Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-06-10
The MILITIA CALLED OUT
The Strike at Romeo, ILL.,, Has
Grown Serious.
SIX KILLED IN YESTERDAYS FIGHT

About rs Others Were Seriously Injured
aud Some VIII Dis-Two Different
Stories of the Trouble-StrIkers Claim
to Be Rlameless.
CHICAGO, June 10.-The pitched battle
which took place between the strikers and
employees of the contractors on the drain
ago canal yesterday, has decided the
sheriGfs of the three counties of Cook,
Dupage and Will, to call on Governor
Altgeld for aid, and it is probable that
1900 militia will be encamped on the
grounds before night.
The fight took place at Romeo, some of
the strikers coming down from Lemont
and others coming from the north, they
being divided into two mobs. They at
once began firing on the contractors and
their men.
Those coming from the north drove
off the men on section TO-. The men re-
tired fighting, but they had only gone a
short distance when they were set upon
by another division of the strikers and six
men were killed. The names of the men
who were fatally hurt are not known.
There were about % wounded, all of them
strikers. Some of them were frightfully
wounded, and it is probable that many of
them will die.
The workmen, after the battle which
took place and in which the strikers were
worsted, captured about 80 of their as
sailants.
According to the stories told by the
strikers, they were in no wise responsible
for the carnage Those from Lemont and
those from the camps north of Romeo were
to hold a meeting at Romeo to discuss the
situation. They claim that they were UNI
armed and were attacked without prova-
cation.
OF the men employed on the drainage
canal about 100 negroes in the employ of
contractors Edward Locker, Smith and
jackson, King Brothers and John McCor-
mack refused to join the strikers. This
morning they were armed with shot guns,
Winchesters and revolvers and told to pro-
tect themselves. Lookouts with powerful
field glasses were stationed in towers to
give the warning of the approach of the
strikers.
When the party from the north
came in sight about noon they say they
were more than surprised to be met with
fusilade from the men at work. They
deny having fired shot or making any
hostile demonstration. At the first fire
they started to run. The negroes gave
pursuit and II of the strikers were cap
tured and imprisoned in a car, in which
they were afterward conveyed to Joliet.
When the party from Lenlont approached
the camp from the south, an hour later,
the lookouts gave notice to the negroes,
who were placed by the men in charge at
various points of vantage on the submits
of the huge piles of rock which surround
the camp.
The strikers approached unconscious of
the reception in store for them. When
about 500 feet from the camp a whistle
was sounded. This was the signal for the
negroes to fire and instantly 100 rifles
belched forthSStheir death dealing missiles
into the ranks of the strikers. Many fell
at the first fire while those uninjnred
start ed to flee. They were almost sur
rounded however, and as the firing con-
tinued they became thoroughly bewildered.
At last an avenue of escape was discov-
cred and then began the mad race for life.
The negroes gave pursuit firing as they
ran, bringing down hapless striker
every few rods. For a mile and half the
chase was kept up and marking the road
.Jr this distance with a trail of blood.
Two of the wounded strikers were seen to
fall into the canal. The others who were
killed outright died where they fell in the
roadway.
While the battle was in progress Lud-
wig Kruger, a section man employed on
the Santa Fe railroad was mistaken for a
striker and shot through the abdomen.