The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-19
FATAL FIGHT IN A STRIKE.
Two Of the Strikers Shot Dead and
Fifteen Wounded.

The Sherifrs Skull Fractured by q
Shovel in the Hands of One of the
Mob-The Foreman of the Work Also
Fatally Injured-The Attack Made
When the Bosses Had Decided to
Abandon for the Day the Attempt To
Have Work Done.
Detroit, Mich, April 1s-Trouble has
been brewing between the water board
and the Polish labOrers engaged TO lay
the pipe extensions east of the water
works near Connor's creek, four miles
from the city, over the question of wages
for some days. These men we're quarrel
some yesterday and refused to go to work
themselves or allow any one else to do
so, but no serious outbreak occurred.
AT O'Clock this morning an angry look
ing mob began 10 gather at the scene and
when O'Clock arrived more than 500 men,
| carrying piclS-axes and spades were pa
trolling the road. -Four policemen were
sworn in as deputy sheriffs, and force Of
eighteen men were put to work.
THREATENED WITH DEATH.
The strikers threatened to kill the first
man who dared attempt to do any work.
| and when one Of the men, more daring
| than his fellow worlzmen, jumped into the
ditch he was savagely assaulted. The
| handful of deputies were overpowered,
and the strikers were left In possession
for the time being At 10 o'clock the mob
| further armed itself with clubs and cud-
| gels. The water works police were tele+
phoned for, and took with them dozen
deputies.
THE CLASH.
After a conference with the water
works board about noon, IL was decided
to abandon the work for the day, and
| then the clash came. When Engineer
| Williams attempted 10 withdraw his men
peacefully the strikers became furious,
and made an onslaught on
one Of the men. Sheriff Collins ordered
the mob 10 dispense, threatening to shoot
If the order was not obeyed. The mob
! appeared maddened, however, and con-
tinued the attack Then the sheriff
ordered his posse to fire. He suited the
action TO the words, and fred three shots
| from his revolver In rapid succession.
This was a signal for volley from the
deputies, who emptied their revolvers at
the advancing mob.
TWO KILLED AND MANY WOUNDED.
Two strikers were shot dead and at
least fifteen others are more or less dan
gerously wounded. This had demoral-
izing effect on the mob and IL fell back.
Police headquarters we're notified and q
large force of policemen and all the am-
bulance in the city were hurried 10 the
scene.
The trouble commenced when Engineer
Williams gave the order for the removal
Of the suction pumps and tools from the
small excavation that had been made ut
the end of the pipe line In preparation
for the work. AS he spoke in
English, however, the mob did not
comprehend what he said. Sheriff
| Collins stood near the excavation with
deputy. The deputy spoke German, and
told the mob that the water board had
| given in and that it wished TO remove its
tools. Foreman Cathey jumped into the
excavation and began taking up the
| pump. One of the strikers yelled Are
| we going to stand this7 Let us all strike
together"
THE ATTACK AND THE SHOOTING.
At this speech there was forward
rush of the strikers, who held their
shovels and picks aloft. Cathey was
| struck blow on the head, which knocked
him to the bottom of the excavation.
The sheriff waved his arms wildly and
fairly shrieked TO the mob to stand
back, but his efforts were thwarted,
no attention being paid to what
he said. He drew his revolver
and aimed 1t point blank at the crowd.
He fired three shots as rapidly as he
could pull the trigger Then long
handled shovel appraised behind him, de-
| scended swiftly and corner OF 1T pierced
his skull He was struck again and
| again and was probably fatally injured.
, Foreman Cathey is also fatally injured.
One member of the water works police
was seriously cut
The two strikers killed and all the
wounded are Poles. The trouble is not
yet over.
BEaINNIG OF THE TROUBLE
The trouble really began yesterday
when Engineer Williams, Of the water
works sought to introduce system of
paying the men by the cubic yard Of ex-
| cavatiou instead of a daily wage rate.
| The Polish laborers rebelled at this and
as a result the water board decided to
| suspend operations. This morning En-
| gineer Williams and a small force of men,
accompanied by Sheriff Collins and five
deputies, went to the scene Of yesterdays
disturbance TO remove the city water de-
partment's tools. Then the row began.
| This afternoon and evening deputy
sheriffs secured the Polish quarter for the
rioters and by tonight fifty of the law
breakers had been gathered in. The COR
ridors of the jail and cells were filed with
them
DEMONSTRATION AT THE JAIL.
About s o'clock, group OF Polanders
gathered about the jail, and made ugly
| demonstrations. One of them was shot
in the leg by deputy, and was carted of
TO a hospital. The crowd about the jail,
mostly spectators, continued until mid
| night.
The Polish quarter is all excitement.
A meeting was arranged in a Polish hall
for might from which, IL was declared,
the Polanders would march 70 the Jail
and wreck it, but the police were watch
full and the meeting did not materialize.
KELLEY TO HAVE A TRAIN.
Chautauqua, Ia, April 1s.-Gen. Kelley
| received a telegram today from the conf
mittee in Chicago telling him that he
could be assisted east of that city, but
! that he could not DE helped into Chicago.
This evening he received assurances
! which he considered reliable that the
| army can have a train tomorrow if the
men will march east about ten miles, and
I