The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-03
THE RIOT ACT.
The Hosting Works Strike
at Cleveland.
II Has Reached a Crisis
Striker Killed.
Force of Militia and Police Pre-
vented Lynching.

reached q point where the authorities
as we'll as the strikers are In no mood
for triling When the non-union men
left the works at o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon, there was rioting. Two hum
dred and fifty policemen emerged from
the gates, guarding SO workmen. An
immense crowd had gathered a block
away, but the police took a new route
and eluded them for the moment. The
strikers set up a yell, and ran, soon
overtaking the marching column, hoot-
ing and yelling. A huge moving van
was in the rear. filled with strikers, and
with IT a small wagon laden with empty
beer bottles. The police suspected that
the bottles were intended for missiles,
and compelled the driver of the wagon
10 turn back.
At Wilson avenue and Euclid avenue,
a railroad train blocked the way and an
effort was made to drive the van
through the guard of police. The off,
GERS dragged to the ground the driver,
Fred W. Hearn, and the man on the seat
beside him. j. O'Neil These men re-
sisted, and the police used their clubs
on them with such effect that their heads
were swollen masses OF cuts. O'Neil's
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-
heiker, machinist, returning from
work, and not a striker, was caught in
the crowd and severely dubbed on the
head. Hearn was arrested and locked
up. The strikers dispersed before the
onslaught of the police, and the nom
union men were sent home.
Meanwhile a tragedy had taken place
at the Brown works. Albert G. Saun-
ders. a young student at Case School OF
Applied Science, has been working for
the Brown company during vacation,
for the practical knowledge Ii would
give him. He did not leave with the
non-union men under police guard, but
mounted his bicycle and sought to reach
home alone. AS he turned into Hamil-
ton street a knot of strikers saw 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 10 stone him.
Rising to his knees. he drew his revolver
ard fired. The ball missed his assail-
ants, sped across a vacant lot and
buried itself in the breast OF William
Rettger, one OF the strikers, who was
walking through an alley with several
companions. Rottger was sent to a
hospital, where he died In few minutes.
He was a single man, 25 years old,
boarding on Hoadley street, and was a
brother OF Pitcher Rettger of the MIL
waukee Baseball club.
Patrolman Gibbons heard the shot
fired and rushed up, seized young
Saunders and hurried him into the office
OF the Bishop Babcock company. In q
wonderfully short space Of time a furi-
Gus crowd, which packed the streets as
far as the eye could reach, surged against
the front OF the office, demanding that
Saunders be delivered to them Some
one brought rope, and a cry OF lynch
ing was raised. They began to pry at
the windows of the office. when Patrol
man Gibbons, who was once a union
workman, addressed the mob, and
partly Quleted II. Two patrol wagon
loads of police arrived. and guard was
posted in frcnt of the building.
Long before this, Mayor McKisson.
Police Director Abbott, Lieutenant
Colonel Whitney, of the Fifth regiment.
and others, were gathered for consulta-
ton in the city hall. Word of the criti-
cal condition Of affairs was telephoned
TO them from the Bishop Babcock Office,
and request made for militia. The
mayor responded by ordering the Cleve-
land City Guards and company + to the
scene of the riot The Guards arrived
FIRST, just as the mob were preparing for
another effort to capture Saunders. AZ
the soldiers came down the street. the
mob shrieked and howled, and the Guards
were compelled to open a way for them.
selves with bayonets. Several men and
boys were wounded slightly by the SOL
diers.
The Guards formed I'm front of the
office. and just then company u was
seen coming. Amid frenzy OF excite
ment, on the part OF the dense crowd. n
patrol wagon was backed TO the door
of the office, and Saunders was jerked
into II and made 20 lie on the bottom.
The Guards formed around II, with bay
onets at charge" and they forced their
way down Hamilton street, part OF the
howling mob surging along with them.
10 heighten the excitement, Detective
sprosty' as warning, stood up in the
patrol wagon and shot his revolver into
WV 'hs h' Ndkon ana SOINlUrS nrO-
oeeded rapidly until the crowd I'm front
had thinned, when the Guards opened
ranks, and the wagon sped on 10 the
tentral police station az run.
Saunders. whose head is badly cut
up. and his body mass OF bruises. is a
prisoner, charged with the killing of
Rettger.
Company +, in command OF Major
Liebich. marched 10 the center OF the
crowd that remained behind The sol.
aiers were menaced and joered Major
Iiebich halted his men. drew his revoI.
Yer. and declared that upon the slightest
attempt at violence, he would give the
command 20 fire. After that the noise
ceased and the crowd scattered. the
company returning % quarters
The mayor caused proclamation.
deCIafIng the fIOt aCt 90 be Tn force 10
be posted in the neighborhood OF the
Brown works this morning.