The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-22
Repeated Attacks ON the MoIders by
the Union Men Finally Leads
to Serious Trouble.
INNOCENT MEN WOUNDED
WALKER DAVIS, A C0LORED LABOR
ER, WILL PROBABLY DIE.
The NOnuni0n M0lders Were Pursued
to the Statehouse by Several
Thousand Rioters.

blCHiuS DtlWctH slIlkerS anu uUuulllOu
molders employed at the shops of Chandler
& Taylor, $40 West Washington street, broke
out afresh. About twenty employees of that
firm had left the shops for the day. They
were under escort OF patrolmen Leppert
and Slate. AS they neared California street
some of the strikers. who stood clustered
along .he sidewalks, began throwing snow
balls. But little attention was paid to this,
and the patrolmen cautio ned the molders to
keep cool and walk close together. A half
block further an unknown man threw a
brickbat and struck patrolman Slate on the
shoulder. seriously crippling him. The work.
men were all heavily armed. AS the threat
ening crowds of hooting men. some half
drunk, began to close in on them
number of the molders drew their
weapons and declared their intention of
shooting. Patrolmen shouted to them to put
up their weapons. Then a little Irishman,
who seemed TO be one Of the ringleaders of
the strikers, UP to patrolman Slate, de-
claring that If he had accused him Of throw
ing the brick ne was a d--d liar. A man
by the name of Long, friend of Lepperts,
drew the little Irishman back, telling him
to make no trouble while Leppert was on
guard. By that time the party was nearing
the corner Of West street, still walking on
the Washngton-street sidewalk.
g. Z. Jolic, one of the workmen, was walk
ing beside patrolman Leppert. He had his
revolver in his hand and raised it to shoot
two or three times, but lowered it when
Leppert told him to do rothing rash. When
West street was reached another rock was
thrown at the molders. Jollico became
enraged and fired his revolver two
or three times. The sound of the
shot attracted men to the scene from all di-
rections Within two minutes Washington
street was filled with a shouting mob. The
molders became frightened, and, disregarding
the instruction of the patrolmen to keep To-
gether, separated. Some of them kept to-
gether in squads of three or four. A number
of them that were armed drew out their pis-
tolls and fired into the air. Bricks. stones
and clubs were flying in all directions.
THE WOUNDED MEN.
Three men were wounded by stray bullets.
Hook Lee, living at No. 105 Geisendorff
street received shot in the leg. Walker
Davis a colored man, of No. SO Willard
street, had been to the West Market to do
the family marketing. AS he came from
meat shop he received a bullet in the neck.
DR.. Eisenbeiss dressed the wound. He thinks
Davis will recover. although he is in criti-
cal condition. Another white man. William
Watson, of No. 334 West Washington street,
had started down town with friend. To
avoid the rioters, Watson and his friend
took the center of the street. He was struck
in the leg. His friend took him to the City
Dispensary in hack, where his wound was
dressed by DIR. Boaz A number OF workmen
were badly beaten with clubs and stones. 1t
is not known how many were injured. 1t is
believed that some of the strikers were shot.
but If this is so they are keeping out OF
sight.
When the workmen broke ranks patrol-
man Slate went to telephone and called
on headquarters for assistance. Several
other officers were detailed to the scene.
The police were at first unable to capture
any of the strikers. Several Of the molders
were arrested for shooting with intent to
kill. They are j. Il. Purdue, Joe Blanch-
field, William Perkins, S. E. Jollic, the man
who precipitated the riot by firing the first
shot, and John Hartluff. John Shaw. mar
shall of Haughville, pursued j. B. Purdue
and took him in custody, but through some
misunderstanding he was himself locked up
on the charge of lettering. The police are
investigating the trouble and other arrests
will doubtless be made.
THE PATROLMEN'S STORY.
Probably good an account of the riot
can be obtained is given in the stories
told by patrolmen Leppert and Slate, who
were acting as as a bodyguard to the
union molders and boiler makers. PATROL
man Sauers. who has acted as an escort to
the men, was too i'll to report last night, and
patroman Slate was sent to the shops.
Slate says that on his way to the shops
he noticed that good many men who have
been active in the strike were drinking in
the slaoons and barrel houses in that section
of the town. He suspected that another
outbreak was about to occur and telephoned
to the station house for reinforcement.
Patrolman Leppert was also detailed. Lep-
pert says that when he reached the shops
the men lined up, three abreast. and start
ed toward home. He and one of the work
men, s. 4. Jollic, brought up the rear. They
had scarcely gotten under way when affairs
began to. look threatening. He noticed
number ofsvicious, surly looking men lott
ering about in groups.
Two blocks from the shops, at Black
ford street, several snowballS were thrown
into the crowd. Most of the workmen were
armed and several OF them declared that
they would use their revolvers If any trou-
bic occurred. Jolsic. in particular, raised
his revolver to shsot several times, but
him to keep cool. AS the little body of
workmen, escorted by the bluecoats. pro-
ceeded eastward the strikers grew bolder
their number being considerably augmented
as they followed behind and when Califor-
mia street was reached they set up howl
and showered bricks, stones and clubs into
the convoy. Patrolman Slate was struck
on the right shoulder with brickbat. He
received a stunning blow that partially
paralyzed his arm for a few mo-
ments. In the front rank of the strik-
ers was a highly excited. half-drunken
Irshman. small in stature, and he
seemed to be the ringleader. He,was one of
the most aggressive of the rioters, and kept
shouting 10 his companions, Come on boys,
let's do 'em. Now is our chance. Come on"
Slate called back to his partner Leppert that
he had been hit, and cautioned him to look
out for brickbats. Leppert called out to the
strikers to quit throwing. Long, one of the
strikers Is Lepperts friend When he saw
that Leppert was acting as escort, Long
went to the Irishman and dragged him back
urging him 20 do nothing while Leppert was
with the workmen. Long did what he
could to restore order and his words had
considerable effect. Slate was struck Just
after the party had crossed California
street. After Long spoke the strikers
stopped throwing stones for several min
utes. In the meantime the molders had
drawn their revo.yers and held them in
their hands. ready to shoot, disregSrding
the advice given TO them by patrolmen
Leppert and Slate. who urged them TO put
up their weapons and keep quietly together.
When the men reached West street, the
little Irishman broke away from Long, and
again after the molders- He came up
n pafrOfrY1au IsepDarf- and CLAIMING his