The Columbus weekly dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1902-1905, 1903-05-14
The NJ. and O. Strike.


brakemeD, lagmen and train
men on tt line Of the NJ. & O. |
Railroad which went into effect
last Saturday at noon has as
sumed an aggravated aspect aud
serious consequences are at
tending the road as a result of
the strike all along the line.
The first trouble and violence
developed last Sunday at Jack
son. Tenn. This city is the end
of a division, many OF the en-
ployees reside there and it was
here that the first outbreak oc-
CURED. Several wrecks took
place in the yards of the NJ. & o.,
the road claiming that they re-
suited from the interference Of
the strikers while the men claim
that they resulted from green
men handling the trains. Fol
lowing these accidents a fagman
named Will Yarbro was shot and
killed while running on scab
train The striking men claim
no esponsibility for this loss of
life and they attribute it to thugs
and desperate men who are
cloaking their crimes under their
banner. The situation at Jack
son became so bad that the road,
through its attorney, sued out a
bill of Injunction restraining .the
strikers from interfering in the
management of the NJ q O..
property and the bill will be
heard in jackson to-day by
Judge Hammond, of the Mem
phis federal court.
All along the line the strike
has tied up the road On Mon
day the passenger conductors
and brakemen and the main line
passenger trains were run by
agents, clerks ana office men,
the train south from Jackson
Monday being in charge of Mr.
Hawkins with Travelling Passen-
ger Agent Blair acting as bag
gage master. On the main line
all freight trains have stopped
running Ok0lona, Meridian,
Artesla, Cairo and all division
points report that freight trains
are standing still and there is lit
tie prospect of traffic being re
sumed although the road is rush
ing in green men from Chicago
: and st. Louis as fast as possible
to handle the situation. At Meri
dian special deputies have beer
sworn in to protect the NJ. q O
property. and yesterday morn
, ing it was reported that serious
trouble had resulted at Meridian
and other places. The engineers
and fremen joined the strikers
in a conference at Jackson
: Tenn, last Monday and it is
feared that they will refuse to han
die trains not manned by expert
enced men and they will become
involved in the strike, which viii
make it all the more serious anC
a greater handicap for the road
The M. & O. is doing every
thing in it's power to pull itsell
OutOf the hole the striking train
men have put it in. Freights are
congested everywhere and per
ishable stuff is being routed over
l. other lines and where it can bC
II moved is given to rival lines By
e the M. & 0. as fast as possible
All freight received now is re
V ceived subject to delay caused
y by the strike and the non -arriva
r of freight is causing all kinds o
,. trouble, inconvenience and loss
t The Montgomery division o
the NJ. 81 o. has not suffered a.
much from the strike as have
the other divisions of the road
n The reason of this is that tn,
:. passenger conductors, Messrs
s Hopper and Rogers are still OF
{ their runs. The local freight con
: ductors split on the question
e and Mr.. Jack Smith is at worl
: while Conductor Horton wen
e out, his place being taken by r
/ A. Crump. The switching in tn
d yards here is done by the loca
Summer (.OmfOri