The morning call., 1894-07-04
STRIKERS GET MAD.
They Stop the Stockton at Six
teenth Street.

! For the first time since the strike began
Oakland was nearly the scene of a fight
SO far the strikers have main tanned order
and quiet but yesterday an incident oc-
CURED which brought the stronger feelings
TO the surface and almost caused riot.
| Ii happened at Sixtee n th-street station.
In fact the center Of excitement in Oak
| land yesterday was transferred to that
point The large crowds of men usually
seen at the Seventh-street headquarters
had thinned out. They gathered in knots
and groups al Sixteen tn street early in the
morning.
| 1t had been announced that the special
train bearing Mrs. Stanford would pass
through about 10 o'clock. and the strikers
were there to do honor to the widow Of tn g
late Senator. They lined up on both sides
of the track several hundred strong. 1t
was very good-natured crowd and they
cheered loudly when the special ran into
the depot. The train was made up of
engine 164S and day coach. Both were
decorated gayly with flags and streameIs.
Painted in huge yellow letters on each
side Of the border were the letters "a. r.
| o." President Roberts boarded the train
at Sixteenth street and rode down to the
mole.
Hardly had the Stanford special gone
through before fun commenced. Right
after the special came in a Davisville
train. A Pullman was attached This
sight kindled the strikers to fury. They
yelled out that they had been betrayed.
| They felt that the track had been cleared
| for Mrs. Stanford and that the railroad
officials had not kept faith by running a
Pullman through. "Cut her out! cried
Charley Hall, the towerman, "they have
taken advantage of our generosity"
Belden was the engineer and Fox the
fireman. Belden said nothing and the
crowd got 10 work. They closed upon
| Fox, but he said nothing. Then they cut
the airbrakes and uncoupled the fruitcar.
| and the Pullman and passenger-cars were
left behind. The work was done in an
instant, boy uncoupling the cars. A
deputy Sheriff pulled his pistol. brt put it
up quickly. The place was BLACK with
people and the excitement was of the wild
est kind.
1t was intensified when Stockton train
| 10 rolled into the place on its way out.
W hen the train stopped the men crowded
around. Engineer Nichols was in charge.
John Alexander. big man. was doing the
firing. The strikers talked him into leav-
| ing. He said he had wife and four chill
dren destitute. and that was his first job
in a year. The strikers offered to look
after his family and pay him the company's
salary if he would leave. He left. The
train stood there.
The strikers said they would take the
m ails through if the coaches were cut off.
A man named Rogers jumped into the
CAP. The company's officials refused to
| allow the train to 60 out on such terms
The strikers were practically in charge of
| the train.
| AT this juncture the Stanford special, on
its return journey, appeared. After 1t
| came switch engine. with Wilder,
| Mckenzie and other officials aboard of it.
| Mr.. Wilder announced that he would take
| the train back to the mole. He was jeered
by the men. When they went to pull the
| train back 1t was found to be uncoupled.
| Superintendent Wilder got down on his
hands and knees and recoupled the cars.
| He was not noested. Then the Stockton
train was hauled slowly back TO the mole
amid the cheers of the strikers, hundreds
of whom got on the train and rode to the
pier. The switch engine was on the rear
end of the train, the big engine at the
head. Mckenzie ran the switch engine
while Wilder fired for Nichols. Chief of
Police Schaffer. Sheriff MeKilican and
deputies and police were at the Sixte enth-
| street station at the time.