The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-11-04

ed with civllty even IN denied means or
transportation. They were determined.
they said, 10 do nothing to forfeit the.
good VIII OF friends and fellow citizens.
Their grievance was Brentwoods and
the.r oppressors the rival railways Vio-
lence OF any kind. said the strike leaders,
would be tolerated only as a last resort.
Yet here was eveidence that even bef0re
beginning the strike assault abduction.
possibly murder could be laii at the
strikers doors. Creswell still lay In
grievous plight, and Eric Langdon could
not be found, Then evidence began 10
accumulate. two horse farm wagon
such as described. was seen by other citi-
zens driving westward toward the op-n
prairie. farmer came in and said tnat
such a wagon slipped at the ford close
to his place about midnight. His wife
woke him. saying there was something
wrong down at the barn-the horses were
stamping and snorting. lie hurried thin
er and found everything secure, hut couiu
have sworn ne saw a light dancing away
from the barn In the direction OF tue
ford as he issued from the house. Gu
riosity therefore led him to Investigate,
and surely enough he heard voices. Two
men were talking In low tones One or
their horses had picked up stone, and,
so tightly was IL wedged. they coulon't
get II out He gathered that one OF them
had been to the barn In hopes OF finding
pick The farmer was on the point
OF hailing them when the whistle Of the
night freight sounded away down the
valley toward Brentwood and he heard
one OF them say. My God, there's No. s
now and we can't flag her this side of the
BRIDGE then, apparently speaking 10
some one within the wagon, continued:
"NoW, lie still II you value your lfel
Jump In. Jim.quick. ''and with tnsI
the horses were dashed 10 run. and
they clattered away up the pike I'm the
darkness. About ten minutes later he
heard the freight rumbling along up the
valley. and after IL had almost got be-
yond hearing distance TO the west there
came the short quick signal whistle the
signal for brakes. That must have been
somewhere about the long bridge at the
big bend. That was something unusual
and, coupled with what he heard the men
say, 1t excited his suspicion. Then when
his copy OF The Banner told him about
Langdon's disappearance he felt sure
what it all meant and therefore came In
TO Brentwood TO tell his tale. And IL was
this that brought confusion to Belts and
the Brentwood strikers, for It was now
evident that Langdon had been spirited
away.
That foul means and force had been
resorted TO no one who knew Langdon
could doubt. That railway men were
the perpetrators the words overheard by
Farmer Hawley gave presumptive evi-
dence. ana that the abducted man was
soreiy needed developed In the course OF
that very night.
Observant OF his counsel, the rifles at
the first intimation OF another strike
had kept guard at the armory, and
this guard was Increased 10 a Lieutenant
and ~ men at noon on the 18th. More
over. II was made up OF men who would
fight. and the scouts OF the strikers sent
TO reconnoiter and report on the feaslbil-
ity of again seiziug the arms and equip
ments returned and reported adversely
Two days later. determined TO wipe out
the stain OF their military msadventure.
the previous year. fully 80 members
promptly assembled at the can and
awaited orders at the armory, and still,
barring the banishmcnt OF Mr.. Burleigh
Ing of OF Langdon i'm the other. no deed
OF damage or violence had been charged
to the strike. The sheriff had eagerly
self was Cresswelrs assailant and had
fled TO escape consequences. This made
him solid" with the strikers and war
business men had taken matters In hand.
The Banner ripped him up the back" as
his friends expressed IT, and the governor
himself was on his way 10 Brentwood.
country spur OF the Union Pacific, and
matters were nearing a climax. The
Grays were at the station at Gunnison
waiting for the troop train, with Maj.
McConville and four companies, feeling
Its cautious way over culver and trestle
from the Missouri; II The strikers re-
ernor. would they finch from the prick
OF the bayonet? That was the absorbing
question The mayor said yes. The
men Numbered no. and Brentwood held
orders for the rifles were TO sleep on
their arms at their quarters 1t was
the policy OF wisdom.
And now, IL no new complications
arise" said the mayor. eve can hope for
quiet night but It's the calm before
the storm. | wonder II that trains In
with the re-enforcements from up the
road?"
"Tn telephone and ask" said Boniface,
leading the way 90 the rotunda
1t was filled with men, talking In low,
cautious tones, glancing nervously about
from group TO group. Many were strike
sympathizers, several were law and order
men. most were desirous OF being consid-
cred neutral. The strong men OF the
anti-strike party. irrespective OF politics,
had attended the meeting and come out
I'm the wake of Boniface and the mayor
them at once hut Bonitace begged them
to wait and escorted the mayor behind
the desk and rang up the superintendent
OF the Big Horn. A quaverins voice
answered that the superintendent WASH
there ''Is that train IN with those peo-
pic from Rosebud and the other sta
tions7" asked Boniface, and people be-
gain edging up TO the desk to, listen
face again. Isn't in, Why. they said
thoy were due before dark. Where were
they when you last heard? What? You
haven't heard? Lines cut? Had To wall
for womenl What women? don't un'
derstand."
By this time half the men In the lobby
had gathered about the desk. What was
that about women? No women were
needed. IL was no place for them here
They should be at their hresides taking
care Of the children and the household
while husbands and fathers hurried dowr
10 help the cause OF Brentwood. Here
was the seat OF war. here the heart OF
the battle. here must the hght be wor OF
lost again. And the unions had summon
cd all who could possibly come. ever
from the far Black Hills. to haste by
special train and Join their brethren or
the battle line For over 81 miles the Bis
Horn paralleled the southern verge oi
the big Sioux reservation. Jrst across thu
Dakota boundary it lay, and half IN,
west bound freight the road carried be
yond the Red Water was for the agent,
OF the traders NJ Rosebud. at Pine Ridge
Sheridan and certain other points OF dis
tribution and supply Around those
guarded lines. winter and summer. there
ever hovered dozens OF dissolute whites