Evening journal., 1892-08-26
THE STRIKERS DEFIANT
Sweeney's Authority Ignored
by the Switchmen.
THEY DECIDE TO RENEW THE FIGHT.


turned to Work Come Dat Again-some
Troops Leave, but the Rest Must Stay.
BUFFALO Aug. 20-The switchmen's
strike is ON again. Sweeney has
been deserted as leader, and the men now
defy his authority and threaten his life.
John Quinn, chairman of the grievance com
mittee on the Nickel Plate railroad, assault
ed Sweeney and almost broke his nose when
the grand master had finished his testimony
before the board Of mediation and arbitra-
ton.
Two of Superintendent Morgenstern's de-
tectives have acted as a body guard to
Sweeney ever since, and the ex-strilSe leader
has changed the location Of his room at the
Genesee because Of the threats freely made
by switchmen that if they can reach him
they will kill him.
Quinn attended a meeting Of the switch
men at Kaiser's hall after the assault on
Sweeney and received a warm reception
and was treated as a hero. Miles Barrett,
a Chicago switchman, was chosen leader,
and over 400 of the switchmen decided 10
declare the strike on. Barrett and a COM
mittee of six went to hunt Sweeney, but
could not find him. The Lackawanna men,
after gleefully embracing their old situa-
tions struck again. The Nickel Plate men
also struck. II there had been any union
switchmen on the other roads they would
have struck too.
Sweeney Had a Plan.
The sentiment Of the men seems to DO
that most of them can never recover their
places anyway, and they might as well fight
into the last ditch. Adiutant General Por-
ter sent $50 troops home and announced
that he would dispatch the New Yorl; regi-
ments. When he learned that the strike
was on again he was much disturbed
~ have just heard of this movement TO
renew the struggle" said Sweeney, "but in
defiance Of my orders. The news of the
strike being declared off by myself and the
duly authorized committee reached many
Of the men through the newspapers. They
at once came to the conclusion that had
sold them out and slugged me before 1
could explain. The statement made by me
was part Of a plan which was working nice
! ~ until / was assaulted"
do you mean that you called the,strike
| off simply to get the troops away aud with
| the intention of renewing if after they had
departedp
q
and hesitated before replying.
~ said" he finally responded, chat there
was no use in 4l5 men fighting 5000 troops,
didn't II"
"Can the switchmen strike without au-
thority from the grand masterw
"lhey take man out and hang him, but
they violate the law against lynching"
Porter viii Hold the Troops.
4 An intensely ugly feeling against Grand
Master Sweeney has developed among all
the late strikers, who consider that they
have been duped and betrayed by him.
One of them stated that Sweeney had
given the men no chance to get their places
back again. If he had given them an in
timation yesterday that he intended to de-
clare the strike of or held it a day, the
men say they would have had a chance to
see their former employers and make terms
with them. But declaring the strike off at
midnight gave them no chance.
Sweeney had better get out of town
and get out quick was the remark Of one
of the bitterly disappointed men,
In view of the new developments Gener
al Porter said no more troops would be
sent away until those in command are sure
they will not be needed. 1--WE will have
enough troops said he, ''but will send nc
more away until we are sure that they viii
not be needed. We have received commu
nications from some Of the railroad com
panies complaining Of trouble and danger
TO their property and objecting TO speedy
withdrawal of troops. Our military reports
bear out the statements Of the rairoa,
companies. We are going to stay here unit
the rioting is stopped, if il takes all sum
mer," concluded General Porter.
The Cost of the Strike.
{ What complications may arise from thi
{ new strike movement it is yet too early L
. conjecture The New York Central, tn
Erie and the West Shore will not be affect
( ed, unless there is a recurrence Of violence
for the reason that these three roads hav
filed their yards with nonunion men am
. are working along almost as smoothly a
e they did when the original strike was de
( clared, nearly a fortnight ago.
. At the Erie yards there was dispositio
4 TO keep up a guerrilla warfare on the non
, union men, though it lacked suificien
strength to be anything more than merel
an annoyance.
Michael Broderick was one Of a gang
r rufiiaus who had been annoying part {
T the Twenty New York regimen
n under Major Bartlett. Finally the 'toughs
o made a dash Tor a line Of guards statione
in front of the Erie elevator. Corpor
Frederick Meek gave the word to fire
them, and VIXEN the smoke cleared ava
% Broderick was found lying on the grouu
s. with three ugly wounds one in the add,
t, men. He was taken to the Fitch hospita
0 Three fellow rioters were arrested.
Erie county's sheriff has been makir
computations as to the final cost Of 81
strike here. lie said; 1T is my opinio
'e that il viii not cost more than an ayeral
e. of fifty cents a day for every member Of Il
D. militia we have had here.n He figures Il
3 grand total at Sll475O. Conservative mt
place the outside figures at Sl50,00O-
The idle switchmen are busily circulatir
m stories TO the effect that the reason NJ
De Webb, of the Central, and other railroi
e. chiefs went home so confidently was b
cause Sweeney had been bought of with
little present of $4,000.