The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-29
THAT RIOT AT ORESTES
GLASS WORKERS CHALLENGE MIR.
OCHILTREE'S STATEMENT.
OFFER of 800 if He VIII Prove that
the Democratic Parade Was At
tackled by GLASS Workers.
70 the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal;

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
Noticing many false and misleading re-
ports of the attack upon the Orestes he
publican Club building and the members OF
the Window glass Workers Association
that were congregated at the building at z
O'Clock p. m. Friday. Sept. %, in justice to
the good citizens of Orestes. Democrats and
Republicans, we ask you to give space IN
your columns to sworn statement OF the
facts seen by the writer.
To get clear understanding. let me say
the Orestes Republican Club owns the club
building, is chartered under the laws of In
diana and numbers over two hundred
members. The Orestes Preceptory of the
Windowglass Workers Association of
North America has the hall rented for its
meetings. secret meeting of the glass
workers was ordered at 2 p. m. from head
quarters at Pittsburg to listen to a report
on matters pertaining to glass workers by
a delegate from Pittsburg. The meeting
had not been called to order when the
Democratic procession came east on Broad
way past the club building. The paraders
had previously entered town and gone west
on a street one block south. They turned
at the west end of town and came east
past the club. The glass workers were
about to call their meeting to order when
the procession arrived. The men thought
they would watch the procession pass, and
were out the lawn (fifty by fifty feet
club property in front of the hall. AS
would be natural, good-natured chatting be-
gan. The procession cheered for Bryan
and our men for Mckinley. The writer
sat on a chair in the door of the club
building, and was an eyewitness to the
peacefully by, for more than three-fourths
of its length. or almost past, when rush
was made for the clubroom door for en-
trance by women and children fleeing be-
fore a troop of perhaps twenty-five men
on horses, who came up on a gallop from
the east and met a large wagon with a
hayrack loaded with men armed with
stones and clubs. simultaneous attack
was made by the horsemen and the armed
men upon our defenSeIeSS glass workers
and the women and children who had con-
gregated upon the club building lawn to
watch the procession pass.
The attack was undoubtedly premedi-
tated. wholly unwarranted and condemned
by our best people of both parties. Our
men We're utterly defenseleSS; they had not
a stick or stone or weapon of any descrip-
ton with which to defend themselves and
their women and children. A score or
more of our men were hurt, and several
women and children We're struck by flying
missiles and broken glass. The hoodlums
did not stop when the glass workers were
routed, but commenced to demolish the
club building, breaking the glass and doors
and otherwise destroying the property,
while the men uninjured were engaged get
ting their wives and children out the back
windows of the clubroom.
The report that We We're cOngregated for
the purpose of interfering with or modest
ing in any manner the procession is totally
false, and we defy the writer from Sum
mitville to prove his assertions. We our
selves will prosecute any of our men who
pulled a flag from the bride of a horse in
the procession. threw a stone or in any
way attempted to stop the procession We
will give Mr.. Ochiltree or any other man
800 If he can establish the truth of his
statement in to-day's issue of the Journal
c. l.. CAMPBELL
President Republican Club of Orestes ana
Secretary Glass Workers Preceptory.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this
2Sth day of September 1896
(SeaD E. S. PACKARD
Justice of the Peace"
OreSteS. Ind Sent 2S