Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1902-04-30
STRIKE RIOTS IN PATERSON
Running Street Fighte Suspended the
Silk Mills.
POLICE USED THEIR REVOLVERS

/
Men Out-Denands of Dyers' Helpers
-Mobs Marched Through tho City At
! tacking Mills-One Owner Ciubbed.
Paterson. " J.-Striking dye helpers
stormcd the establishments that were
Still. running. and by force compelled
complete suspension Of business in
their trade. Nearly 5000 men quilted
work. They engaged in a series OF
running fights with the police and
plant managers, and in one OF the se-
vcrcst clashes exchanged n vollcy of
pistol shots with them.
The radicals among the strikers were
In command. and hoStilitieS ceased only
when there were no more shops 10
win over to The cause for which they
Were lighting Many persons on either
side were severely injured during the
| rioting. bur none dangerously so.
The disorder began early in the day,
and WAS unexpected. y meeting of
strikers was held 1T RuegerS Riverside
Hall, and 1000 men gathered at the
place. They demanded that helpers
should get 20 cents an hour: machine
men, 80 cents; tinishers. II cents; learn
erS. 20 cents; the schedule TO BE- in
effect for the next five years. The old
prices per hour were rs follows: Help
| erS, l6la cents; machine men, lSH
cents; EnisherS, - cents; learners. 14@
cents
! While the meeting was in progress
the radicals urged raid upon the
works still in operation. and when their
suggestion was approved Il rush was
headed for the establishment of James
/ Simpson X Go. That iirn. fearing
trouble dismissed tie men and closed
its doors. Robert Gaedc's works were
! visited next. and after that the BAN
ford mill. where thc first serious disor-
der occurred. was surrounded. Win
doWs were smashed, chemicals spille |.
and considerable damage done. The
men ut work in the plant quickly
Quilted their places
While one mob was closing the Bam-
ford mill, another was surging into
the plant of the American SILK Dyeing
ana Finishing Company. Armed with
dye sticks and stones. they charged
through the place. driving the men
from their places. George Arnold. one
of the members Of the firm. was
dropped inSensiEle with Il blow on the
head from dye stick.
Almost simultaneously an attack was
begun on the works of Emil Geerng,
and ii was in the fight for possession
OF IT that the shooting occurred. Two
policemen were guarding the property,
md when the mob came rushing down.
they warned these in the van to keen
away. Some one in the crowd ,.is-
charged Il revolver. and the police
quickly returned the fire. Half Il
dozen shots were fired. and one striker,
who escaped unidentified, was shot in
the leg. The mob stoned the police
men, ana when one of the latter ar
rested one of the leaders. closed in
around him. The officers swung their
clubs and beat their way out of the
crowd. One of the patrolmcn finally
secured Il rifle and when he came ont
and faced the crowd with it, there
was Il general scattering.
After lettering around for n time the
strikers reformed and marched ID
hnipscher " MaaS'S dye shop in the
Gun nill yard. where seven police
men Were on duty under Sergeant Hal
stead. TD reach the yard the strikers
would have 10 cross bridge near the
dye shop. and the police seeing them
corning. marched up to the bridge and
blocked the passage. The rioters brckc
up into small bands. and loitered
around for some time. y rock was
hurled from one of these groups ut
Sergeant Halsted. 1t struck n tele-
phone at which the Sergeant was
standing. and in falling it hit Arthur
Neale. who was speaking to the Ser
geant.
Five strikers were arrested and ar
raigned before Recorder Senior. and all
except one went to Jail. John Ball
was arrested for inciting his compan-
ions to riot ut the Weidmann shop He
went to jail for ten days. Antonio
Jarat, French-Canadian. got ten days
In default of the payment of a fine
of $40 for creating Il disturbance. Louis
Forano and Ernest Foster went away
for ten days for throwing stones mt
Weidmann's shop. Gcorold Mcstclia
threw rock mt Sergeant HaStoad
and got ten days
Judge Dixon called the Grand Jury
before him and charged them to re-
turn as many indictments as possible /
against persons guilty of riotine The /
conservative element of the strikers /
had, in the meantime. diSavowcd the
violence of their fellows, ana urged Il
return to peaceful means to gain the
END that was sought.
lhe strikers met again in Bunker Hin /
Han to receive the reports of commit. I.
tees appointed to visit owners OF shops.
Nearly all were to the effect that own .
ers would grant the increase il all .
would. Decisive answers were To- .
ceived from Knipscher X Mas. Gacdc. /
kearns Brothers and the Paterson I.
Dyeing Company, all of whom agreed /
unconditionally to grant the increase.
lt was then asked whether the men
employed by these four concerns could I
90 to work iumoIiotolv Nf,o, ~ -