The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-05-11
Illinois, Steel Works the Scene Of
an Exciting Conflict.
WAS WORKMEN VS.. WORKMEN
Attack Upon Machinists Who Refused
TO QUIT Work Resulted in
General Melee.

Chicago. May Twelve hundred
blastmen employed by the Illinois Steel
Company struck today. The strike is
expected to extend to other depart
ments. Two furnaces were shut down
at noon. The men demand better wages
and ask more help.
The strike will probably throw about
5000 men out of employment The
South Chicago plant, employing $500
men, will be closed tonight.
A small strike is also on in the COM
pany's Joliet works, which will also
probably be closed tonight, affecting
1900 men.
The strikers were at first disposed to
be orderly and peaceable, but later af-
fairs took on an ugly aspect and it was
found necessary to call on the police
to drive them off. Shortly before
o'clock tonight a crowd numbering
about 1900 men forced their way past
the Waterman at one of the gates and
proceeded to take possession of the
company property. They marched first
10 where some of the laboring men were
still at work and compelled them to
quit.
Not much trouble was experienced
with the laborers, but when the strik-
ers reached the machine shop. where
about 400 machinists were employed,
they met with different reception. The
machinists have scale of their own
and the fight of the other men made no
particular difference to them, and they
refused either to quit or allow them
selves to be driven out of the yards.
The strikers, who for the most part
were Poles and Hungarians, made sew
eral attempts to persuade the machin-
lists to leave their work, but finding
themselves unsuccessful they began an
attack on the machine shop with stones
and such missiles as they could find.
The machinists stood their ground and
gave the strikers as good as they sent.
The fight was growing warm and brok-
en- heads and bloody noses were getting
very common when the police arrived.
They were under the command of Cap
tain Jenkins, who at once made
charge on the mob with his handful of
officers.
The strikers at first refused to give
ground and the police used their clubs
freely. This did not have the desired
effect, and Captain Jenkins ordered his
men to draw their revolvers and fire
over the heads of the strikers. AS
soon as this was done the mob broke
and fed wildly from the premises of
the company. The fight did not last
long and there was no more rioting.
Twenty-eight men, who were leaders
IN the attack on the works, were ar
rested and locked up, charged with
rioting. They are all Poles and Bohemi-
ans.
During the riot in the yards four men
were painfully injured. Jack Shepard,
a machinist, was struck on the head
with a hammer and badly hurt. Ed
ward Shaska, a striker, was badly
bruised. Policeman Leindecker was hit
with a coupling pin and had his head
badly cut with a brick.
RIOT IN A BRICKYARD.
Hudson, N. Y, May IA riot broke
out in the brickyard of Walsh Bros,
seven miles above this city. The sheriff
of Columbia county was called upon to
quell the disturbance. Last evening
the body of James Mcclure, a deck
hand on a brick barge loading at Walsh
Bros dock, was found in the river.
There is a belief that Mcclure was
thrown into the water by Infatuated
Italians, all OF whom were drunk yes
terday and demanded an increase of
wages.
ALL MINING STOPPED.
Pocahontas, w. Va, May There is
no mining today. The soldiers are hav-
ing a quiet reception and are mingling
freely with the people. They say they
came here under a misrepresentation.
The miners convention met here today.
All the men charged with violations
OF the peace have been discharged. 1t is
understood that all coal operations are
susnended