The Portland daily press., 1898-01-18

New Bedford, January l7.-Tomorrow
not one of the twenty-five cloth mills
affected by the ten per cent reduction OF
wages will be running. The first day of
the strike has resulted in the closing of
the mills and general lockout, taking
in the whole of nine corporations in
yolved. %
The only partially successfully attempt
| to operate any Of the mills was made by
the Bristol corporation, which during the
day gave employment to some fifty opera
tives.
The final outcome of the attempt to run
this mill was small sized riot, which
occurred between the hours of $50 and
6. 80 and which resulted in the determina7
tion not to attempt to run the mill Tues
day.
| Inasmuch as this was the second at
tempt at boisterousness on the part of the
sympathizers Of the strikers during the
day it furnished food for reflection to
those who are interested in the end of the
contest.
The drawn curtains of the mills re-
vealed no view of the interior to those
who watched them on the outside, al
though the clerks in the office could be
seen at their desks The crowd busted it
self as it had in the morning by howls
and groans when anybody left the mill.
Since there were but three or four people
who came out of the mill, however, this
sort Of fun grew monotonous after a
while and the crowd sought new amuse.
ment Several youngsters in the outskirts
were armed with "bean snappers" and
they used them to good effect upon the
mill windows. At ergth, one boy, more
daring than the rest, shisd q rock at one
of the office windows and the crash of
glass was followed by the turning off of
the electric. lights in the office The first
stone was followed by another, until
several windows had been broken. AT
every crash of glass the crowd howled
and the excitement grew in force
A small squad of policemen, in COM
mand of Liuet John c. Parker, had been
sent to the mill at the request Of the
management. and they managed to keep
the entrance to the mill gate clear. In
the darkness it was difficult to see where
the stones came from and more difficult
to catch anybody in the act of throwing
stones, SO no arrests were made. One
officer thought he had hit upon one of the
stone throwers and attempted to seize
him. but the crowd closed in Immediately
and the attempt was given up. Perhaps
I it was Just as well, since with the in
creasing excitement the crowd would
have been exceedingly difficult to handle
had any attempt at on arrest been maze.
An incident connected with the exclte-
ment at this end of the mill was the
clearing Oh the balcony of the boarding
house at the northwest corner of Belle
| Vile avenue Coggswell street, Directly
opposite the mill gate. This was! par.
ticularly good vantage, point ana the
people had gathered on it In such numbers
that it looked as though it might give
way. SO Lieut.. Parker gave orders that
athletic proportions was inclined to reslsU
and it was only after some persuasion
! that she moved. A tenant of the mouse.
too, objected TO being moved and took on
his coat to enforce his rights At about
this time the lieutenant of the police was
attracted to another quarter and cne
balcony was soon occupied again. " hiio y,
this fun was going on in front OF the miil
there was rs much fun in the rear. "A
dozen or more of boys and young men
were gathered in the rear of the Brlstol
blocks and they occupied themselves WIN
alternately kicking stones loose from uhe
frozen earth and pegging them at the rear
windows of the mills. The broadslde OF
glass afforded an excelen5 target, ana as
seven out of every ten missiles thrown =. re-
suited in a smashed window pane' 1ue
damage must have been conslderaoIe.
The handful of policemen detailed TO pro.
tect the mill was too busy at the fronu "
pay any attention to what was going On
at the rear so the boys were dnmoles.eu'
and they kept up tn cir malicious 1un ua,
til the lights in the mill were dllnlneu
and finally went out. The crowd IN lIoi,S ,.,S
was meanwhile gaining in nulnnuis .ha
through the addition of operatives oi ha .ns
Bennett and Columbia mills when In, nn,'
just shut down for the day. An aoqioiU, ier,4a
al squad of policemen led by Litua11 !taa1 3
Bryant and McBay also presented ,,,soa i.,e.
and things began to assume the sem pis-,b - ~ y
of order when q fresh outbreak, anu oa C,io
most serious one of the evening occuai ~ ee,
This was precipitated by the appeaffHr4hbee ~ q
of Superintendent Law and one -. rtad 90.
clerks from the mill Office, who se"i'