Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-03-21
UNDER MILITIA GUARD.
Labor on the New Orleans Levee
Resumed This Morn
ing.


scene of widest excitement On that
day mob of several thousand deter
mined men, under the leadership of a
number of prominent citizens marched to
the old parish prison and shot to death
eleven Italians who We're implicated in
the assassination Of Chief of Police Hem
messy.
Today, the fourth anniversary of this
awful event, New Orleans is again pass
ing through siege of excitement. Its
militia has been ordered to the leyee to
protect the negro laborers from mob vio
lence. For two days the soldiers have
been resting on their arms at their re-
spective armories and it was not known
at what hour they would be called out.
Gov. Foster issued his proclamation
yesterday afternoon and, as soon as the
word had been received at the various
armories that the proclama ton had been
issued, the troops knew we'll that the
next order would be for them to march
to the river. Consequently all was hustle
and excitement at the different armories.
Officers sent for derelict men and by
nightfall, when orders were received by
the various commanders of the respective
battalions to be ready to march to the
river this morning, nearly all OF the sol
diers had reported for duty.
At Z O'Clock this morning the wharf in
front of the Harrison line of steamers
began to present an animated appear
gangs of negro screwmen and 'lOngShore-
men had sent word to their men to re-
port at the wharf at the regular hour to
begin work Notwithstanding that mill
tary protection had been promised them,
some of the darkies were dubious about
for they feared that the whites could
easily hide themselves behind cotton
bale and pick the negroes off before either
police or military could reach their as
sistance.
However, about fifty men made their
that hour the levee swarmed with
policemen, but not man wear
ing military uniform was in
sight. When the negroes ascertained
that the troops had not reached the scene
many of them became frightened and
wanted to return to the shelter of the
more thickly populated portion of the
city. The policemen told them that they
need have no fear, but it was all their
stevedores could do to hold them. Not
withstanding that the soldiers had not
put in an appearance the steyedores
were willing to begin work under the pro
lection of the police. They had received
officer of the n;'+"ry, that the troops
would reach the VIC by s o'clock. There
fore they felt that by the time they had
the work of loading the vessel well in
hand the troops would arrive. Another
fact which gave them encouragement was
the absence on the levee of any crowds
of suspicious-looking white men. How
ever willing the stevedores We're to go to
work, Capt. Woods of the Engineer, the
steamer which was attacked by the armed
mob on last Tuesday. would not listen to
the men going to work until the troops ar
rived.
Communication was then had with the
hat
it would be 10 O'clock before troops
could reach the scene. Consequently all
idea of work was abandoned until that
hour and the negroes were ordered to
remain around. They did so, but they
Rugged the police very closely. The
troops are now on the scene and labor
has been resumed.
At II o'clock the Third and Fifth bat
talions of troops under command of Maj.
Violet and Mai. Bouchereau, numbering
$50 men, left the armories and marched
to the head of Josephine street, where
work of unloading the West India line
of ships began at noon.
The presence of the military on the
scene of the trouble caused no unusual
demonstration on the part OF the strikers.
They viewed the situation calmly and
there was an absence OF all Jeerng.
When the soldiers had reached the
wharves they were placed along the levee
for distance of half q dozen squares.
Their orders were not to hold converse.
ton with anyone. All the colored screw
men are expected to be at work by l
o'clock and, Judging from the way affairs
look, there will be no trouble.
At the Harrison wharf, as soon as the
military reached the scene, the work of
loading the British steamship Engineer
began. There are no signs of trouble in
that vicinity. Notwithstanding the APP
pearance of the militia on the levee at the
I, To- o,,I ~,
streets, not bale of cotton is being
moved. The stevedores were prepared to
load the vessels. but the negro draynien
were still afraid to resume work and no
cotton is being delivered from presses
down town.
New Orleans. La, March 15.-Nothing
occurred to disturb the peace of the city
last night Rioters remained away from
the levee. Troops detailed on tho upper
levee reached their destination at o'clock
this morning. They marched from their
armOries without any incident worth
mentioning. AS soon as they had reached
the various ships the negroes started in
to work. A few white screwmen hung
around the scene. but they were kept at
a distance by the presence of troops.
Gov. Foster this morning stated he
would keep the militia on the river until
all signs of danger had passed. When
asked If he expected an early settlement,
he said he could not tell. There was Il
movement on foot among those whose in
terests are directly endangered by the
recent trouble to settle the affair." but it
would take several days before anything
definite could be done. The governor did
not apprehend any more rioting.
While Wallace Stevens, aged "a,
member of Battery Is, Washington artil
lery, on guard at the Harrison line wharf,
was in the act of sitting down. his 3S-cali.
her revolver fell from her belt and strik-
ing the wharf exploded. The bullet en-
tered Stevens body under the armpt in
ficting & bad wound. The report of the
pistol attracted a large crowd to the
scene. All kinds of rumvrs prevailed for
awhile and even the negro laborers who
were not twenty feet from Stevens want,
ed to quit work, not believing at first the
shooting was an accident