Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-06-11
BULLET And BLUDGEON
A Dastardly Dynamite Plot roilsd
by the Police.
ARMED DESPERApOES DISPERSED
And thirsssa OF Their sambsr Captu red
Ny . Mere Handful Of omesrs-
ATsssnsd for Csa.ptraey-A
Check ia LAsiss.n~.S

"hlch nave taken place during the
entire existence Of the street Car strike.
The thought was generally entertained
that the trouble WAS about over and that
Grand Rapids would be relieved from
the annoyanees incident 10 eruptions
caused BY labor grievances So xten-
sive was this belief that the publit had
begun 10 place confidence IN the stt kers
aud entertain for thera the opiniod that
they were not SO dangerous as had been
thought. But the fracas Yesterday
morning dIslodges sympathy aud re-
places Il with the hope that each and
every one who took part IN the affair
shall be punished to the full extent of
the law.
The police department. have for some
time been eognlZant OF the fact that
there Was
Conspiracy Foot
10 wreak dire vengeance III some man
ner upon the street car company and
every one connected with IL. The
closest pOss bic watch has been kept
upon the different ring movers. and
rgnt IN their midst. unknown 10 them,
an agent of the law has spied their
every action. Early Tuesday evening
supt. Eastman received information
which caused him To- have every man
ready for duty, armed with clubs and
reyolyers, prepared TO meet whatever
should transpire N the way of an out
break. About ii o'clock large crowd
OF men emerged from Central Labor
Union hall, the rendezvous OF the strik-
"A "A Il a
ihis movement. however, was only
n ruse to throw the police off the track
everyone of the egangappearedi IN citizens
dress. and not a uniform was observed
among them. Shortly after this news
was received at police headquarters
that the men who had held the meeting
IN Central Labor hall were to meet at a
given point later IN the night, blow up
ana destroy the wheel PIT at the ter.
minus OF the cable line. corner of Tay.
lor and Swat streets. and do other dam.
age 10 tile street Car comrany's prop.
erty.
The Police on the Trail.
A squad of men consisting of the fol
lowing officers. with Lieut.. Hurley in
charge. were immediately detailed &c
guard the cable wheel at all hazards
They proceeded to the spot, but all wa:
quiet. The first impression was thai
the warning was gwen upon supposl
ton. but the lieutenant finally con
cluded tc stay and see what would turn
up. He stationed his men in a vacant
lot and awaited developments. Fol
two hours they lay in hiding. filled
wlth dread expectancy. At the explra
ton of this time their patience was re
warded by seeing in the distance large
gang of men approaching. At the same
time persons began To come from every
point and all going in the same dlrec
ton, which was conclusive evidence
that a meeting place had been agreed
upon and that something desperate wa,
contemplated. IL was now that the
officers began TO realize that they hac
work before them. They graspsd theil
clubs with tighter grip and nervec
themselves for action. The first ar
rivals went over the enbankment on the
east side of the track, anC
the other aggregation followed them
They conyersed IN whispers, mo-
"A word of which reached the officers
The police were just about to decld,
what TO do when two men,
came from behind the embsnkmen
and carefully surveyed their surround
ings. They walked directly through
the lot where the officers were, and a
they passed one of them was heard tC
remark: "What is that" The other
replied; Nothing hut slabs" Tn,
first responded, saying: They ar,
queer looking slabs They passed or
down the road, but soon returned ano
Lieut.. Hurley. rightly surmizing tha
they were scouts sent out to SIZE up ths
lay of the land. ordered two officers tC
arrest them. There was short scufiie
an attempt on the part OF the captIve'
to give the alarm, n few gurg
ling sounds and then silence. The
men were taken out of the way by the
officer So that there would be no posi-
bility of their getting away II there was
trouble. About half an hour elapsed
before anything unusual happened
Then the moi came cautiously over the
hill. Lieut.. Hurley hesitated only ar
instant before deciding what to do
His first impulse WIS 10 let them at
tempt the destruction of the wheel. brt
on further consideration he made ur
his mind that he would not take the
chances, and ordered his men TO al
vance and disperse the crowd.
The Charge of the Police
The dynamiters could not have beer
more surprised If the police bad de
scended from the clouds. than they
were TO see them rise. as they did, ap
psrently. out of the earth. Their as
tnuishment was only of few moments
durstiou, however, for when the heut
ensnt commanded them to separate
he was answered by a voliey OF shot
and q shower OF rocks. The little hsnc
of officers numbered only tventy-on'
men. aud in .he face OF this fusilade o
lead and stones they braveiy marche,
ta meet the foe. The MOI
shoutsd "a loud "a their long
would permit. all the time continuing
10 IRE their revolvers and throw ih'
bricks ana stones With which they wer'
well supplied. Their veil was:
aKiu the police.
Hang them: mob them" The officer
did not expect a. Vicious an attack ans
hardly knew whether 20 return the fir'
or not. but knowing only too vel tha
rroersstlnation might cost them thel
ivss. Lieutenant Hurley told the mel
.o nrotect themselves. The rot thef
commenced N earnest and hand q
hard the hattie ragged some ~ To-
rlot tlpon seeing the policemen .ough
safety n fight whiie the major poftio'
remained hrm. The rahi1le vss sfules
with huge clubs. the CORNERS II shiei
were sharp ard some 81 them heayl
enough to kils al or. VITA these The
struck right snd left. ant ha.rhressstl