Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-03-02

Boston, Mass, Feb. 2O-Boston COM
mons and the grounds about the CAPT
tol were the scene of angry demon
STATIONS this afternoon. Fully
5000 unemployed men gathered and
were turbulent for hours, making de-
mands on the governor and legislature
In am ugly mood ,ney crowded into
the statehouse and adjoining ground
and demanded immediate aid
The governor addressed them frouu
the steps of the statehouse. and was
received with applause, though he made
no promise.
While a deputation was waiting on
| the governor in his room the crowd
became restless and INDUCED in in
| cendlary shouting, such as Down
with capital!' Kill the police" etc.
An attempt was then made by the
leader to get a petition before the legis-
Elture, then i'll session. Police were
called to guard against trouble.
| Finally the leaders of the frenzied
men made an attempt to present their
supposed grievances to the legislature
The rotunda was packed with a
crowd Of men waiting to hear, upon
their return, the result of the leaders
efforts to present the grievances to
the assembled solons, and when M.
| |. Swift, avOWed anarchist and spokeS-
man Of the mob, appeared in one of
the balconies and told them that the
legislature had refused to accept their
petitions, they broke into yells of de
rision and Kisses of contempt.
Swift leaned over the balcony rail
ing and launched forth into an i'm
passioned TRADE against the legisla-
tors who, he said, were too busy Great
! ing corporations to listen to the voices
Of starving men. His voice shook with
emotion as he denounced the treatment
the men had received and his ominous
threats to clean the statehouse were
received with hoarse shouts of appro-
baton. The officials and door-keepers
seemed paralyZed with fear and Gov
ernor Greenhalge, who but a few mo-
ments before had mingling with the
mob, wisely retired to the legiS-
alive chamber.
| The few policemen who had been de-
tailed to take care Of the crowd were
powerless and soon police wagons from
the nearest stations were flying through
the streets leading to Beacon Hill,
loaded with blue-coatS and soon there
were 100 policemen on the scene. One
officer was quick to apprehend and,
placing his hand upon Swift's shoulder,
warned him of the danger.
Swift stopped speaking and the
| furious crowd below mistook the action
for an arrest and rent the air with
curses and execraions upon the police
They swayed back and forth and it
seemed as If violence was to be used,
but the speaker quickly assured his
| followers of the real state Of affairs
and the excitement subsidized.
The agitators then had to be satisfied
with talk among themselves and that
quoted them considerably Meanwhile
the house of representatives, upon adj
vice of some of the longheaded mem
bers, had considered the petition front
the mob. 1t was decided to appoint a
committee of seven to meet representa-
tives Of the unemployed to consider
ways and means of their relief.
Speaker Meyer, of the house, sent
message to the crowd apprising them
of this decision and it appeased them
greatly. A special detachment of
police soon arrived at the side entrance
of the statehouse. They began forcing
tie mob slowly towards THE front
doors. Clubs were drawn and the
disgruntled crowds gave way.
Then there was an uproar as many
Of the desperate members urged an
attack upon the legislature, but tie
more sensible prevailed and the crowd
slowly rekreated. The police forced
the men steadily back, but just outside
the gate the disappointed workmen re-
fused to move further.
Finally the captains Of the various
police divisions held a hurried consulta-
ZION and decided to drive them still
further back. The crowd slowly re-
treated across Beacon street and finally
halted in the common. No attempt
was made to take another stand and
the men slowly disbanded.
Inc incidents preceding the events
We're rather ominous A crowd as
sembled ON the common early in the
afternoon numbering 5000 which soon
swelled to 5000. A couple of hours
were occupied by half a dozen speakers
all local labor leaders, and then the
crowd adjourned to the statehouse.
A committee waited ON the governor,
who appeared before the assembled
crowd. He expressed sympathy for
them and told them just what he would
and could and could not do for them.
His talk gave them no satisfaction and
some Kissed; but the majority ap-
plauded his remarks.
The petition to the legislature, after
reciting the troubles, asked the state
to commence operations upon the pro-
posed Cape Cod canal, to provide for
state farms and factories, ETC.
When Informed of the legislatures
action the leaders of the unemployed
withdrew from the statehouse and
announced the result to the unem-
ployed. No comments We're made and
the crowd quietly dispersed.
Rumors that there was a riot and a |
pitched battle between the police and |
at the statehouse filled the |
air and thousands Of people hurried |
to the scene. The most curious were
too late, however, the crowd being