Evening star., 1901-08-07
WARNING TO AGlTATORS
CITIZENS OF TAMPA RESORT TO
HEROIC MEASURES.
Labor AgitatOrs Picked Up ON Street
and MysteriOusly DepOrted
From the City.

A dispatch from Tampa, Fla, last night
says: The strike situation tonight Is one of
awe and bewilderment on the part Of the
strikers and unmovable determination on
the part Of the citizens. No word he's been
received from or about the Resistencia
leaders who were deported last night. and
the vigilantes are sworn to secrecy. though
they admit the men will never return TO
Tampa The exact number OF the men de-
ported is not yet known. further than that
a prominent leader Of the strike is missing.
1t is said that other prominent leaders are
marked, and that deportation may take
place at any moment.
The kidnapping last night had been well
planned for days. A great open-air meet
ing had been arranged, to which the Re-
sistencia leaders had been invited the pur-
pose being to catch them in a bunch. They
were all present. Music had been provided,
and the streets were lined with thousands
of people. Shortly before the posse of citi-
zens arrived at the place the news reached
the strike leaders and they quickly dis
persed. The committee was not daunted,
and commenced a man-to-man search
through the streets, and snatched the men
from the crowds. They were placed in
carriages that had been provided, between
heavily armed guards, and driven away.
The captured leaders were at once driven
to the county Jail, where they remained on
the outside under guards for few min
utes. Then they disappeared from there
and have not been seen or heard of since.
Various rumors to their disposition were
circulated in the city today, 1t being most
generally reported that they were taken to
the gulf in an unknown and mysterious
vessel. All of the deported strike leaders
were Spaniards and Cubans.
The boldness Of the whole affair and the
accomplishment of the deportation without
bloodshed is one of the remarkable fea-
lures
An address will be issued tomorrow morn
ing by the citizens, telling the strikers to
Immediately resume work or that deporta-
tions will not be confined to the leaders.
The soup houses are to be closed by force
at once and the food shut off from the
strikers. forcing them to either leave the
city or resume work or starve.
1t developed tonight that twelve more
were deported this afternoon and tonight.
Some of the strikers have held a number
of meetings during the day secretly, and
have conferred with a number of lawyers,
with view to taking some action. No one
would take the case, all being engaged in
the interest of the international union.
They have also appointed new committees
to carry on their work, and in the case Of
created, so that when one is taken away
another will take his place.
A proclamation was issued here this
afternoon, signed THE People of Tampa"
which says in part:
To the Anarchists and Professional Labor
Agitators: We say that your days in Tam
pa are at an end. We cannot and will not
permit you to destroy this prosperous city.
If you have regard for your safety. you
will shake it's dust from your feet In con-
clusion, we notify the manufacturers that
this movement Of citizens is not in your in
terest, but in the interest of the entire
community.
The editor of La Fedora acion, Spanish
paper, published in the interest of La Re
sistencia, was seized during the morning.
He made a vigorous fight, but was over
powered and had to go like the others.
The abduction of the cigar makers and
the other stringent measures noted are the
outgrOwth of strike declared several days
ago by the members of the Resistencia
Cigar Makers Union, and which has
brought out threats on the part of several
manufacturers to remove their plants from
Tampa, owing to continued labor troubles