River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-07-09
RIOT AND BLooDsHEo.
One Striker Killed funeral Sermon
Arouaes Garment.

one STRIKER Killed = funeral Sermon
Arouses Comment.
Cleveland. o.. July 6.-Bloodshed again
marked the trouble at the Brown hosting
works Thursday afternoon. One man. Will
liam Rettger. was shot dead by a nom
union man who had attempted to leave the
works on his bicycle and was attacked by
a portion OF the mob The police managed
with great difficulty TO rescue him, and the
police detail was besieged In shop and
had great difficulty in preventing the lynch
ing of their prisoner. Finally call for
troops was made and two OF the four COM
panies under arms were hurried 10 the
scene. The prisoner was finally loaded INTO
patrol wagon and about 1880 o. m. was
locked rp In the Central police station.
The troops remain on guard and at mid
night there was sullen mob of at least
10000 persons hanging around the premises.
Shortly before the hour for quitting sew
eral strikers marched up to the Brown
works with E big banner. on which was
written in black type: Brown Scabs.
AT 4:S0 o'clock the main body of the work
men were marshaled into line and the
police force formed the usual hollow
square. Capt. English gave the word, the
gates were opened and the solid body OF
men, workmen surrounded by 100 police
men with clubs in hand. marched out
The crowd gave way. and the procession
moved up Hamilton street to Case. on the
way to the St Clair street cars.
The crowd followed, as on "Wednesday
evening, yelling 'Scab!" and making n
lively vocal demonstration. Contrary to
what the mayor had declared would be
done, the police did not drive back the
following crowd. At least. they allowed
them to follow up Hamilton street. In the
meantime the police marched steadily for
ward to Case. up Windsor to Wilson av-
enue. and reaching the Fourth precinct
station near Euclid. a halt was made
Forming two lines. the police allowed the
workmen to enter the station.
All out of the way. the police formed
egain across the street. AT this moment
the following party was a dense black
crowd reaching far down Wilson avenue.
Suddenly the word charge" was given. 1t
rang out loud and clear and an awful
scene followed. The police sprang forward
like a shot out of a gun. In moment
they were upon the vanguard of the
crowd. The latter were dumfOunded.
There was a waver and then all turned and
fed. But the deadly work had commenced.
The batons of the police were falling like
hail on the heads of the men. The crowd
was panic-strieken. Two cars blocked the
way north OF Wilson avenue and the men,
women and children were packed together
In tight mass. yelling and shrieking.
One part broke away and ran down the
Cleveland & Pittsburgh tracks close at
hand. Another went south on Wilson
Men were lying unconscious on the streets
or crawling around in a vain attempt to
rise to their feet The police, dividing into
squads. charged after each section of the
crowd. determined to infict punishment
severe and unreenting. This lasted for
several minutes. and then returning squads
of policemen began to gather up uncon-
scious men and others who were stagger-
ing around as a result of severe blows.
During the fight the police captured five
of their assailants, each of whom was I'm
a bad condition from clubbing. William
Hearn, furniture van driver allowed the
strikers to crowd into his wagon and then
crying: Give them HILL" drove right into
the police line with his horses on a run.
Several pol ~~en were knocked down be-
fore the team was captured. Hearn was
dragged from the wagon and dubbed into
insensibility before he could be carried into
the station. His skull Is fractured and his
face anc head cut and bruised fearfully
Steve ID. o NELL was also on the wagon and
has a broken head and a broken leg. Her
mann Schaels. a blacksmith, has q terribly
cut head and was badly hurt by being
trampled on. James Fox and Charles Cup
penbecker were each badly cut about the
head. Charges of rioting we're preferred
against the 1--WE prisoners The mob man.
aged to carry uway all of the others who
were injured so as not to be able to walk.
A conservative estimate is that 80 men were
severely injured by the clubbing.
Cleveland, o., July 6.--The funeral Of
William Ruttger, the striker killed at
the Brown hosting works, was the
most impressive funeral pageant ever
given a laboring man. In Cleveland
there has been but one occasion when
there wasa larger procession and greater
crowds--the funeral of Garfield. Sun
day by actual count 1880 men formed
the funeral cortage. The funeral serv-
ices were held in the Church of the I'm
maculate Conception. A conservative
estimate places the number of specta-
tors about the church and along the
line of march to the cemetery at 10000.
The procession moved quietly and save
for the dirges played by the many bands
no sound save the tread of feet broke the
quiet. The white casket in which re-
posed the remains was literally buried
In flowers.
Eugene V. Debs telegraphed that It
would be impossible for him to attend
the funeral, but that his heart and soul
were with the locked-out employees in
their fight. Mgr. Thorpe, who tits thought
will be made bishop of Buffalo diocese,
delivered the sermon and his remarks
were not altogether relished. In the
course of his sermon he said:
THE body of this young man lies before
this altar. We know how he came here
Human passion Is strange. and the lesson
to-day teaches that we many times go be-
yond our strength, and that there is no way
TO reason against human passion. The les
son we must learn to-day is that In society
to-day there are two classes. capitalist
and wage-earner. Next to capital there is
the strong right arm of 10 Dor. One cannot
exist without the other. The capitalist
has the right to manage his capital He has
the right under the laws of the state and
nation. He makes hazardous adventure.
and on account OF the risks I'm business has
tho right to do as he chooses. He may abuse
that right and forget God In his enjoyment
of his riches. II he does, there is a remedy,
but II does not lie In passion or violence.
speak to you as brothers. The remedy is
public sentiment and the law. There is an
other class. not banded together as you are.
They have their individual rights. and those
who administer the law must protect them.
Scenes have been enacted during the past
week which should never have occurred.
These men who have became victims of
your hate have rights under the law"
He continued at some length to score
the strikers for the scenes of violence.
After the funeral the sermon was
roundly denounced by many.
Cleveland. o.. July There was no
trouble Monday In the Brown hosting
strike. The police and troops are still on
guard. Only 30 men were at work. The
strikers are very bitter over Manager
Thorpe's funeral address and have issued
an open letter addressed to him In which