The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-03
ALL LABOR UNIONS
Eugene Debs Invited to Make
the Funeral Address.
Trouble Started From an I'm
important Strike.

Cleveland, July 3-Cleveland is in the
throes of a giant labor demonstration
which has many serious aspects. The
most striking feature about the affair
is its sudden appearance and its ap-
parent spontaneity.
For some time a strike has been go
ing on at the Brown Hosting COM
pany's works over a difference about
wages
Non-union men have been put to work
and there has been much friction and
numerous fights
Last night one of the strikers was
killed by a shot from a young student
who had just come out of the mill and
was defending himself against the at
%aczs of a gang of strikers.
The shedding of the blood of one of
their number, together with the dis
play of military force has set the work
1ngmen of the city wild.
Conditions at the Brown Hosting
cOmpany's hosting works today indi-
cate the crisis is near at hand and that
tonight viii be the witness Of one of
the most serious labor troubles the city
has ever experienced.
The story Of last nights killing is as
follows:
Last evening when the non-union
men left the works at 5 o'clock an i'm
mense crowd had gathered a block
away The police took a new route
and eluded them for the moment The
strikers set up yell and ran, soon
OverUaking the marching column, hOOt-
ing and yelling.
A huge moving van was in the rear,
followed with strikers, and with q 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 and Euclid avenues
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. Hearne, a NOV
ing contractor, and the man on the
seat peslde nln' w. J. O'Ne1ll, paw
ing contractor. These men resisted
and the police used their clubs on them
With such effect that their heads were
soon swollen masses of cuts. O'NeilPs
ankle was broken.
The strikers in the van jumped out
ana the police charged the crowd, using
thelr clubs on all the heads within
reach Frank COOpenheicker. a ma
chinist returning from work and not a
striker, was caught in the crowd and
severely dubbed on the head. Hearne
was arrested and locked up The strik-
ers dispersed before the onslaught of
the police and the non-union men were
sent home
Meanwhile a tragedy had taken place
at the Brown works. Albert Saunders
a yOung student at Case School of Ap-
lied Science, whose father lives at 3S1
Prospect street, mad been working for
the Brown company during vacation
for the practical knowIedge If would
give him. He did not leave with the
nOn-uniOn men under police guard. blIt
mounted his bicycle and sought to
reach home alone. AS he turned I'm
Hamilton street a knot of strikers 81 "
him and shouted to him to stop He
did not obey and they began to throw
stones and bricks at him. A brick
struck him on the head and knocked
him off his wheel and he claims that
after he was down they continued to
stone him. Rising to his knees he
drew his revolver and fired. The ball
missed his asSailantS. sped across a va
or VIM Rettger, one of the strikers
who was walking through an alley with
several companions.
Rettger was sent to a hospital where
he died in a few minutes. He was a
single man, 25 years old, boarding on
HOadley street and was a brother of
Pitcher Rettger Of the Milwaukee base
ball club.
Patrolman Gibbons heard the shot
fired and rushing up seized vOlln q
Saunders and hurried him into the of
fee of the Bishop -BabcOck company.
In a wonderfully short space of time a
furious crowd packed the streets and
surged against the front of the Office
demanding that Saunders be given up
to it. Some one brought a rope and
the cry of lynch him was raised
A few began to pry at the windows
of the office when Patrolman Gibbons.
who was once union workman address
ed the mob and partly Quieted it. The
patrol wagon loads of police arrived
and guard was posted in front of the
building.
Long before this. Mayor Nczisson
Police Director Abbott, Lieutenant Col
Whitney, Fifth regiment, and others