Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-18
THE STRIKE ON.
The Big Mills of New Bedford
Now Silent.
Boys Started Disturbance by Breaking
Mill Windows-PoIice and supernten-
dent PeIted With Lumps of Dirt.

New Bedford, Mass, Jan. 17.-Tomor-
row not one Of the % cloth mills affected
by the 10 pei, cent reduction of wages
will be running. The first day of the
strike has resulted in the closing of the
mills, and a general lockout taking in
the whole of the nine corporations in
volved.
Today was an eyentful day for both
the union strikers and the manufac-
tuners 1t was demonstrated to the
former that they mad the sympathy of
the non-union help in their fight against
the reduction, and it demonstrated to
the latter that they could not success
fully run their mills for the present at
least while the feeling which rules the
operatives is so strong.
The only partially successful attempt
to operate any of the mills was made by
the Bristol corporation, which, during
the day, gave employment to some SO
operatives, running 120 rtng-spinning
frames and AZ looms, according to out
side information. George H. Law, the
superintendent, reported that he had
$3.50 looms and 5000 spindles in opera
ton during the afternoon. The final out
come of the attempt to run this mill
was small-sized riot which occurred
at about $50 O'Clock p. m. The result
in the determination not to attempt to
run the mill Tuesday. Inasmuch as this
was the second attempt at boisterous-
ness on the part Of the sympathizers of
the strikers during the day, it furnished
food for reflection to those who are in
tereSted in the manufacturerS end Of
the contest. The drawn curtains of the
mills revealed no view of the interior
to those who watched on the outside,
although the clerks in the offices could
be seen busy at their desks.
The crowd busted itself, as it had in
the morning, by bowls and groans when
anybody left the mill. Since there were
but three or four persons who came out
of the mill, however, this sort of fun
grew monotonous after while, and the
crowd sought new amusement. Sever
al youngsters in the outskirts were
armed with bean snappers," and they
used them to good effect upon the mill
windows. At length, one boy, more
daring than the rest, SHE'D rock al
one Of the office windows, and the crash
of glass was followed by the turning of
of the electric lights in the office. The
first stone was followed by another, un.
til several windows had been broken
At every crash of glass, the crowt
| howled, and the excitement grew il
force. small squad of policemen, il
command of Lieut.. John c. Parker, haC
been sent to the mill at the request o
the management, and they mapaged t,
keep the entrance to the mill gate clear
In the darkness It was difficult to Sc
whence the stones came.
An interesting incident followed tn,
attempt Of the police to clear a balloon!
1 w
| the mill office. One woman of athleti
proportions was inclined to resist tn
authority of the officers, and it wa
only after some persuasion that sh
| moved. A tenant of the house, too, OBJ
| jected to being moved and took off hi
coat to enforce his rights.
While this fun was going on in from
of the mill, there was as much fun il
the rear A dozen or so boys and youni
| men occupied themselves throwin
stones at the rear windows Of tn
mills The broadside OF glass afforde
an excellent target, and as seven out O
| every ten missiles thrown resulted in
smashed window pane, the damag
must have been considerable. TIL
crowd in front of the mill was mean
while gaining in numbers. An add
| tional squad of policemen presented it
self, and things began to assume tn
semblance of order, when a fresh out
break occurred.
This was precipttated by the appear
| ance of Supt. Law and one of the clerk
| Of the mill officers, who started fron
| the office for home. No sooner had the.
reached the street than the crow
hemmed them in. A Gordon Of polio
went to their assistance and with Pc
| licemen around they were escorted t.
the electric cars.
The crowd followed behind, hootint
and yelling like so many Indians. Only
few steps had been gone when some
body threw a lump of frozen earth al
the little party, and, as it struck upor
policeman's back and broke with 6
cloud of dust, the crowd set up jeering
afresh. One lump of dirt followed an
other, and for few minutes stones
rained upon the heads of the superin-
tendent and his escort.
When the police had seen the superin-
tendent aboard his car, the police re-
turned to the mill and cleared the
street.
In consequence of the disturbance
which threatened more trouble Treas
urer Wilcox decided not to run the mill
| tomorrow.