The record-union., 1894-07-05


held their ground.
If a shot had been fired by the strikers,
or soldier struck down, General Shee-
han says he has not the slightest doubt
that the men would have done their duty.
even to the extremity of shooting down
belligerents.
EXHAUSTED BY THE HEAT.
The mercury marked 920 in the shade,
the day being the hottest thus far this
year, and the soldiers who had been
standing for nearly an hour in the broil-
ing sun began to weaken. Many fell ex-
hausted and were carried to the rear on
stretchers and laid in the shade of trees
and buildings, where they were attended
by physicians. Some were taken to the
Receiving Hospital for treatment.
Many who managed to hold their places
in the ranks did so through sheer will
power.
The suffering they endured also had
the effect of causing many to become dis
gusted with the situation and render
them lukewarm.
Added TO the mistake of subjecting the
men TO extreme discomfort was that OF
bringing all the troops TO bear on one
point. giving the strikers an opportunity
10 mass their full strength there. When
General Sheehan led the local companies
to the west end of the depot, if one-half
the troops had been marched TO the other
end, then the strikers would have been
divided, and the depot might have been
occupied and without The firing of shot.
TURBULENT SCENES.
While Marshal Baldwin, General Di-
mond and the other military officers
were holding long conference at their
headquarters to determine what course TO
pursue, the strikers were making great
deal OF noise, now cheering what they
would regard as an evidence of weaken
ing on the part Of some soldier, and again
jeering the officers whenever they would
give orders which to them were offensive.
Strikers were freely mingling with the
troops all this time and using all sorts OF
arguments in an endeayor To have them
refuse to act against the Railway Union
men. Had any trouble been suddenly
precipitated at that time the military
could have done little or nothing, as 1t
would have been a handto-hand strug-
gle, with the soldiers outnumbered three
to one by desperate men, all OF whom
were provided with small arms, more
effective iii general row than muskets.
So many men in one of the Stockton
companies were overcome by the heat
that the entire company was ordered TO
the rear, and the men sought shaded spots
to lie down.
THE MARSHAL TALKS.
The next move on the part of Marshal
Baldwin who was averse TO resorting to
extreme measures, because OF the pres
ence Of so many outsiders, was to address
the strikers from the cab of locomotive.
He implored the men to disperse and
go to their homes; told them again that
he was trying to carry out the orders of
the Government and had no feeling of
animosity TO those before him; that all
were citizens and should observe the law
and the laws mandates; that the duty III
which he was engaged was not an agree
able one, but he had sworn to perform 1t,
and would do so if he had to exhaust
every lawful expedient in his power.
He then suggested that the strikers
should call together the calmest and
ablest of their leaders and see If they
could not agree, after mature dellbera-
ton, that it would be for the best To leave
him (the Marshal) in peaceable posses
sion of the railroad company's property.
rather than compel him to take step that
might-if the threats and apparent deter
mination of the men should be carried
out-result in bloodshed and misery.
Some of the strikers were disposed to
ridicule the MarshaPs proposition, but
better Judgment prevailed, and 1T was
finally decided to declare an armistice
until o'clock In the evening, when fur-
ther action would be decided on.
Then the troops were ali dismissed and
left the grounds, some companies return
ing to the arInory aud others seeking
places to lie down and rest themselves.
SAMPLING BEER.
During the remainder OF the afternoon
crowds of the visiting militiamen went
about the streets, some with arms and
some without. Scores OF saloons were
visited, and as the hours wore on the
streets became filled with soldiers more
or less intoxicated.
The Sacramento companies remained
at their posts guarding the American
River and Yoio bridges. and early in the
evening Colonel Guthrie saw that they
were provided with rations.
AN ARMoRY LOOTED.
During the afternoon armistice a crowd
of strikers went to Smiths Hall on Sew
enth street. where the Bersaglieri Guard,
an independent Italian military COM
pany, keeps its arms, and appropriated
the entire outfit, including muskets,
sabers, cartridge boxes and other accou-
trements. The general understanding is
that the raid did not disconcert the
company in the least.
This incident fully illustrates the dam
ger of permitting any armed military
organizations in community unless it
be under the direct authority Of the State.
FOOL ACT.
Jack Harris. one of the leading strik-
at o'clock last evening and blew the fire
whistle. lie told the engineer that he
was going to pull the wire which sounds
the whistle, but the engineer said he
would not allow him to do so. Harris
said he would, and made good his threat
by Jumping to one side OF the engineer,
and grasping the wire by which the
whistle is sounded, he pulled 1t vlgor-
ously.
The blowing OF the whistle caused
quite a sensation in the ranks of the
strikers, as some OF them thought it was
the signal for the militia to get in readi-
ness and march to the depot. The ex-
citement blew over, and the incident was
soon forgotten.
Harris was arrested, but was shortly
released on bail.
FRUITLEss CONFERENCE.
The conference in the afternoon be-
tween Marshal Baldwin and the Railway
Union men was long and spirited, but re-
suited as all previous ones had. The
strikers would consent to no proposition
that did not involve the abandonment of
the Pullman sleeping coaches that are
used on the overland mail and express
trains, and of course the Marshal had no
discretion in the matter, his orders from
Washington being to run the entire mail
trains, as usually made up, or none at all.
Marshal Baldwin stated to RECORD
UNION reporter that he was convinced he
could accomplish little or nothing with
the troops now at his disposal, except to
protect property from being injured or
destroyed. owing to the strikers pre-
ponderance of strength.
In the evening most of the San Fran
cisco men marched to the depot and re-
manned till $50 o'clock, when they re-
turned TO the Armory to rest, having
been under arms nearly twenty-four
hours.
on account of objection of the strikers