The advocate., 1894-05-02

that, being "a laW-8bldlng citizen,
he voted to strike. The men
were simply to quit work next day
at noon and not resume. Nick Withers
had gone from the meeting straight to
the house of the superintendent, and
the company officials, therefore, knew
of the contemplated strike in time to
have some men ready to take the places
of some of the strikers and to go right
on with the work at the shops in the
afternoon, or seem to do so, and thus
discourage the striking employees.
WitherS had also told the Superintend-
ent that, John COtterell was the leader
of the strike and that he had almost
forced the men into it, and that it was
only necessary to get rid of that indi-
vidual to end the trouble at once.
All the men had left the shops at
noon. John had gone to his boarding
house and dressed, before returning at
2 o'clock as had been agreed; for, that
morning, Mrs. Ruble had sent word by
her husband that she wished John to
call that evening without fail, as she
had a letter she wished him to read,
and anxious to hear from Lena, he had
made preparation to call. Returning
to the shops he was much surprised to
see force of policemen already in
charge, for nothing whatever had been
done by the strikers as yet-nothing
had even been threatened. He was
still more astonished when two police.
men met him as heapproached and one
of them said
81 want you. Come with me.
"For what ?" demanded John.
"It makes no difference about that;
you come along"
"Show your authority to arrest me,
or | shall refuse to submit"
The policeman pointed to his club.
"Here is my authority. Are you COM
ing peaceably or notS"
"I'm an American citizen and have
committed no crime. I'm not a slave
to run along whenever an overbearing
policeman sees fit to tell me to. Show
me you warrant and I'll go. If you at
tempt to touch me otherwise, you had
better make arrangements to fight"
The policeman gave a savage grab
at the blacksmith's collar but was
promptly knocked down. The other
policeman had drawn his pistol-a re-
port rang Out-there was little smoke
at the muzzle Of the pistOl-and John
COtterell, throwing up his hands and
half turning, fell forward. A little
stream of bright blood began to run
from under the prostrate body. A
crowd gathered and was at once dis
persed by the police, but finally some
of the shop men were permitted to take
up the bleeding man and bear him to
Ruble's humble home.
The strike was over.
Had John been able to see out a win
dow of the shop, he might have seen
the 'letter" Mrs. Ruble wished him to
read alighting from car toward noon
and proceeding to the Ruble cottage.
Lena had come to spend the afternoon,
and to meet John in the even
ing. He did not as yet so
much as suspect her presence in
Graham; and she and her hostess
friend were gayly laughing over their
anticipated surprise of the unsuspeCt-
ing lover, when, pale and in breathless
haste, Mr.. Ruble entered, saying i'm
mediately upon opening the door:
"Get a bed ready quickl A man has
been badly injured and they are bring
ing him here"
In another moment there were
sounds of shufling feet outside, as of
men carrying a heavy burden; the door
was thrown open and the bleeding
body, hidden by the men carrying it,
was brought in and laid upon the bed.
A surgeon was speedily at work trying
to stop the hemorrhage.
"Who is il? ?" asked Mrs. Ruble when
her husband came out of the bedroom.
"It's COtterell. We had a strike and
Il -