The sun., 1894-03-15

wome7 strikers Provoked - an Alleged
Remark of sunerintepd John wtuiaas.
The striking employers OF the Barbour Flax
Spinning Company In Paterson are giving the
police almost as much trouble as tho silk
workers. They insist upon gathering In mobs
upon the streets. and refuse to dlsperse until
the police draw their clubs.
or tho ] 200 fax splnners who are on strike
two-thirds are women middls-aged women.
mostly-who como from the north OF Ireland.
They are healthy. well-built. lusty lung ed
creatures. and when they get together and
begin to abuse Superintendent John McWil-
liams. whom they blame for everything that
o goes wrong at the mills. their utterances can
be heard far away.
A thousand OF the strikers gathered In
Spruce street yesterday morning In respons So
TO call for a meeting. but there seemed to be
no ono there who knew how to begin. IL was
suggested then that they send committee to
secure Saalss PARK, on the island In tho Pas
sale and hold n meeting In the afternoon.
This proposition met with favor and the com
mittse set out on their errand. While they
were gone the women ripped Mr.. McWilliams's
character to pieceA Said one strappipg wo-
man:
He said We might as well go homo and
live on bread aud onions. and now. oh Lord
he says he didn't say II. III like to get my
hands in his hair for a minute. I'd give i'm
bread ami onions"
This remark. which tho strikers attribute to
Superintendent McWilliams. has enraged the
strikers particularly the women. beyond all
measure. Many OF them had gone about for
several days with crusts OF bread and small
opportunitytO throw them at the perintend-
eni.
When the omulttee returned with the In
formation that there would be a meeting on
tue island IN the afternoon, the crowd moved
down spruce street in the direction OF Grapd.
OF superintendent McwillIams riding to the
'Th.rs q goes! There goes bloody brs sad
az. onions" shouted the mob. N'1
mows TIE g9nt' old man. erisl one
:endenI is suspected nf suffering fr0sa high
hyIng. number q the women threw their
as twas moving rapidly nearly ali Of tSs mis-. Is.
siles fell wide otthslr marx. A lew. however,
low through the open window and landed
Here is@me get sddim!i cried brawny.
armed woman. pushing her way forward aud
curb the cab rolled around the corner directly
ia front OF her. With. a shout OF delight she
sse The cro%d row f iSSshsd he'd" '"0 n'H-"''r the
oh what. = shot" they cried. 'Ys eould'n
NJ do'clock the operatives began to Assem-.
BILE on the island. There were between $40
MsS %s Sss ne fUS%sH, pTessa5 John
the flax mills. acted as Chairman. He made a
seSr. ss4 iPssSh' J IN which he declared that ths
work without getting the increase In wages
which they were striking for.
Il first worked in Earbnnr's mill naarIx
twenty years ago" he said. and many OF YOU
whom | see now as women were little doffsrs
then. In my capacity as foreman aIwAyS rs-
Rardsd the rights OF the worker with consiisrs-
ton"
old wsman who sat in the front row. You're
telling ths truth"
A shout Of aaRh.sr greeted this rou-ark and
vas followed by a burst OF applause. A com
mtttes Was appointed 10 confer with the pro-
pIietoTs Of the mill and tho meeting then ad-