The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-12
STRIKERS, KEEP OFF
SEABOARD ADDS To ITS GUARD FOR
THE MACHINISTS.
ARMED WITH WlNCHESTERS.
MEN FORM A GORDON TO KEEP OFF
UNION MACHINISTS.

strikers Ran the Line of the
Guards the Night Before and Talk
ed with the New Machinists-om-
Ger of the Local Union Denies That
Violence Was Used.
Nineteen special policemen of the Sea-
board Air Line did duty about the shops
and the sleeping quarters of the non
union machinists last night. They were
in charge of Sergt Walter H. Fleming
of the Police Department. Armed with
Winchester rifles, they formed Gordon
about the shops. determined to carry out
their orders and prevent striking ma
chinists or their sympathizers from hav-
ing any communication with the non
union men.
The task was an easy one. No attempt
to communicate with the men was made.
In fact, there was but one of the men
left during the earlier hours OF the night
The rest forsook the shops when
they knocked off work. and up to an ear
ly hour this morning all of them had
not shown up again. The question in the
minds of the railroad men about the
yards was as to whether those still out
would show I'D this morning.
Fear Of the strikers. it was claimed by
the Seaboard authorities, drove away the
non-union men. They were afraid to re-
main after their experience of the night
before. when they were sought out by
strikers and their sympathizers, who
rushed and overpowered the guards sta
toned about the sleeping quarters of the
non-union men, and had a talk with those
who had taken the places of the strikers.
1t was this talk and not the fear of
the strikers, the union men declare, that
determined the non-union men to leave
the shops last night.
Yesterday morning Supt Cecil Gabbett
of the Seaboard Air Line and Mr. w w.
Mackail of counsel for the company visit
ed Mayor Myers. Their mission was to
report an infraction of the peace in the
Seaboard yards the night before. At 1890
o'clock. Mr. Gabbett said, mob of about
100 of the striking machinists and their
friends sought to communicate with the
nom union men, who, after a days hard
work. were taking their rest in quarters
that had been provided them in the yard
offices, upstairs.
The guards, special policemen of the
Seaboard Air Line, demurred. They want
ed to carry Out their instructions, so they
forbid the strikers from passing the line
This did not deter the midnight visitors
They rushed upon the five or six guards
and overpowered them, treating them
rather roughly in the process. One of
them, Policeman Sweat, had his hand cut
in the scrimmage, but that was the only
damage wrought Then the strikers mad
Iii. "a vn~fth he ~ n aA
taken their places.
Mr.. Gabbett and Mr.. Mackan wanted
special policemen sworn in under city au-
thcrity for the protection of the property
and employees of the Seaboard Air Line.
In view of the showing that was made
aim. the Mayor Endorsed the application,
and authorized the swearing in of some
twenty special policemen. Superintendent
of Police owen Reilly was present at the
cCntt renee, and it was agreed that >9rgt
Fleming should command the special
force The superintendent made his ap-
poi19mehts from time to time during the
day. and the men were sworn in by As
sistant Clerk of Council c. V. Hernandez
At the police station the force was
armed with Winchesters. The special
men then went to the Central Railroad
passenger depot, where a train was
boarded at O'Clock for the Seaboard Air
Line yards. Arrived there, they were
divided into reliefs by Sergt. Fleming
and their duty AS special men for the
Seaboard Air Line. at 81 a day, to con-
tinue as long as their services might be
needed was begun. The following were
the men sworn in: ]. F. Collins, p. Fl
Moerke, ]. Polian, P. J. Lutz. c. c.
Ward, T. J. Turner. A. o. Donavant,
A. Paul, Jr., b. Kronstat, J. II. Mulherin.
John J. Reilly J. e. Bowen, J. Loeb,
T. j. Carney, Peter j. Golden, Jr., s. ].
Cleveland, J. L. Buckner, S. VI. Davis.
G. A. Sweat. w l.. Sweat and V. F.
Schafer. =. ]. Golden and John Polan.
and. it is reported. John j. Reilly, threw
up their jobs later. saying that they had
accepted them under a misa pprehension.
The union men say 1t was through sym
patty with them that the three declined
to serve.
An officer of the local union of ma
chinsts discussed the matter last night.
before it was known that some of the
machnists had returned to the yards.
There was no mob" he said "The
statement that there were anything like
100 men in the crowd is an exaggeration.
There were about fifteen. They went out
TO the yards at night because they had
been refused permission to communicate
with the non-union men during the day
The latter wanted TO have a talk with
the union men, and had so sent them
word.
when the strikers and their friends
arrived at the offices in the yards they
found a policeman on guard They told
tie policeman what they wanted They.
said they would be satisfied If he went
along with them to the sleeping quarters
OF the new machinists He said that it
would he as much as his job was worth.
They asked him if that could make very
much difference, as he was making only
81 day They finally persuaded him.
and then they entered the rooms without
having made any display of force. There
was no violence of any sort.
The non-uion men yielded readily to
the arguments of the strikers. They
agreed to give up their places. but said
they would not leave then. but would
DO so in the morning. That suited the
strikers, as they would have been unable
TO care for the nom ion men that night.
Those special policemen are not at the
yards TO prevent the strikers getting in
but to keep the new machinists from get
ting out That Is all they are wanted for
Those men have been practically prison.
ers If they had not left of their own
accord tonight, after they quit work.
we would have gone into the courts to-
morrow to secure their release No man
can be compelled 10 work for another
against his will. and that was what the
Scaboard was doing, compelling those men
10 work"