Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-08-25
THE RAILROAD STRIKE.
Numerous Encounters Between
Soldiers and Switchmen.
Grand Master Sargent Asked to Cali Out
the Firemen-Pennsylvania switch
men Quit Their Jobs-Strik-
ers stone a Train.
THE RAILWAY WAR.

BUFFALO,, n. u, Aug. 23.-What viii
be the first killing of striker occurred
late at night William Oliver, switch
man living in this city, was shot and
stabbed by a sentry at the crossing of
the Lehigh Valley and Lake Shore
tracks on Hamburg street Oliver
came down the street with company
of strikers and was stopped at
the guard line by the picket that
had been placed to guard the
Lehigh switches He went back to his
companions and melted them to make
an attack upon the sentinel He was
only successful, however, in gaining
the assistance of two of the men, who
began to collect chunks of coal and
stones with which TO attack the soldier.
The guard stood his ground lowered
his rifle, and warned his assailantS that
1 if they advanced ten PAGES further
/ he would fire upon them. His warn
ing, however, was received with tor
rent of abuse from the three men.
| Suddenly Oliver raised his arm and a
broken coupling pin went sailing
through the air. 1t narrowly missed
| the soldier and crushed into the signal
light of a switch stand. A moment
later a second stone was hurled
at the soldier, and then fire
rang ont from the soldiers rifle.
Oliver fell. but attempted to rise again,
when the soldier rushed up and stabbed
him in the head with his bayonet
| Seeing the serious turn the affair had
taken the two uninjured strikers fed
A detail of the guard pursued them, but
they escaped in the darkness among the
freight cars. twas found that only one
shot had taken effect in Oliver, but
it bored a hole through his body. The
bayonet thrust was not SO serious. He
was taken to the camp and afterwards
removed to the Emergency hospital in
an ambulance. The doctors say Oliver
can not live twenty-four hours.
| The sentries on the line of the Lake
Shore at the Seneca street crossing
were kept busy last night. For more
than two hours a constant fusilade was
kept up by the guards. The neighbor-
hood of the guard lines swarmed
with strikers and their adj
herents, who 4 hid behind every
possible cover and reigned showers
pany was ordered to be ready to move
at any moment, but its services was
not needed. 1t is not known that any
of the shots took effect, although word
has Just come in that striker was
found injured in one of the boarding
houses in that neighborhood.
Striking switchmen almost wrecked
an Erie engine at the Smith street
crossing, and, although nothing but
stones were used, the cab smokestack
and some of the exposed fxings were
torn to pieces. There are no guards at
this point but after the ARRAY Gen.
Doyle dispatched a company to protect
the neighborhood. 1t was half an
hour before a special bearing officers
of the road and soldiers put in an ap-
pearance. The thirty rioters saw the
train coming and fled. No arrests were
made.
The Lehigh Valley people have had
detectives out in their yards for sew
eral days, and the object of their pres
ence became apparent when eX-Judge
Brundage, general consul for the road,
swore out twenty-five warrants charg
ing that number of striking switchmen
with turning switches and otherwise
interfering with the operations of
trains.
Forty-two switchmen, the entire
force, struck in the New York e. Penn
sylvania yards. The men quit because
one crew refused to handle New York
Central cars. They show al ugly dis
position, and the yards are guarded by
325 soldiers.
All the influence that the fremen can
command will be brought to bear upon
Grand Master Sargent to induce him to
call out the fremen. At their meeting
which has just adjourned long list
of grievances against the roads
now involved was drawn up and
committee will wait upon the chief
executive early in the morning and
present it to him. The local organiza-
ton, as far as can be learned, is willing
to take part in general strike and its
members can be counted on to do their
best to exert an influence over his we'll
known conservatism.
Grand Master Sargent arrived in the
city at an early hour and went to the
apartments that Mr.. Sweeney had en-
gagged for him. In an interview he said:
LAS single organization / am not going to
call out the nremen and thus complicate mat
ters If the fircmen strike every other organ
zaton must be called out, engineers. fremen,
traiumen, conductors and telegrs pliers. These
are my conditions, if the hremen take hand
all classes OF trainmen must cooperate
and then success viii be assured. AS grand
master / hold the right to call strike provid-
ing two-thirds OF the men who are involved
sanction such a move. But desire to state,
thus far the frenen have not even considered
the question.
The supervisors of Erie county, whose
minds have been filed with dread of
the enormous expense account that
will be created by the presence of 50
many troops, told Mayor Bishop they