The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-07-02
THE STRIKE At OSHKOSH,
Some Of the Plants Operated Under
Militia Protection.
SOLDIERS ON GUARD.
Believed that the Soldiers will Have
to Stay There for Several Weeks
Warrants Are Issued.
0shkosh Wis lime O7-TSnecfal |

| Oshkosh, Wis, June 81 Special. i
! The mill district of this city has practi-
| caily been under martial law since last
| Thursday, as a result of a strike of the
| woodw orkerS, the outgrowth of which
| was a riot in which James Morris, aged
Il. lost his life.
| The riot occurred Thursday evening at
| the Mcmillan plant as the worhmen were
! leaving the factory for the night. a
| crowd had surrounded the plant and as
| the workmen emerged they were at
! tackled. One of the wOrkmen WAS Engi-
/ neer Casey. and the first accounts of the
! afray stated that he was attacked 10y
! Morris and hit the latter over the head
! with a club in self-defense. The exact
| manner in which Morris met death, how
/ ever, has not been determined by the cor
oner'S jury.
SummoninG the Militia.
| The police force and the sheriff cX-
pressed their inability to cope with the
! crowds, and acting on their request the
I sheriff ordered four companies of the Ma
! tOnal guard from Milwaukee. and they
have since been on guard duty III the mill
| district.
| Three Of seven factories affected by the
strike are now running. They are the
| Paine. Mcmillan and Morgan plants
! Bainc's was the only one not forced to
! close its doors. According to statements
! of the mlllmcn there are about $50 men
| at work i'll the three mills. The strikers
! plCketS report Il much smaller number
! The entire military force was placed on
| duty this morning, hut no disturba nces
are reported. Sheriff Lampert has sworn
1 in Il force of o5O deputies, all on duty in
| all parts of the city i'll the vicinity of the
! homes Of nonuniOn workmen and near
! factories.
Warrants have been issued for about
/ ttIN of the leaders nf last Un.,l-'s futa al
| RIOTS. The warrants are now III posses
| SION OF Sheriff Iampert, who will COM
menCo to make arrests this afternoon.
| Trouble is apprehendod, as the strikers
| have declared they will resist attempts to
arrest any of their number.
Permitted to Hold Their Meeting.
The striking woodworkerS were allowed
to hold their meeting Sunday evening at
South Side Turner hall without intcrfcr-
cnce, Gen. Boardman having come TO the
conclusion that it would not be lust to
deny them the privilege when there was
so great assurance of protection III the
presence of the militia against any up
roarlouS demonstration as result of the
/ speeches.
The hall was filled to its utmost capaci-
" when the time for speaking arrived.
Thomas |. Kidd was the first to occupy
the floor His speech seemed to be purely
cN cmporaneOus iii its character, although
there was evident Il studiOus avoidance of
anything that might be construed as be
ing ln!lammatory or melting to riot. There
were several Stcnographers in the build
ing taking utteTanceS verbatim.
Mr.. Kidd III his talk referred to Engi-
necr Casey, who, it is charged by the
strikers, dealt the fatal blow to young
Morris. The tenor of the speakers re
marks seemed to indicate that steps
would be taken to prosecute the man on
a charge Of murder. He limited that the
authorities were endeavoring to shield
IN, S'id Ia NJ E;dI t%diiS "t him fro"
that the authorities don't hoodwink us
this time
During the course of his remarks the
| speaker said he had heard the men speak
of Carleton Foster in terms that could
| not hc construed i'll any other light than
| atfCctionate, and he had also heard the
employees of Mr.. Gould express sorrow
for their old employer. This, he declared.
was q sOGrc" OF pleasure to him. Had
| the other manufacturers been as cOnSid-
crate, Ii" said, the trouble wonld have
| been settled long ago. He was of the
opinion that had not the other milImen
| brought their influence to bear upon the
| two gentlemen Just mentioned. the men
would have Jared much better than they
have. Continuing, he said: Il will un-
dcrtakc To say that if this strike lasts
much longer number of the millmen
" III Nv ''lilll'ltf ~ XIV Z UP business ana
! give place to others who Will operate the
business so the stockholders would get
! larger dividends and the workmen would
| be paid better wages"
Threaten a Boycott.
A statement that showed that the hit
toTness of the fight now being wagrd
was ro the effect that if the struggle end
ed with the union men defeated he would
see to it that his entire energy was ry-
! ,..l h, . /
sash, doors and blinds in this country.
To those who believed the backbone
OF the strike was broken he called attcn-
ton to the funeral procession of the aft
| "laoon. 1T was one of the largest PRO
ccsSionS of wo0dworkerS ever seen in this
| city. and was an Indication that the men
were loyal to the union.
Mr.. Kidd outlined plan whereby the
! strikers would hc provided with food so
| long as the strike would last, if it was to
| the end of the summer lie said it had
| been suggested by farmers in this Vi
! entity that if men were sent throughout
! the surrounding country and the situation
were explained 10 the farmers they would
! contribute III such "A way that the men
| could at least get enough to eat. He said
| the plan would be acted upon tomorrow
! lie concluded by saying that the piCkctS
would be maintained i'll the vicinity Of
| the mills as usual, and instructed those
| of the strikers who would be called upon
to act in that capacity. as to what thew
! should say to men looking for employ
ment 1t was the right Of the strikers.
! he said. So long as they did not use force
! IN OBTAINING the men from going to work.
/ He dpplorrd the Iamenta hle occurrence ut
! Thursday nights riot, for riots they were.
! he said. but he cIoried in the night tho
! men were making. was an mnaSSionod
address throughout. and At times the en-
| thusasm was very great. Mr.. Kidd was
| loudly chcercd during the speech, and
! a deep impressiou was made
+. J. Weber followed with a short nd
dress in German upon the same lines
used hy Mr.. Kidd.