Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-04-26
RIOTING AT OMAHA.
GEN. kELlY'S SvMPAThIZERS
SEIZE A TRAIN.
rhe Commonweaier Fears tho Government
and Refuses to Accept-Raiiroad Omcials
Order Tracks Torn Up-Coxey Movement
Becoming Serious.

For ten hours Friday $4,000 men OF
Omaha, Council Bluffs and South Oma-
ha stood ready to 60 to any end to help
Kellys army. Mass-meetings were
held in all three cities, men marched
from one to another, appeals were
made to the railway officials, to Gov.
finally train was taken by commit
tee of railroad men to the camp at
Weston. The Rock Island agent at
Weston and a man named Chittenden
sent section hands outside the
switches to tear up the track.
The fact that train of ten cars
with a couple of hundred men on
board would be ditched was over
looked in the desire to prevent any aid
from reaching Kelly. Kelly's army
was anxiously waiting for results OF the
efforts of friends in Omaha and Coun-
Gil Bluffs. The people near the place
initiated the example of Omaha's citi-
zens and gave the army food. Twenty
one citizens OF Persia filed several
wagons with provisions and drove over
to the place. They could not get the
railways to move the provisions. The
citizens of Underwood sent over load
O. comforters and blankets. The Mil
waukee Company ran al their trains
and cars out from the Bluffs in the
afternoon, and then pulled up the
tracks near Nicola, so that II the men
captured train they could not go far.
About o'clock word was passed
around that unless something was done
before 4 o'clock move would be made
on the railroads. The throng which
was packed about Bayless Park in
Council Bluffs had been getting cold
and was gradually fading away when
the beating of a drum was heard on
the west side of the square, and a
crowd of 200 women headed by Mrs.
Herman was seen on the march to the
depots. The line was made up Of we'll
clothed mothers and wives, and at al
most every corner an accession was
received.
When the Rock Island depot was
reached there were nearly 900 women
in line. Arrived there a committee
was detailed to make an inspection of
the neighboring roundhouses. This
was done, but not an engine was found.
While the throng was in deliberation
another drum was heard and few
blocks west was seen a line OF futter-
ing flags. These were carried by the
main body of men on the way to the
transfer. These were joined by the
women and a procession OF over 1900
wound its way down over the tracks
toward the depot. On the walk
TO the depot an engine labeled
Union Pacific, No. 1868, was met, and
answering to the argument Of railway
ties on the rails it came to stop.
Nick Wicks, a veteran engineer, was
in charge, and as he looked out of the
cab window in surprise half dozen
women and a lot OF men climbed into
the cab and on the tender. Dozens of
others boarded the pilot and ranged
themselves on the sides OF the boiler.
Then youthful-looking man wearing
George Wicks climbed into the cab
and said: "Papa, you had better get
off" and papa got off. The young man
with the tall hat evidently knew his
business, and after shooting the en-
gine up and down the tracks for half
an hour, bad attached to his engine
twenty-seven cars with which he
pulled out for Weston.
Desperate Effort to stop the Train.
When the news reached Weston that
train was coming over the Rock ISL
and tracks to rescue Kelly, Agent Chit
tenden sent for the section boss This
individual was ordered to take his men
and tear up enough track west of the
west switch to prevent the train from
rea ching town. Work was begun at
once, but before 1t proceeded far the
Kellyites had surrounded the section
men and persuaded them to desist.
The section men threw down their
tools, one rail having been removed.
Kellys men quickly replaced the rail
and drove home the spikes. Then
Agent Chittenden came up and or
dered the section boss to tear up the
track again. His deliberate attempt
to wreck the train aroused the
wrath OF the Kellyites. Their demon
strations were such that the agent fed
back to the depot, followed by the sec
tion men. The attempt to ditch the
train was abandoned and in moment
the headlight shone along the frosty
rail and scream from the whistle an
nounced the coming OF relief. Gen.
Kelly was uptown at the Lemen meet
ing, but came to the depot, when big
engineer came forward and said: Gen.
Kelly, we have here train of cars to
take you back to Council Bluffs. Come,
get on board"
Kelly, after a consultation with his
friends, declined to take the train. 1t
would put his men In the light OF law
breakers. Besides, the train was the
property of the Union Pacific, and that
road being in the hands OF the Federal
courts Kelly was afraid he would bring
the United States authorities down
upon him IL he took the train.
wire TO Railroad Presidents.
While these scenes were being en-
acted, committees were besieging the
telegraph offices with messages to the
presidents OF the Iowa trunk lines.
The following, signed by the Hon.
W. II. M. Pusey "and 5000 others, was
sent to Marvin Hughitt, President of
the Chicago and Northwestern: r.. r.
Cable, President Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific; Roswell Miller, President
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul Rail-
way, Chicago:
Kelly's army is at Weston exposed to the
elements, with provisions for two days; are
sunertng terribly, but patient and united In
their determination to go through. Have thus
far committed no trespass whatever: are or
er, and are being furnished with provisions
and transportation for the same by the charity
OF the people OF Iowa. We have thrown the
the great gravity Of the situstion. Cannot you,
gentlemen. for the great corporations you rep
resent assume, to do, in the interests Of hu-
msnity, what you would not be justified In
doing except In this great emergency
This was followed by several others
In the same strain, and then the COM
mittee OF six of the workingmen's army
sent the following: