Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-25

they said. to do nothing to forfeit the
good will of friends and fellow citi-
zens. Their grievance was Brent
woods and their oppressors the rival
railways. Violence of any kind, said
the strike leaders. would be tolerated
only as last resort Yet here was ev-
idence that even before beginning the
strike assault. abduction, possiblysmur-
der, could be laid at the strikers doors.
Cresswcll still lay in grievous plight,
and Eric Langdon could not be found
Then evidence began to accumulate. A
TWO horse farm wagon, such as de-
scribed, was seen by other citizens
driving westward toward the open
prairie. farmer came in and said
that such wagon stopped at the ford
close to his place about midnight. His
wife woke him. saying there was some
thing wrong down at the barn-the
horses were stamping and snorting
He hurried thither and found every
thing secure, but could have sworn he
saw a light dancing away from the
/ barn In the direction Of the ford as he
! Issued from the house. Curiosity there
/ fore led him to investigate, and surely
enough he heard voices. Two men
were talking in low tones. One of their
! horses had picked up stone, and. so
tightly was it wcdged, they couldn't
/ get it out. He gathered that one Of
/ them had been to the barn in hopes of
finding a pick. The farmer was on the
point of hailing them when the whistle
i Of the night freight sounded away
down the valley toward Brentwood,
1 and he heard one of them say. MY
God, there's No. now, and we can't
flag her this side of the bridge" then,
apparently speaking to some one with
in the wagon, continued: Now, lie still
If you value your life! Jump in, jim,
quick" And with that the horses
were dashed to run, and they clatter-
ed away up the pike in the darkness
About ten minutes later he heard the
freight rumbling along up the valley
and after it had almost got beyond
hearing distance to the west there
came the short, quick single whistle,
the signal for brakes. That must have
at the big bend. That was something
unusual, and, coupled with what he
| heard the men say, it excited his suspi-
cion. Then when his copy of The Ban
ner told him about Langdon's disap-
pearance he felt sure what it all meant
and therefore came in to Brentwood to
tell his tale. And it was this that
| OF 60 Cn%t ~
Brentwood strikers. for it was now evil
dent 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
1 the perpetrators the words overheard
by Farmer Hawley gave presumptive
evidence and that the abducted man
was sorely needed developed in the
course Of that very night.
Obseryant Of his counsel, the rifles at
| the first intimation of another strike
had kept a guard at the armory, and
this guard was increased to a lieuten-
ant and 20 men at noon on the 2Sth.
Moreover, it was made up of men who
WYNN aS3Ht, anu l1c SCOulS VI -lllC
strikers sent to reconnoiter and reSort
on the feasibility of again Selling the
arms and equipments returned and
reported adversely" Two days later,
determined to wipe out the stain Of
| their military misadventure the previ-
Gus year, fully 60 members promptly
I assembled at the call and awaited or
ders at the armory. and still, barring
the Punishment of Mr.. Burleigh in one
direction and the presumable taking off
Of Langdon in the other, no deed Of
damage or violence had been charged
to the strike. The sheriff had eagerly
accepted the theory that Langdon him
self was Cresswell's assailant and had
fed to escape consequences. This
made him solid" with the strikers and
| warranted a certain inaction. But now
the 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
to Brentwood, coming up from the cap
ital by cross country spur Of the
Union Pacific, and matters were near
ing climax. The GYays were at the
station at Gunnison waiting for the
troop train, with Major McConville
and four companies, feeling its eau
tious way over culver and trestle from
the Missouri. If the strikers refused
to dispense at the beck of the governor,
1 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 Its breath and waited Meantime
the orders for the rifles were to sleep
! on their arms at their quarters. 1t
was the policy of wisdom.
And now, "If no new complications
arise" said the mayor, eve can hope
for quiet night, but it's the calm be-
fore the storm. / wonder if that
trains in with the re-enforcements
from up the road?"
"Ill telephone and ask" said Boni-
face, leading the way to the rotunda.
1t was filed with men, talking in
low, cautious tones, glancing nervously
about from group to group. Many were
strike sympathizers, several were law