsing 70
physical fierce in support Of their claims
The trouble began In the afternoon when the
pspeT was 6sss put on sale Ersstus Brainerd-
business manager Of the Prszs- Tir1es. thea In
formed the b07s that beginning that day be
would not take back and refund payment ioY
unsoad papers. The boys gathered IN the alley,
running from Columbia 70 Marion streets. BE-
tween the Press Tfng csice and the possofice
and decided to strike against the new rule The
decision was Immediately put into eject Mr.
Brainerd net the issue by hiring q number OF
district messenger boys 20 sell the paper These
boys and any volunteers who undertook TO sell
the paper were promptly bounced upon by the
strikers. headed by John Iarkie ard George
Armstrong. who is everywhere known Is Little
Chicago
At first the strikers contcrsed themselves with
dividing themselves into squads. which followed
each seller, shouting: s.Doa't bay the scab
Prsss Tfnes," but such measures soon became
too mid for them They began to snatch the
pspers from the sellers and any who purchased
them, tore them 10 pieces. and scattered them
10 the four winds, shouting defiance the while.
Psssers-by listened in wonder at first, but, after
learning the cause of the strike, usually sysnpa-
thized openly with TIE boys. Whenever resist
ance was offered TO the youthful slrikers they
beat and kicked the refractory one or peited him
with stones.
The chief sess OF war was in the Prs.s TINES
alley. for there the strikers were gathered in
force, and held cours-rnsriiai On any boy who
was seen to lcaTe the press room With copies of
the boyco.sed sheet IN his hands. lie was lucky
II he got array with any untorn papers and
without half . dozen kicks and cuffs,
and was always pursued By q crowd
OF boys, who kept Up constant
-slley OF abusive language. hung around him
ike Parthians around Roman army, snafehcd
his papers from him, ran mp from ell Sizes aad
kicked or cuted him, warned his customers not
70 buy. and II they bought, ordered them 70 tear
MP the paper on pain OF being pursued by band
OF hooting urchIns. One messenger boy. who
was assailed with shower OF stones, refused 10
the alternative between obeying orders and be-
ing discharged. flung OF bis uniform and left
Be this time the disturbance had attracted q
constantly changing crowd of several hundred
persons TO the part Of Columbia street, near the
Press Tfrsss Office, and the services OF Captain
Willard, Officer Pearce ard several other police
men had been secured to stop the stone-throw-
ing and other ferns o. violence. Peace was pre-
served In the alley. but the officers had TO fol-
low the strikers siong the streets TO keep them
within bounds.
The nesssboys had pursued their tactics with
such system and energy TO practically stop
the sale OF the papers on the streets and Mr..
Brainerc decided to give them away. He hired
number OF big boys of IS or 10 years ard some
men and sen: them out 10 distribute the paper
on the streets. But the strikers were not daunted
by the size OF their opponents and found valu-
able allies In the workingmen who formed large
proportion OF the crowd and looked on APPROX
tngiy at their proceedings As the distributors
left the Office they were attacked on all sides by
the boys, who made up IN numbers for their de-
fciency il size, and were soon overpowered and
forced 10 give up their papers, some OF them
being roughly handled. In vain they held their
papers high in the air and handed them 70 the
eys.anders. The boys dragged them down,
matched the papers from them and tore them
10 te.ters.
The police had hitherto avoided making any
arrests, but finally picked out George schultz,
aged ~ years, John Lake, aged Il, and Henry
Hoegel, aged L, as the ringIeaders Captain
Willard seized them, taking Lackie and Hoegel
by the arms, and handing Schultz over TO Of
fccr Pearce- They started down Columbia
street and along Second with their prisoners,
the crowd OF boys and men following close be-
bind hcoiing st them savagely. The uproar
was so great that people ran up from the side
streets in expectation of riot 1t was now the
men who created the disturbance Most OF
them were wcrkingmel on their way home from
wo.k, aud they kept up constant shout of ale.
the kids go.' pushing up to Captain Willard
and hustling him frequently. He turned
round several times, evidently expecting 10 be
attacked, bat showed no signs OF fear, though
he snd fcarce were two against about fhous-
and. He turned mp Cherry street, more closely
pressed by the mob at every step.
About tie corner of Third street four officers
on ccty came TO the relief Of their beleaguercd
brethren They were Frank Krebs, H. f. Sims.
Sam Co-bett and Z. K. Harding. sorne OF tie big.
sess men On the force. They forced their way
into the crowd ard walked behind Willard irly-
ing back the foremost Of his pursuers One of
these was r. Rondenberf, q big, hu-ly cook He
stepped up TO Willard and tried to trip him. ar
The same TINE endeavoring 70 literate Young
laekie. Corhett seized him BY the a-.n but he
mace violent luDge with the other fss which
sorocft oodged. sims rushed az him, bu. some
BODY 'riFped him and be fell OF; one side. Hard
Ing here CANE forward and drove Rond 5ers
against the high sidewalk Then al 70 OIL
GERS seized hiia and led him OF in spite of yio-
Lent resistance The big cock called vainly for
rescEic and the crowd shouted, ..Nob the off,
Gers. bu. the latter put CT such bold front
that they were too afraid 10 make an attack As
the officers went up yesier avenue the crowd
again began 20 press close upon them, but Hard.
Ing constantly forced them back by knocking
them about with his fists. The boys went along
quietly, 4. Q. Lindsay, an attorney in the crowd
telling them he would bail them oct
On reaching police headquarters the bows had
charge oil dEso-se-ly conduct entered AGAINST
them Iackie aud Hoe-el were bsiied GU. by
Mr.. Lindsay, who put mp si0 for each OF them,
bit schulz had some difficulty IN finding bail.
As soon as the trio re appeared, they were
received with shouts Of .Hurrsh for the Sids,-
and "Hurrah for Lindsay" the latter gentleman
walking out with them. The procession then
reformed sad marched down Yesisr avenue
On reaching the courthouse, Mr.. Lindsay
mounted on the sidewalk in front of the court
house aud made speech to the BOYS lie told
them they had done right in striking that the
rich men gobbicd up all the money and thought
they were gods. bat that they must be con-
WINGED that other people had rights. lie advised
the boys 10 abstain from Violence, but told
than they We're right in tearing up the rapcrs
The crowd marched on up Third stree, 70 the
Press TIases Office and resumed their former
practice without molests;ion. The only other
srrest was thai OF Ernest Clarke, who attacked
one of the paper carriers. He was cangh. IN the
set and held ia S. bail TO answer charge OF as
sauls and battery
The boys had an organization as thorough "a
that OF an army. During the afternoon a Youth
IA. carrier brought word 70 strike Headquarters
that two boys were selling papers on Pike street
General I2ckie Immediately DISPATCHED thrre
boys 10 stop them, but these returned with the
statement thaf they could not .sdo en- ur, -
i2ekle dispatched i've more ''rnen," as he called
them, ana told them III yoa can't do en- nm
III send some rnote men 70 help you They
did en- up without further reiniorcements
About O'Clock the boys gathered IN the Pv,ss.
TSsass alley to the number OF ahou. fifty. formed
. band with old oil cans aad sticks ard. haacei
hy Armstrong and LscSie, marched down Thjr,
xer.1 - L~sr.xs