The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-03
IN THE BEE LINE YARDS.
Men Cult, as They Claim, Through
Eenr of Violence. ~.


The Bee-line yards. extending from Ala
bama TO East street. was a scene OF con-
fusion last night At o'clock twenty five
men, including the switch tenders and
watchmen, threw up their work and joined
a mob of a hundred more strikers who
came to the yards from otner localities.
The Bee-line men are in the employ of the
Big Four system. Many of those who left
their work claimed that they were not
strikers but said that they had been forced
out by fears of violence. The first hostile
move of the strikers was to draw the coup
lings from twenty-eight freight cars and
hide the pins. Yardmaster Linkenfelter was
busy with force of men making up the
night trains when the word came TO strike.
He was left with one or two switch ten
ders and a Waterman. Shortly after
o'clock the strikers massed at East street
and requested switch tender Jack Shriver
to quit He in the act of throwing the
switch for one of the big Kankakee d.
vision engines. For time he demurred
but finally consented to quit. He allowed
the engine to pass over the switch, and
then locked up the watch house Fisher
the tender at Delaware street. left his
watch house at 10 o'clock. He claimed the
strikers abused him. and he feared that he
would be hurt.
BY 10 o'clock the engineers in charge of
the pony engines were utterly helpless.
Captain Campbell. with twenty police,
took possession of the yards and patrolled
the track from East street to the Union
Station. Switch engines were tied up in
all parts of the yard. the strikers refus-
ing to turn a switch and the engineers
declining to do the work themselves.
about the east end of the station waiting
for their trains TO be made up, and were
finally compelled to tend the switches
themselves. Conductors fitted about the
yards with their lanterns turning switch
here and there. The strikers witnessed
the scenes with ugly looks. but two big
policemen who Travelled on each side OF the
new switchmen prevented any interference.
The strikers INDUCED in no loud demon
strations, but convarSed in Subdued tones
and quietly passed from one switch 10 an
other. Nearly a hundred of them were
congregated at the Delaware-street' cross
ing when the big Panhandle train pulled
out of the east end of the station and
struck a merry clip. The Pullman sleepers
brought up the rear end. As they passed
Delaware street some of the men looked
decidedly hostile and another man ex-
claimed to n group of his fellows: cut
the sleeper" Patrolman kurtz heard the
remark and kept an eye on the men. There
BY III O'Clock the situation in the Bee
line yards grew so serious that special Off
Ger NiltiSe was sent from the l Mon Sta
ton to turn the switches. Three policemen
kept him constantly in sight. Yardmaster
Hicks donned an engineers suit and took
charge OF an engine himself. His fireman
moved the switch where il was absolutely
necessary. Yardmaster Hicks succeeded in
making up the north-bOund Big Four train
without the assistance of a switch tender.
At IL 80 il was reported at the Union Sta
ton that strikers were holding the c., III.
& D. passenger at East street. The train
carried three Pulmans and a mail car.
Deputy United States Marshal Foley and
Postofiice Inspector Fletcher set out 10
walk TO East street but met the train at
the viaduct. Tie binding glare of the
electric headlight fell upon big crowd CT
strikers at Delaware street. but the hated
Pullmans passed without interruption Had
the strikers attempted TO detach the sleep
ers they would have failed. for a putting
little pony engine brought up the rear. 1t
was claimed last night that the leaders of
the crowd that infested the Decline yards
were not employed on any of the Indian
apoliS railroads. One of the engineers who
was compelled to discard his engine said
that some of the loudest agitators would
not be allowed to walk the track OF
reputable railroad. Peter Hughes, secre
tary of the switchmen. INDUCED i'm a
stump speech at East street warning the
spectators and those not engaged in the
strike to keep out of the yards. He said
that the men intended to do no violence.
and that those who anticipated exciting
and violent scenes would he disappointed.