The morning call., 1894-07-17


Battalion.
With sabers swinging in the air, slash
ing right and left and pistols dubbed, the
cavalry came on at swinging gallop. and
men and women, little children, boys and
girls gave way like sheep before "a muir
rain. Faster and faster they galloped, and
ahead and On the sides the crowd gave
way and fell back on the crowd further
up, cr0Wding them up Sixth street ana up
and down Seventh and further on up
Cedar on both sides of the engine On
and on after the hOrsemen came the IN
fantry and the men OF the Naval Battalion,
and in the rear on the double quick the
artiIlerymen with the Gatling ana Hotch-
kiss guns. The infantry. with guns
dubbed. and the Naval Battalion, with
bayonetS pointed, charged tie croWdS
that had been swept to the side by the
rpsh of the cavalry. Men were struck on
the head and shoulders and fell and rose,
and were dubbed and prodded again {;
women fled for their lives, shrteklng In
fear and trembling at the onslaught; little
children were carried on in the general
rush and panic, and their frightened
screams could be heard even above the din
or the charge, luo oIllohS VI viz "OihSn
and the curses of the men.
Pell nell, this way and that, into every
convenient doorway. in between houses
and across lots, up and down the nearest
crossways and on up Cedar and Seventh
streets swept the crowd before the rush.
And the soldiers dealt their blows right
and left in a disorganiZed, indiscrlmlnat-
ing way, men and women getting the bene-
fit of their blows alike.
AS Seventh street was reached detach-
ment of the cavalry, soon followed by In
fantry, each apparently without head or
arm, charged on the sidewalks and up the
middle Of the street, after the fleeing, un-
resisting crowds. And on up Cedar street
the main body OF the soldiery continued
in its swoop. They charged and charged,
cut this way and slashed that, with their
bayonets thrusting and their dubbed guns
swinging, the crowd moving in any way
it could until Goss street was reached.
Cedar street had been cleared and the
crowds were still fleeing for their lives IN
any and every direction to get out Of the
way of what they considered certain death
Once or twice the reports of guns were
heard, and everybody who had time tC
think imagined that the troops, flushed
with their easy victory, had begun firing
| on the crowd. II was discovered later thai
some of the soldiers. unaccustomed Il
! quick action with their rifles, had pulled
| their triggers unknowingly, the charge:
! going~up into the air, fortunately finding
no human Judgment.
The charge was over in less than il
! could be told. and after the military had
| restored some order among itself and
placed sentry lines as far up as Seventh
| and Pine and Goss and Cedar streets 4
| search was made for the wounded. There
we're any number with battered heads and
| bleeding faces and hands. with clothes
| torn by bayonet thrusts; but. DESPITE ru
mors that number of people had beer
killed, none were found on the field. L
was afterward discovered that striker
| named Joe Tully had received a bayOne
thrust in the side and Mrs. MahOney hac
| been punctured in the arm. but they haC
| been taken out of harm's way in the short
| est possible time. Neither could be found
! 10 ascertain the exact extent Of their in
| juries, but they were reported as only
! slight.
At the end of Cedar street, Lieutenant
| Colonel Geary discovered that large
number of strikers had taken refuge in
the house of John Dickinson. 1920 Goss
street, just ut the conclusion of the charge.
Being afraid that they had taken up posi-
ton there to fire on the troops. Colonel
Geary ordered detail of troops to eur
round the house, and the door was com
manded to be opened, and twenty-one
strikers marched forth and were placed
| under arrest. They were taken to the city
| Jail and afterward released.
This was the end of the charge. The
! crowds kept moving and moving unit
there was not soul on Seventh street. be
| low Pine. but the militia, and nothing bu
| the soldIery and the H0tchkiss and Calling
guns on Cedar, the latter death-dealinG
instruments having been planted directly
| in front of Dickinson's house as the TWEEN
| ty-one strikers were brought out of it.