The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-02-22


discomfort in all the mills, and it haC
finally taken shape in the Ocean mill
which was largely owned and control
led by Mr.. Winter. The disconten
arose from new scale Of wages sub
initted by the company. 1t was no
satisfactory to the men, and the after
noon of that evening on which PhiliI
had gone down TO the hall a commit
tee of the mill men had waited on Mr.
Winter and after a long conferenc,
had gone away without getting any
satisfaction. They could not agree oil
the proposition made by the company
and by their own labor organization
Later in the day one of the committee
under Instructions, went to see Mr.
Winter alone and came away from
the interview very much excited ant
angry. He spent the first part of tn,
evening in a saloon, where he related
part of his Interview with the mil
owner, and said that he had finally
kicked him out of the Office. Still later
in the evening he told several of the
men that he was going to see Mr.. Win
ter again, knowing that on certain
evenings he was in the habit of stay.
ing down at the mill office until nearly
half past . for special business. The
mills were undergoing repairs, and
Mr.. Winter was away from home
more than usual.
That was the last that any one saw
OF the man until, about 10 o'clock,
some one going home past the mill
office heard man grooming at the foot
OF a new excavation at the end Of the
building and climbing down discover
ed the man who had been to see Mr..
Winter twice that afternoon He had
terrible cash in his head and lived
only few minutes after he was dis
covered. TO the half dozen men who
stood over him in the saloon, where he
had been carried, he had murmured
the name of "Mr. Winter" and had
then expired
A very little adds fuel to the brain of
men already heated with rum and ha-
tired. The rumor spread like lightning
that the wealthy mill owner had killed
one of the employees whc had gone to
see him peaceably and arrange matters
for the men. He had thrown him out
OF the office into one of the new mill
excavations and left him there to die
like dog in ditch. So the story ran
all through the tenement district, and
In an incredibly swift time the worst
clements in Milton were surging to-
ward Mr.. Winters house with murder
in their hearts and the means of accom-
paishing 1t In their hands.
Mr.. Winter had finished his work at
the office and gone home to sit down to
q late lunch, as his custom was, when
he was interrupted by the mob. The
rest OF the incident is connected with
what has been told. The crowd seized |
him with little ceremony, and it was
only Philips timely arrival and his |
saving Of minutes until the police ar
rived that prevented a lynching in |
Milton that night. As it was Mr.. Win |
ter received scare from which it |
took long time to recover. He dread |
ed to go out alone at night. He kept |
on guard a special Waterman and lived |
in more or less terror even then. 1t |
was satisfactorily proved in a few |
DAYS that the man who had gone to |
see Mr. Winter had never reached the |
office door; but. coming around the |
corner of the building where the new |
work was being done. he had fallen of |
the stonework. striking on rock in
such a way as 10 produce a fatal
wound. This tempered the feeling of |
the workmen toward Mr.. Winter, but |
at once, with his usual frankness and |
spoke with downright plain
ness to the men against it, That was
at the fittle hall week after the at
tempt on Mr.. Winters life. Philips
part in that nights event had added to
his reputation and his popularity with
the men. They admired his courage
and his grit. Most Of them were
ashamed of the whole affair, especially
after they had sobered down and IT
had been proved that Mr.. Winter had
not touched the man. So Philip was
welcomed with applause as he came
out on the little platform and looked
over the crowded room, seeing many
faces there that had glared at him in
the mob a week before. And yet his
heart told him he loved these men. and
his reason told him that 1t was the
sinner and the unconverted that God
loved. 1t was terrible responsibility
TO have such men count him popular.
and he prayed that wisdom might be
given him in the approaching crisis, es-
DecialIy as he seemed to have some
real influence.
He had not spoken ten words when
some one by the door cried: "Come out
side! Big crowd out here want to get
in" 1t was moonlight and not very
cold. so every one moved out of the
han, and Philip mounted the steps of
storehouse near by and spoke TO a
crowd that filled up the street in front
and for long distance right and left
His speech was very brief, but II was
fortified with telling figures, aud at the
close he stood and answered perfect
torrent of questions. His main counsel
was against a strike In the present sit