The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-08-31
RIOTING IN BUFFALO.
Serious Results of q Switch.
mems strike.
Railroad Property Burned and
Troops Ordered Out.

strikers and their moathizerI anu the men
who We're doin stha strikers work, AMI few
desu tory assaults oc ,urrel. Things began
TO pu on a more serious aspect at TWO
o'clock in morning when series OF ln-
.cenoi.ry fires hroSe out simultaneously IN
the Lehi2h Valley yards. Eighteen or
twenty freight cars flied with wool,
cotton, hay and various other msr-
,chardise. two passenger coaches ana Two
watchmen'S houses were burne1. Inc nres
occurred at places where the tlremen could
not successfully stay the flames on account
of an absence of water. besides the difficulty
Of access to the fires.
The fire first discovered was in what Is
known as the east-bound yards. Here tne
watchman saw flames burst from the little
office building. and ran TO give the alarm.
This spot is fully half mile from ~se west
yards
he turned around and saw that the flames
had burst out among the 500 or more cars.
In the meantime Yardmaster Mead,
at the west end Of the yards, had dis
covered flames in the two pas
senger coaches which were sd to carry
work;nen 10 and down the road, and an
alarm had been turned in from William and
Dineens streets. TIE iremen were delayed,
owing to the bad condition OF Dlngens
two cars and the little building had been de-
stroycd.
Other fires broke out in different places,
and more freight cars were DESTROYED. Inc
damage by fire was estimated at sl0o, ooO.
The cars destroyed were in the midst or a
great number or other cars. Ihe nremen
unccupled number Of cars and removed
them from danger. A dozen or SO cars were
thrown from the Lehigh tracks and sim.
ho
switches.
Passengers ON the Erie and Lehigh Valley
trains that we're ditched stated that strikers
went through the coaches, detached the
engine and broke the air connections.
q. Dicxerman, commercial travel,
er. VINO was on board one OF
the trains, said no violence was attempted
with any Of the passengers. de continueo:
"rhree strikers boarded our traln;
They were all apparently sober and
met with no resistance. They. politely
informed the passengers that the tram
would 90 no further. The spokesman was q
tall fellow, light complexion and With sandy
hair. He simply stated that he was a striker;
had wife and family TO maintain, and the
road would not do the square thing oy tne
mer." A..
There was little disorder through the
following day, but several freignt cars were
it is estimated that more than 100 were
burned between midnight and daylight.
Some of these contained Brussels carpets
and other costly goods. Wnle
the flames burned the strikers jeered at the
firemen and in some cases lntertered WIN
them. In the afternoon Sheriff Beck went
out to the scene of disorder with posse OF
forty two men, each armed vita new ASH
clubs and shining handouts. The men
had been on the grounds only
a short time when they were
met by thirty or forty strikers and asked to
disarni. The deputies promptly surrendered
their clubs, which the strikers considerate!y
gathered up and piled into Sheriff BecS's
buggy. The Sheriff drove back 70 town and
at once asked General Peter Doyle to call
out the militia.
General Doyle ordered Ut both regiments
of the National Guard. Tney were ordered
70 wait at their headquarters under arms
till a call was made for them to do active
service in putting down the lawlessness at
East Buffalo and beyond.
Later reports showed that the Lehigh
Valley had lost seventy-two freight cars by
the fires and the Erie fourteen.
AtIA. N. the Sixty fifth Regiment was
sent to Cheektowaga to guard the Lehlgh
Valley and Erie yards and ha!f an hour
later the Seventy-fourth Regiment was
called OUT prOCecI tuo Son1oh eAe W Wv
Shore property.
A Conflict With the Strikers.
On the night following the foregoing
events rioting broke out in the yards
of the Lehigh Valley and Erie roads
at Buffalo. There were three conflicts be-
tween the mob on one side and the military
and police on the other from o'clock, and
the la glessness spread to such degree, both
in the number of the mob and the
extent of space covered, that General r.
C. DOYLE deemed it necessary to send for
military aid to other cities. The streets In
the eastern part OF the city, near the Lehlga
Valley and Erie roads were filled all the
evening with crowds OF men and ooys nurry-
ing to and from the centre OF disturbance.
The Seventy-sourth Regiment and most
OF the Sixty.fifth moved down from the
William street station to Queen street
crossing when it be>eme evident that the
strikers were massina there. All the after
noon there were Indications Of the trouble
that was brewing. The strikers gathered
near the soldiers and jeered and howled at
them.
Once or twice an exasperated soldier
would strike out at his tormentors or
threaten them with lis bayonet, and num-
Der Of fights were stepped BY the interfer.
eucs of the police ar the National Guard
officers.
Finally, at o'clock Captain Kilroy, Of the
police. with half dozen men, ordered the
crowa back. They refused to move and
threatened to sweep the police from their
path il interfered with. The Captain or
.dered clubs drawn, and by means OF tnelr
potent persuasion the mob was orlVen
back fror. the bridge. On William streetle
made a stand and was charged oy sergeant
Lambrecht with fifteen policemen. CLUBS
were used freely. and finally the strikers and
their sympathizers broke and hed.
But, although broken up for the time, the
strikers and their friends soon drifted back
10 their place under the bridge. This time
they meant bu .iness. 1t was now hall past
9, and the deep shadow from the trestle con-
cealed the strikers, while bright bondrs
burning near General Doyle's headquarters
threw strong light over the forms OF the
soldiers lying on the grass.
Suddenly large rock thrown by some
one in the shadow fell near man belong
ing to Company G OF the Seventy-fourth
Regiment, commanded by Captain Damer.
This company was nearest the strikers.
storm Of smaller stones and dirt followed,
and the mob set up veil.
The soldiers sprang to their feet Captaln
Damer gave the order to fall In. Stlll the
mob continued yelling and throwing mis-
siIes. A drummer beat the long roll. E1.
cited by the sound and sxasperated by the
attacks of the strikers, Company Ms men
started forward. when the door
of the house where General Doyle
bad his headquarters was thrown open, and
Captain of Police Kilroy, who had been
conferring with the General, ran out at full
speed. Calling to his msn to follow him, he
rushed among the yelling MOB and the now
thoroughly eIasperated soldiers.
.sVasn bock hove loan hecE y, ha ehoDta