Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-08-09
LINES CLOSED UP.
Siege Of Omaha Packing Plants
Now Complete.
STRIKE PICKET LINES ADVANCED.

NO One Allowed to Get Through With
out Strong Police Guard and That
Sometimes Faiis-Mayor and Packers
Demand Military Protection and the
Disturb District District Likely To he
Placed Under Martial Law.
OMAHA, Aug. 9.-The crisis in the strike
arrived last night and if there is no i'm
provement this morning several COM
panies OF militia will be sent to South
omaha and the packing house district
placed under martial law. The situa-
ton is most serious and the !, 100 strik-
ers have been doing about as they please.
AT = O'Clock last evening they forced their
picket line-that has for forty-eight hours
surrounded the packing houses-under
the very walls OF the big buildings, and
their number was increased by the addi-
ton OF several hundred men. At O'Clock
Mayor johnson, of South Omaha, went
before the Omaha police board and asked
that detail of police be sent there, as he
was powerless to control the lawless ele-
men:. He said he had driven all over
The city and found gangs OF strikers pa
trol!ing the streets waiting for some of
workmen to show up on their way to
work
Local Police Force Not "In It."
lie had found gangs OF fifty to seventy
I'VE strikers all armed with clubs. The
local police force was powerless' to cope
with these organized mobs and unless
some radical measures were taken to sup
press the disorderly element there would
be men murdered and the packing houses
would be in ashes before tonight. The
board was informed that the governor was
IN consultation with the packers with a
view Of putting the packing house district
under martial law and concluded to await
his action. The packing house managers
held conference, and at its close Cudahy
notified the adjutant general that unless
the workmen could,be given adequate pro-
lection all packing houses would be COM
PEELED 10 close down. He said the man.
ayers do not feel like endangering thei-
plants by keeping them at WORK while
Their men are IN danger of assault.
A Regular Reign of Terror
In the evening the governor and adju-
tant general met the packers to canvass
the matter. The packers declared that
the situation was most critical and the
governor finally concluded to do nothing
until morning and then if there WAS no
improvement 10 call for troops. General
Gage Is on the scene keeping a close watch
upon the situation. He is in constant
communication not:only with the mana
gers OF the several packing houses, but
with prominent leaders of the strike,
employees last night on their way from
work We're assaulted by strikers, who
were stationed at all points TO intercept
them. Many of the men who left the
plants Tuesday night and went home to
sleep were unable to return to work yes-
terday. In some instances their houses
We're watched by strikers and they We're
afraid to venture out.
Mayor and Sheri II Reconnoiter.
Men who were on their way to work
were turned back by strikers and not al
lowed to pass the strikers picket lines.
In one instance three policemen were up-
able to escort one Of the night tank men
to his home. A mob of fifty or more strik-
ers would not permit them to pass and
the laborer had to return to the plant and
stay there. Mayor johnson and Sheriff
Drexel visited The various avenues lead
ing to the different packing houses last
night. They both reported the strikers to
toe IN an angry frame of mind. They said
the entrance to the packing houses were
guarded by the strikers with an armed
force OF nsen with clubs, revolvers and
stones and efforts were made to prevent
the new men from going to work
Threaten to idetrack Meat Trains.
Captain Mosiyn, in charge of the special
deputies. receivedd a telephone message
from Sheeiy stating that mob of 200
men had ssemblied a long the tracks TO
sidetrack the refrigerator cars containing
meat shipped east:.from the packing houses.
A patrol wagon load of police was sent to
Shelly, but before it arrived there the
meat train had passed unmolested. The
regular dummy train which left Omaha
for South Omaha with packing house EN-.
ployes was stoned at Shelly and derisive
howl greeted the train as it passed the
suburban station.