The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-28
RIOTING AT THE
CANADIAN 500
Armed Bodies of Consolidated Lake
Superior Employees Storm the
Company's Offices.
Several Shots Were Fired by the De-
tenders, but No One
Was Injured.
------------------ ------
Regulars and Militia Asked Of To-
ronto, as the Local Company
Is Powerless.

Sault Ste. Marie, Mich, Sept. 2S.-A
mob Of discharged employees of the Con-
solidated Lake Superior company, after
being put off with promises when they
demanded their wages, this morning broke
away from all the restraint a. large force
Of special police could exert and smashed
every window In the magnificent office
building of the company in the Canadian
500, charged upon the street cars and de-
manded that the conductors and motor
men join them, and were prevented from
doing further damage only by a clever
ruse Of one Of the companys officials,
who turned in a fire alarm to divert at
tention.
Shots Fired.
Almost every man in the crowd was
armed and in the ugliest kind of mood
An assault was made on the entrance
of the building, but the door was de-
Tended strenuousy by those inside, who
fired several shots, none Of which, how
ever, took any effect.
The hardware store Of Plummer & Co.
was broken into last night and every gun
with all the ammunition that could be
found.
Telegraph for Troops.
The authorities have called out the local
company Of militia and have teIegraphed
an urgent request to Toronto for both
the regulars and militia. The local militia
company is small and totally incapable of
coping with the situation.
Orders have been issued to close all the
bars in the Canadian 500, but up to noon
to-day none Of the saloon had been closed.
Mob Marches on a Saloon.
A mob Is now marching down upon a
saloon operated near the companys works
whose owner enraged the men by offering
to 90 81 tooir 0lyc fo,, 4 ~.
dollar.
lnasmuch as the police are helpless,
more rioting at this point seems sure to
| ensue. Crowds Of idle men fill the down
town streets and the Canadian 500 is
completely terrorized.
Meeting OF the Men.
meeting Of the employees of the ccsTa.
pany was held in Barnes hall this morti-
Ing and its proceedings were of the most
heated character. The particular griev-
ance which seems to have inf1amed the
| men to disorder was the promises Of pay
to-day which could not be fulfilled
Imme diately after this meeting .ad-
journed the men went in a body to the
office of the company, determined to get
their money or get satisfaction as they
| put 1t. The doors of the offices were
locked and guarded by police, and all the
men got was a bulletin posted upon the
company's Printed Statement
Ofcers and Employees of the Consolidated
Lake Superior Company:
The president and directors in New York
have been unable to raise the money to
pay to-day the wages and salaries now
due the men and officers. Of the company
| Advices received from New York this
| morning indicate that our president and
directors have a plan to raise the money
necessary ho
! start up the works.
The plan has the Endorsement and
promised support Of Sir Wilfrid Laurier.
premier of Canada, and G. W. Ross
premier Of Ontario, and it is expected to
produce the necessary money inside of
| thirty days.
While we regret very much the in
ability Of the company to pay to-day, the
fact remains that there is no money to
pay with. There seems to be only one
thing left for them to do, and that is
to accept the offers of work elsewhere
leave their checks with friends, RESPONSE
BILE attorneys or business men to collect
for them when the company pays.
Bear In mind that your wages will
| have to be paid ultimately and constitute
q just obligation against the company.
which all the property and other assets
will be liable for
Made the Mob Furious.
This action, instead of allaying the ex-
element Of the crowd which by this time
was estimated to number 1900, made
| them furious and despite the efforts of
the combined strength of the local police
force and the company's private police
| force, rocks and other missiles soon filed
the air, directed at the windows of the
office building, inside Of which had been
| seen the officials of the company.
| Efforts to secure admittance to the
building by members of the mob 1yara
fruitless, altho a determined ATTEMPT was
| made. Some one then turned In an alarm
of fire with a view Of using the fire hose
upon the mob. !.