Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-06-20
BAGGED THE POSSE.
Inglorious Campaign of a Sher-
iff and Deputies.
THEY MARCH TO PUT DOWN A RIOT,

But the Rioters Capture Them and Send
Them Home - Turbulent Strikers Mt
Tower. Minn.-Troops Called Out to
Ouell the Trouble-The Mob Armed
with Guns and Dynamite, Which Latter
They Threaten to Use-Twenty of Them
Arrested, but Those at Liberty Re-
main Defiant.
DULUTH, June 20.-The workmen at the
Minnesota mines at Tower struck last
week and Friday stopped the engines and
took possession of the mine, driving off
any one who attempted to work and gen.
orally doing as they pleased The strikers
are nearly all Austrians and other for
eigners and are armed, and defiant, declar-
ing that the work shall not go on until
demands are acceded to. The civil author
tiles at Tower being two weak to cope
with rioters, called on the governor and
he ordered Company A of this city to pro-
coded to the scene of the disturbance In
the meantime the sheriff proceeded to en-
roll deputies to do duty at Tower.
Sheriff and Deputies Ragged.
The sheriff got his force of deputies col
lected and went to Tower Saturday, arriv-
ing there on a special train Saturday
evening-sixty men in all. The posse
formed in line on Stone Hill and awaited
the coming OF the strikers Previous to
this detachment had been sent on the
hill to start the fires under the boilers at
No. engine house. No sooner did the
strikers see smoke issuing from the
smokestack than they formed in a body
and proceeded toward the mine. On see
ing deputies lined up inJtheir path the
body broke into four detachments and
completely surrounded the sheriff's posse,
coming together from four side. The dep
uties Immediately surrendered, and left
for town. The sheriff's posse was armed
with rifles.
Militia Arrives on the Ground.
Yesterday morning at o'clock forty
members of Company A, under command
of Captain Gear, arrived on special train
and are stationed at the old machine shop
to await developments, as the strikers
were not expected to take any decided &C
ton until today, when Manager Bacon
says the miners will start to work Another
special with Company | of the West Du-
luth militia are expected.
Threaten to Use Dynamite.
The strikers have possession of all pow
der and dynamite belonging to the Mime
sofa company and say they will use ii if
necessary. They also claim that they will
have all the miners at the Chandler mine
at Ely up in arms to assist them in the
strike, but trains between Tower and Ely
will be carefully guarded to prevent any
help from that quarter The citizens of
Tower and Soudan have laid in plenti-
full supply Of ammunition and will he
ready to receive any hostile demonstra-
ton against their private property from
the strikers.
Twenty Leaders Arrested.
1t was whispered around yesterday that
this morning a detachment will be sent
out to every miners house and every man
compelled to join the strikers forces The
situation at present is the most critical it
has been for the past three days Water
In the mine is rising steadily and much
damage done already to machinery and
other property. Twenty of the leaders
have been arrested, and will be brought to
Duluth Among the parties arrested was
calumet" one of the principal leaders of
the rioters.
Firms and Swedes Ask Protection.
A great many of the Firms and Swedish
miners have asked the management to
protect their homes and families. Fear is
entertained here that there is plot to
blow up the engine and shaft houses, as
large quantities of dynamite used for
blasting has been taken from the maya
zine. The strikers are defiant and not the
least overawed by the presence of troops.