Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-10

Forum" The trouble between the company
and the workmen was at the start a triAing
one and would have been adjusted by the
workmen themselves If it had not been for
outside interference. THE Junta" had had
its eyes on this point for a year and Ie-
solved to make it the starting point of its
socialistic upheaval. 1t succeeded in get
ting its own men into the works and dis
affecting large number of operatives. A
strike of one branch occurred early in
the year and the company sent men from
England to take their places. 1t was not
proven that they came under contract, hut
no one doubted it. In six months they had
taken on 800 men guardedly and sngly,
and, having demonstrated to their own
satisfaction the feasibility of importing
Their labor in a surreptitious manner, IN
dertook a cOlOniZing scheme They put I'D
600 cottages on a large tract and let the
property and invited immigration. disclaim-
Ing any desire to get workmen. 1t was not
till a reduction of wages took place ard
another strike occurred that the colonists
proved to be able to take the place of the
discharged men, who were. in the MAN, In
skilled workmen- At this point the actual
trouble began. The skilled American work
men sympathized with the men who had
gone out and four of the factories shut
down.
The director appears to have been a prag-
matte Englishman. without the tact of
prudence. There was at the time s, 900, 900
In specie on temporary deposit in the ST.
Mary's bank. being the two payments made
by the government for large contract for
copper gun-bar-els This money should
never have reached st. Mary's in coin. But
there mad been loud cutlery from different
parts OF the country that all the profits of
the company went to England and the dis
affected men Of The Junta" had re-echoed
II bitterly. This director. therefore. whose
name was Matlock. had advised the com
pany to use the money at St Ma-y's in
paying off the Indebtedness on the fmDrove-
ment scheme. He appeared to think ii
would have good effect. On the night af-
ter the strike three Of the new houses built
by the company were burned. The striking
workmen were charged with The incenfiar-
Ism. but denied it, The next DAY there were
three or four thousand men out Of work in
the town and a very angry feeling
director Matlock iEjudicioUsly expressed
an Op'1lon about the origin of the fire which
made the better class of striking vorknsn
indignant, and they sent a delegation to the
office or the works 10 get statement from
MIN directly. and they encountered at the
uOor Oh the olnce SIX men. armed with clubs
and pistols, who ordered them away An
alteration ensued Two OF the deIaca tion
Wee knocked down and one had his skuII
fractured The remainder of the men went
back for reinfOrcements and in an hour
there was mob of JIHI men before the Of
nee. They demanded that the perpetra -,rs
OF the outrage should be handed over or
they would enter the building by force and
take them. MatlOck refused to give them
up The mob then broke into the office
seized the men and took them into the
street. where they were beaten to death
Inc director then sent for the sheriff at
faducah and telegraphed to the governor
that the English cOmpanys property was in
danger and he demanded the protection of
the state
Al this juncture large number of the re-
naming wOTkmen who had taken no part
IN the strike protested against the action OF
the director and went out with the Others
me whole town was now in a serrnent Of
excitement. and that night Mr. MatlOck be-
transferred
The next day an event occurred which is
CHpreceHented in the history of strikes. In
Fler 10 understand il in its extraordinary
IeltiiS u Is necessary TO explain the topog-
r2phy Of -. Nary's
me town is built on the first and second
D the natural terraces end covers In a
caterer way an area OF perhaps three
SQUARE miles To the southwest and over
'C"EinS the town is what looks like a nor
.I'! "t q third and larger terrace but which
y the level Of a long stretch of tabIeIand
0~t extends south and west with a steady