The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-21
STRIKERS SHOW TEMPER.
TEN MEN DRIVEN FROM WORK AND
TWO OTHERS ASSAULTED.


Ferry, n White Man, Assaulted on
the Wharf-s'RoIIinG john Will
Iian:s Knocked Down by Strikers
on Bryan street-PistOIs We're
Drawn and the Police Took IA
IIand-sandy Rhett StiII Says His
Men Arc Observation-Disclosures OF
the Gotten Loading.
Violence at last seems to have become
part of the strike situation. Two reports
of assault were received yesterday, and
there were a number of men who were
not allowed to return to their work aboard
the vessels. Ten of the working long
shoremen were driven away from the
wharf when they tried to board the Ital-
ian vessel Luigi to resume their labors.
The men at the wharves say a gang of
twenty or thirty longshoremen appeared
at the Central press at the hour when the
men returned from dinner to resume work
and by threatening them with sticks,
drove away the more timorous. Ten was
the number given by the foreman as hav-
ing been driven away.
A white man, c. A. Perry, who works
for Messrs. Wilder & Co., had a difficulty
a the Central press wharf directly after
the dinner hour with Barney Lynch,
white longshoreman, who is said to be in
sympathy with the strikers. Perry says
he had encountered the gang that had
been driving off the men, just as they were
trying their game with two of Col. r. F.
Harmous men. The latter seemed dis
harms way, but when Perry came up, he
told the gang to let the men alone. He
then went with them across the interven-
ing space Of platform to the ship. Re
turning a short time later, Perry says he
was accosted by Lynch, who asked him
with an oath if he was one of Col Har-
mons men. Almost before he could make
reply, he says, he was struck by Lynch.
Perry fell to the floor and states that he
was then kicked and beaten. His face
shows signs of severe treatment and he
says his back gives him great pain. Lynch
is a strong man who has been accustom-
ed to work that hardens the muscles,
while Perry is comparatively very weak.
A warrant for assault ana battery was
sworn out by Perry for his assailant be-
fore Justice Waring Russell, Jr.
The longshoremen say that the mimi
dalton of the men now al work was done
by none of them. Sandy Rhett, their
leader and the President of the union, said
that the men who have taken their places
are always anxious TO throw the blame Of
such assaults upon the longshOreuen Al
of the members of The union, he says,
have been ordered by it's officers and have
agreed to keep away from the wharves
No report has been made 10 him of troG-
Bile by any of his men, and he thinks that
the driving away was done by men who
wished to cloak their actions under the
report that the assault was made by the
longshoremen.
John Williams, the colored foreman of
the work on the Luigi, was arrested by
the police last night and charged with
fiourishing pistol on the street. In tell
ing his story, Williams said that he and
one of the headers, Crawford Jones, were
coming up Bryan street, between Jeffer-
son and Barnard, when they met several
of the strikers. with whom they became
engaged in conversation regarding the
strike and its chances of success.
John, who is better known by his nick
name of Rolling John" than by his pat
ronymic Of Williams was busily engaged
in explaining TO the strikers in front of
him how it would be impossible for them
to win in the fight they are making But,
while he was doing this, he was not suf-
ficiently careful of what was going on in
his rear. He soon had occasion to regret
this, for a stunning blow was dealt him
with an ak helve, he says. John went
down like log under the heavy blow,
and for a moment he was pretty well
knocked out. His friend Crawford came
to his assistance, however, with a timely
display of a deadly looking revolver. This
weapons CLEAN had a wholesome effect
vSha
plemented by Johns, which was even
more dangerous looking than that of
Crawford, the enemy was put to flight.
John had regained his feet though he
had cut scalp and a big knot on the
side of his head to testify to the force
of the blow that had been dealt him. The
longshoremen ran into the neighboring
stores to get out of the way of the bull
let's they evidently thought were coming
Things looked better for John and Craw-
ford then, but policeman came along i'm
mediately after the difficulty and ordered
John to give up his pistol This the lat
ter refused to do because, he said, the
strikers had again gathered around and
showed a disposition to advance upon him
He accompanied the officer to the box
where the patrol wagon was called. John
then gave up his twelve inch revolver and
went peaceably to the station.
Capt Geo p. Walker of the firm of
Johns bond. Capt. Strachan says that this
experience of John Williams is only one
of many to show that the strikers are
anything but peaceable in their actions
He says the men that continue to work
for the ship agents are frequently as
saulted and that they are so afraid of the
strikers that often, while lying in their
beds from the effects of the severe inju-
ries suffered ut their hands, they will not
tell the detectives which of them made
the assault upon them.
Williams says that he has been told by
friends of his who are in the union that
the strikers have said that he Crawford
Jones and BristoW Hunter would be fix
ed'' for their adherence to the agents in
stead of joining the union. He says that it
was agreed in meeting that they should be
put out of the way.
The Endeavour will be the first vessel
10 sail with q cargo of cotton. She Nll
sail to-day and next in order Will be the
Murcia, which will soon follow. Ii is
stated that the ship agents now have all
the men they require at work on the YES
sells There are ten gangs in the hold of
the Luigi, and the Coungsoy has eleven
gangs loading.