The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-07
PREVENTED TROUBLE.
Prompt Action by Police Stops a
Riot by Italians.
Ringleaders Stirring Up Sewer Workers
TO Demand More Pay.

Italian riDgleaders are trying to make
trouble for their countrymen who are at
work on the several sewers now In pro-
cess OF construction in this city. But for
the prompt interference Of the police this
morning there would have been trouble.
The ringleaders began by getting the
Italians dissatisfied with tho pay they
were receiving, and attempted to convince
them that an average schedule OF 81 day
was the proper thing. Inc scale now
ranges from 75 cents To g. 30 per day and
several Italians are receiving the larger
amount. Trouble has been brewing for
several days and 10 came 10 an open rup-
ture this morning.
At o'clock more than hundred
Italians went To Huntington avenue,
where Fred T.. Shaw Is making a sewer.
Contractor Shaw was aware of what was
up and he was ready for visitors When
the men arrived they were informed that
the work would go on without their as
sistance. He had hired other men TO take
their places. The DISCHARGED Italians
then went to the corner Of Peace and
Buoklin streets reaching there just be-
fore O'Clock. Mr.. Shaw had notified
tho police and there was squad OF blue
coats thereto receive them. W. r.. Sher-
man is the contractor at this sewer and
none of his workmen deserted him.
This turn In affairs was not exactly in
HuTUlbuN Nltn iht DTORIhlll out bg
the strikers and they returned TO the
Italian quarters on Federal Hill where
they were reinforced by ether men and u
lot of women and children. The crowd
then went To Henderson street where Con.
tractor Timothy Lyons had 30 or 40 men
at work. These were all induced 10 quit
and Join the strikers. Two of the men
however, decided TO stick TO their employer
and they hid from their companions in
the city ward. In short time half OF
this gang of strikers returned TO work.
The strikers next proceeded TO Dyer and
Dorrance streets where 4. N Snow is con-
tractor and who has about 20 Italians Mt
work. Some of the men who belong in
Boston would not leave their work, but
of the strikers. Captain Cory of the
Fifth police station induced them TO re-
turn and they went to work again.
by this time about 400 persons were in
the crowd and affairs began TO look
serious. There was no open outbreak,
however, at this point and the strikers
went back TO Bucklin street at ii 10
o'clock. They were armed with knives
and clubs anu they ordered the workmen
out of the sewers Patrolman Frank l..
Day of tho Oakland street station held
about 80 of tho strikers at the point Of his
revolver near the south end of the sewer.
Luckily ut this time the horse parade
was going up Elmwood avenue and City
Inspector Horton blew an alarm on his
whistle. The police detail at the head of
the parade heard the alarm and responded
Deputy Chief of Police Egau was with
the parade and he took charge OF affairs.
The policemen drew their clubs and the
strikers retired TO an open lot
Jacko Gapo, one of the leaders In the
crowd was arrested and taken to the Oak
land street station. 1t was said that none
of the men at work wanted to strike, but
they were afraid Of the strikers.
Operations have not been suspended at
the various sewers but the working force
has been very much reduced by the strike
IL Is expected that there will TO trouble
this evening when the men who refused
To strike return To Federal Hill. There
is a detail of police at all the points mem
toned and 1t will fare hard with tho
Italians II they begin hostiltlties.