The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-06-20

would keep the mill open at any cost.
The hands had discussed the matter
at a meeting held the previous night,
which lasted until nearly midnight, and
at its close the hands decided not TO join
with the other weavers in the sympathy
movement.
On learning this Mr. Simon returned
to his office and informed the committee
that he would not close down, as the
hands wished to work.
The committee endeavored to persuade
Mr. Simon to change his view, but he re-
lnained firm.
Seing that they We're not likely to
move him from the stand he had taken.
the committee left the mill in disgust.
Returning to West Hoboken they re-
ported their failure to induce Mr.. Simon
to close.
On hearing this the weavers formed
in line at Central avenue aud Demott
street, and, headed by band, started
for Union Hill. All kinds of wild
threats were then made by the weavers
and it is alleged that some of them were
heard to excaim that they were going
over the to Tin dwag dwtg dwkdoykqo
over to Onion Hill to tear down Simon's
silk mill.
But, be that as it may, a man who
saw the mob gather and who heard
their threats, at once communicated with
the Union Hill police by telephone. He
told them what he had seen and heard
and said the crowd was even then on
its way to Union Hill.
The entire force was ordered out and,
headed by Captain Patrick Knight and
Sergeants Wallum and LeberIe, it hur-
ried to .,Inon's mill
4 he mill is located on teh east side of
the Hudson Boulevard and runs through
from Gardner to Morgan street. 1t is 4
half block. 1t employees over 500
hands,
The police received orders not to per-
nit the weayers to pass near the mill
and to keep them as far away from it
as possible.
They were drawn up in line across
Gardner street at Bergenline avenue,
and were prepared TO meet the rioters
when they arrived.
STRIKERS ATTACK.
It was about 3:15 o'clock when the
head of the procession arrived opposite
Gardner street An Amazon in a red
petticoat led the procession Close be-
hind her tramped 4 disorganized mob of
women and men. The front ranks were
composed wholly of women. There We're
fully one hundred of theul in line. The
weavers. it is thought. had an object in
placing them there They imagined. it
is said that the police would not use any
force in trying to stay their progress and
that if it came TO an attack the officers
would not use their clubs on the women.
The procession passed rapidly up Ber-
genline avenue and attempted to turn
into Gardner street in the direction of
the mill The weaveFs found their way
blocked by the police. Sergeant Leberle
told them they could not pass and or
dered them to continue up Bergenline
avenue They insisted on passing that
way. They said they wanted to see Mr.
Simon. They We're told that they had
already seen him and that they could not
see him again at that time.
At this they raised q howl. Kisses,
groans and threats filed the air. Nov
ing forward in a compact body, they
slowly forced the officers back. Even
then the policemen did not use their night
sticks. They WISHED to avoid trouble.
Using their hands they tried to push the
mob back.
They met with a strong resistance
from the infuriated rioters, who had by
this time lost all contrl of themselves. A
perfect storm of stones and sticks were
poured in upon the officers, and the air
was filled with flying missiles. The po-
J
not give way.
The men had by this time worked their
way uD to the front and they fell upon
the policemen, about a dozen in number.
Recognizing that there was no room
for further parley, and that ithey did
not at once drive the weavers back they
would be overwhelmed by numbers, the
policemen attacked the mob with their
night sticks. They piled their club to
such good effect that the rioters broke
and fed
This gave the officers time TO breathe
and get their scattered forces together.
and during the pause an alarm was turn
ed in which brought the fire department
to the scene.
FIREMEN USE WATER.
e the time the rioters renewed the at
tack Union Hill truck company dashei
around the corner and bore down upon
the weayers. Fearing that they would
be crushed under its wheels they again
gave way and permitted it to pass. The
other companies arrived an instant later.
Connections were made with the near
est FIRE hydrants and when the weavers
recovered from their surprise they welc
delnged with water. Columbia Hose
Company was the first to pour stream
upon the crowd The other companies
quickly followed suit.
Streams of water We're poured upon
the rioters from every direction and they
were driven back in short order The
work done by the fremen was so effec-
tive that the streets in the vicinity of
the mill We're quickly cleared. Chief
Engineer Behr was in charge of the FIRE
men and he kept them on the ump.
But the weavers, while defeated, did
not leave the scene. They hung about
in groups, but the policemen did not per-
nit them to remain long at one spot.
They kept them on the move all the time
and did not permit them to approach
nearer than two blocks to the mill
The firemen were kept on duty until
the mill closed down for the day and the
hands departed for their homes. Men
armed with a hose were stationed at the
intersection of the strets within two
blocks of the mill and they Kept every
body back with stream of water. the
pressure of which was 50 great that it
would carry man off his feet.
The rioters did not attempt to inter-
fere with the hands and they did not re-
main long after the mill shut down. They
struggled away in groups and by eight
o'clock most of them had departed
The news of the riot spread around
the town like wildfre and the residents
hurried to the scene from every direction.
All the streets in the neighborhood of
the mill were black with people who
were anxious to see the battle. Many
Of the citizens got in the way of the Off
GERS and hindered them greatly in the
discharge of their duty. It is believed
- IL 4. IL