The Indianapolis journal., 1896-07-03

A THRILLING STREET SCENE
TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY POLICE
TO PROTECT FIFTY WORKMEN.

the Brown Hoisting .Company's works has
reached a point where the authorities as
well as the strikers are in no mood for
trifing. When the nonunion men left the
works at 5 o'clock this afternoon there was
rioting. Two hundred and fifty policemen
emerged from the gates guarding fifty
three workmen. An immense crowd had
gathered a block away but the police took
new route and eluded them for the mo-
ment. The strikers set up yell and ran,
soon overtaking the marching column,
hooting and yelling. A huge moving van
was in the rear, filled with strikers, and
with it small wagon laden with empty
beer bottles. The police suspected that the
bottles were intended as missiles, and COM
PEELED the driver of the wagon to turn back.
At Wilson avenue and Euclid a railroad
train blocked the way, and an effort was
made to drive the van through the guard
of police. The officers dragged to the
ground the driver, Fred w. Hearn. a NOV
ing contractor, and the man ON the seat be-
side him, w. j. O'Nei, a paving contrac-
tor These men resisted. and the police used,
their clubs them with such effect that
their heads were soon masses OF cuts.
O'NeiPs ankle was broken. The strikers
in the van jumped out, and the police
charged the crowd. using their clubs on all
the heads within reach. Frank Coopen-
hecker, a machinist returning from work,
and not a striker, was caught I'm the crowd
and severely ciubbed on the head. Hearne
was arrested and locked UP. The strikers
dispersed and the nOuniOn men were sent
home.
Meanwhile a tragedy had taken place at
the Brown works. Albert G. Saunders,
young student at Case School of Applied
Science, whose father lives at No. 33l Pros
pect street. has been working for the
Brown company during vacation for the
practical knowledge it would give him. He
did not leave with the nonunion men un-
der police guard, but mounted his bicycle
and sought to reach home alone. AS he
turned up Hamilton street a knot of strik-
ers saw him and shouted to him to
stop. He did not obey and they began
to throw stones and bricks at him.
brick struck him the head and knocked
him off his wheel and he claims that after
he was down they continued to stone him.
Rising to is knees he drew his revolver
and fired. The ball missed his assailants
sped across vacant lot and buried itself
in the breast of William Rettger, one of
the strikers, who walking through
alley with several companions. Rettger
was sent to hospital. where he died in
twenty-five years old. boarding on Hoad-
ley street and was a brother of pitcher
Rettger. of the Milwaukee, baseball club.
Patrolman Gibbons heard the shot and
seized young Saunders and hurried him into
the Office of the. Bishop-Babcock Company.
In a wonderfully short space OF time a
furious crowd which packed the streets as
far the eye could reach. surged against
the front of the office, demanding that
Saunders be given UP. Some one brought
n rope and the cry to lynch him was
| raised. A few began TO pry at the win
dows of the Office. when patrolman Glib
dressed the mob and partly quieted it.
Two patrol wagon loads of police arrived
and a guard was posted in front of the
Long before this, Mayor McKisson, Po-
lice Director Abbott, Lieutenant Colonel
Whitney, of the Fifth Regiment. and others
Hall. Word of the critical condition of af-
fairs was telephoned to them from the
Bishop. .Babcock Office and request made
for militia. The Mayor responded by order
ing the Cleveland City Guards and Com
pany + TO the scene of the riot. The
Guards arrived first, just as the mob was
Saunders AS the soldiers came down the
street the mob shrieked and howled and
for themselves with }eveled bayonets. Sew
eral men and boys were wounded slightly
by the soldiers The Guards formed in
front of the office and just then Company
r was seen alighting from street cars a
block away. Amid frenzy of excitement
on the part of the dense crowd patrol
wagon was backed to the door of the Of
flee and Saunders was jerked into it and
made to lie the bottom
M at ns te% It With h1yo
down Hamilton street. part of the bowling
mob surging along with them. To heighten
the excitement detective Sprosty. as i
warning. stood up in the patrol wagon and
shot his revolver into the air. The wagon
and the soldiers proceeded rapidly until the
crowd in front had thinned. when the
guards opened ranks and the wagon sped
to the Central police station at run,
Saunders. whose head is badly cut up and
his body a. mass of bruises is a prisoner
charged with the killing of Rettger.
Company F, in command of Major Liebch
marched TO the center of the crowd that re-
r,n3y ,aH hob ind Thn yrar onA6
and jeered. Major Liebch halted his men.
drew his revolver and declared that on the
slightest attempt al violence he would give
the command to fire. After that the noise
ceased and the crowd scattered, the COM
pany returning to quarters.
The Mayor will cause q proclamation de-
claring the riot act to be In force TO be
posted in the neighborhood of the Brown
works tomorrow morning.