The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-05-02

OF Inem uuSQeQ WIFI CI1uIupu, IOf Gue liz
armed, i'll disciplined militia Of the sew
enties-a pygmy force as compared with
the expert ''guardsmen" Of today-has
been scattered to the winds; the sturdy
police have been swept from the streets
and driven to the shelter Of the sta
tons. Mob law rules supreme. Dense
clouds Of smoke are rising from sacked
and ruined warehouses and from long
trains of burning cars. Here and there
little groups Of striking employees have
gathered, holding aloof from the reck-
less and Infatuated mob, appalled, at the
sight of riot and devastation resulting
from their i'll advised action. Manyof
their number, conscious of their re-
sponsibility for the scenes of bloodshed
and pillage and wanton destruction Of
property, public and private, would
now gladly undo their work and array
themselves among the few defenders Of
the great corporations they have served
for years and deserted at the call Of
leaders whom they @ saw and in a
cause they never understood, but there
can be mo footsteps backward" now.
The tide of riot has engulfed the great
city of the west, and the majesty Of the
law is but the laughing stock Of the
lowest Of the masses. Huddled in their
precinct stations, the police are bandag-
ing their bruised and broken heads.
Rallied at their armories, the more de-
termined of the militia are preparing to
defend them and their colors against
the anticipated attack Of SO times their
force in "toughs"-Chicago's vast
accumulation Of outlawed, vagabond
or criminal men. The city fathers are
we'll nigh hopeless. Merchants and
business men gather on change with
blanched faces and the oft repeated
query: "What next? What next?"
Every moment brings tidings Of fresh
dismay. New fires and q crippled and
helpless department, for the rioters
slash the hose and laugh all efforts
to scorn. A CLEAN Of hope shone in at
10 O'Clock, and the boardroom rang
with cheers at the president's announce
ment that the regulars were COMING
whole regiment of infantry from Oma-
ha was already more than half way.
But the CLEAN died out at noon when,
with white lips, an official read the tel
egram saying the strikers had ''side
tracked the special trains bearing the
soldiers, and they could not advance
another mile.
And 80 they had on one road, but
there are others, better guarded, better
run. The sun is well Y e to the west
again, Chicago is resigning itself to
another night Of horror, when from the
suburbs there comes gliding in to the
heart of the city the oldest looking
railway train that has been seen for
years, a sight at which a host of riot
ous men break away from the threat
ening front, dragging with them those
pals whom drink has either mad
dened or stupefed; a sight at which
sku!king blackguards who have picked
up paving stones drop them into the
cutters and think twice before they lay
hand on their revolver butts. No puff
ing engine hauls the train; the motive
power is at the rear. First and fore
most is q platform car-open, uncover
ed, but over its buffer glisten the bar
rels Of the dreaded gatling gun, and
around the gun-can these be soldiers?
Covered with dust and cinders, hardly
a vestige Of uniform among them, in
the shabbiest Of old felt hats. in hunt
ing shirts Of flannel or buckskin, In
scout worn trousers and Indian leg
gings, but with their prairie belts
crammed with copper cartridges, their
brawny brown hands grasping the
browner carbine, their keen eyes peer
ing straight into the faces of the throng-
ing crowd, their bronze features set and
stern, the whole car fairly bristles with
men who have fought tribe after tribe
Of savage foes from the Yellowstone to
the Sonora line, and who hold a savage
mob in utter contempt. Here by the
hub of the gatling's wheel stands old
Feeny, close at the elbow Of dark faced
Drummond. c troops first platoon,
mans the gatling gun, and under its
old leader of the Arizona campaigns
leads the procession into the Garden
City Of the antebellum days. By
Drummond's side is a railway official
gazing ahead to see that every switch
is properly set and signaling back to
the engineer when to SLOW" when to
come confidently ahead. Behind the
platform car come ordinary baggage
and passenger coaches, black with men
in the same rough, devil may care
scouting rig. All, except their horses and
horse equipments left with the quarter
master at Sidney station, the battalion
has been run to Chicago exactly as it
came from the plains, and Chicago's
'.toughs," who would have hooted and
jeered perhaps at sight of polished
brasses and natty uniforms, recoil be-
wildered before this gang Of silent and
disciplined "jayhawkers." Steadily,
silently, ominously, the train rolls
along. AS it is rounding a curve sew
oral r,olv looking fellows are seen run