Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-07-19
BIG STRIKE OF 1877.
UPRISING WHICH ENDED IN AN
ARCHY AND DEATH.
ft Began on the ID. q q. O.-Martinsburg,
w. Va, Was the Scene of First Violence
-Pittsburg Experienced Reign of Ter
ror-C Chicago Put Down the Mobs.
Involved East and West.

The strike growing out of the Pull
man controversy recalls vividly the
deeds of violence OF the year 1871,
when the whole country was involved.
The strike of ~ occurred also in July
and had its beginning in the East. On
the 10th of the month engineers and
firemen on the Baltimore and Ohio
at Martinsburg, w. Va, left their
posts, and in less than twenty hou- S
the whole Baltimore and Ohio system
was idle. The Pennsylvania and Erie
lines soon became involved, and within
a week the strike was inaugurated in
thirteen States. Before Aug. l, $4,000
men had resisted constituted author
ity, blood had been shed in Maryland,
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio,
New York, New Jersey, Indiana, Mich
igan, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri,
the President of the United States had
resorted to proclamation, calling forth
the Federal troops, thirteen Governors
had exercised similar powers to sum.
mon the militia; trade and commerce,
were paralyzed and scenes of devasta-
tion and murder unequaled in America
since the civil war had been enacted at
Pittsburg and other cities.
The strike of II was cau:ed by a re-
duction in wages. The b. & O.'s failing
revenues was the excuse for cut of IL
per cent, and at it the workmen re-
volted. The trouble at Martinsburg
was soon followed by bloodshed and
the overcoming OF the State troops
sent to the scene by Gov. Matthews.
The Governor appealed to President
Hayes, who ordered regular soldiers
to Martinsburg aud issued proclama-
tion commanding the strikers to dis
perae. No attention was given to this
proclamation, and in Cumberland,
Grafton, Parkersburg, and Camden
violence prevailed.
The entire line of the B. e. O., be-
tween Chicago and Baltimore, soon be-
came involved and the latter city was
in state of riot by July 20. State
troops used their guns on the mobs,
and as a consequence twelve persons
were killed. Three were respectable
citizens who had been drawn into the
crowd by curiosity. The others were
rioters and foreigners. Most of them
were members of the "Workingmen's
Party of the United States the Amer
lean branch OF the "lnternationals,"
and as events proved this society was
largely instrumental in fomenting
the riots. The movement was at that
time new in America, having teen im-
ported by Johann Most and Justus
Schwab. The movement was destined
to spread and grow until it received it's
quietus in the Cook County Jail ten
years later on the scaffold of Spies,
Parsons, Engel and Schwab.
A second proclamation was issued.
All law-abiding citizens enrolled them
selves against anarchy. The Ba timore
g. Ohio Company made formal an
nouncement that it would make no
further eflo.t to run trains.
Meantime "symI athletic" strike
had paralyzed the Pennsylvania COM
pany, and the storm-center howled
over Pittsburg. The Sheriff of AL
legheny County was defed, and three
regiments of militia were stationed on
the track. The presence of the
military only inflamed the mob, which
grew in numbers and violence as the
hours passed.
Pittsburg's Reign of Terror.
AS the night Of July q, 1877, fell in
Pitt,burg, the streets of the city in
the vicinity of the Pennsylvania sta
tion and tracks were thronged with
mob that outnumbered the militia
three to one. Besides the strikers
were the lawless elem nts of the scums
and the still more pernicious agents of
the "Internationalists." Women min
gled with the men, vying with them
in the violence OF their words and acts.
1t proved night of terror to Pitts
ourg and to the state Of Pennsylvania
Violence began, even before MIG htfall,
at the Twenty-eighth street crossing,
the principal rendezvous of the strik-
ers. The sheriff OF Allegheny County
thither to read the riot act.
He was accompanied by a posse and
re enforced by brigade of militia
under command OF Gen. Brinton. The
strikers hooted the Sheriff, and when
he attempted 10 arrest one of their
onered resistance. The mill
tia at once opened fire on the crowd,
and sixteen persons fell dead.
This bloodshed was but the begin
ming of street war that ragged through
the night. Not less than ZO.00J people
surged about the Twenty-eighth street
crossing. the scene of the first fusil-
lade. They surrounded the militia,
hurting bricks and paving stones into
their ranks. Special violence was dis
played against the companies from
At o o'clock the mob
broke into number Of hardware stores
and procured arms and ammunition.
Thus REINFORCED they returned to the
In which the militia were
intrenched, swearing to exterminate
them.
All night long the battle ragged. At
o'clock the fire bells sounded to an
Dounce the union station was In flames.
1t had been fired by the strikers, who
with their allies were pillaging the
freight houses and robbing the cars.
The fire department responded. but
was not allowed to play upon the
flames. A spirit of fury possessed the
mob. Men ran about with torches set
ting fire TO the railway property.
Barrels OF oil were emptied upon cars
Of coke and set into disastrous blaze.
The 800 militiamen now found the n
selves surrounded by flames and forced
TO fight their way out. By fortunate
oversight the Philadelphia compani IS
we're able to make their way into Penn
avenue, but here their escape was dis
covered and they were at once charged
upon by the mob. They retorted with
their gatling guns, but confined in
their flight until they reached Sharps-
burg, six miles up the ri, er. Eight Of
their number fell in the fight.
The fire ragged all that Sunday,
spread by the rioters, involving in It's
ruin The Union depot and all the Offices
Df the l o 1nsylvauia Company, its sheds