The Penn's Grove record., 1903-10-02
$500 EMPLOYEES IN RIOT.
Attack Company's Building in an
Attempt to Obtain Wages.
AFTERMATH OF STOCK BUBBLE

CoueOl1doIeu AaAo superior Concern'a
Men, Unpaid, Grow Desperate and Rat.
tie with tho Police-Four woupd.d-
Mob Of 1000 Woodsmen of Mixed Ma.
tionality Held Town at Its Mercy.
SAINT Ste. Marie, Mich.-The Cana
dian 500 after the most exciting day
in it's history was left practically at
the mercy Of a mob of more than 1000
Finnish, Norwegian and Italian woods.
men and miners, who We're recently
discharged by the Consolidated Lake
Superior Company with two months
pay due them.
At midnight all the lights in the
Canadian 500 were suddenly extin-
anished, and Immediately the fire bells
began ringing an alarm. The greatest
confusion prevailed.
The rioting grew out of a promise to
nav off all the men, although the Con.
solidated Lake Superior Company's
officials who made this promise ad
mitted that they had no knowledge Of
where the money was coming from to
| satisfy the men.
The trouble for the most part was
confined to the grounds occupied by
the works Of the company, where an
immense throng of woodsmen gathered
to get tickets cashed.
Upon being told there was no money
for them they became ugly, and a big
rock that crashed through one Of the
windows of the offices was followed by
a cloud of missiles of all descriptions.
which demolished every window in the
| building and drove the officials inside
| to places Of shelter.
A rush upon n of the doors was re-
pulsed only after two policemen were
seriously injured and a number of 9TH
ers more or less hurt. The policemen
welded their clubs, and several shots
were fired by occupants of the building
into the crowd.
The injured member Of the mob were
taken away by their fellows, and no
details could be obtained.
Three Or four streams of water from
fire hose seemed to drive the crowd
away temporarily, but it returned
later and forced an entrance into the
ground floor Of the building, where
movable pieces Of furniture were de.
molished.
An assault upon the stairs to the up.
per floors was thwarted by a number
Of officials, who confronted the rioters
with drawn revolvers. The rioting by
this time had become general, and
about noon, in a fracas on one of the
downtown streets, two Frenchmen
were shot by the officers. Both were
seriously wounded. This row grew
out OF an attempt Of some French
women to rescue one of their number
who had been placed under arrest.
The shooting inflamed the mob to q
high degree. and only a big display Of
force prevented a fercer riot on The
spot.
The local company of militia was as
sembled at 2 o'clock, ball cartridges
were issued and orders given to fire t.
kill if commanded to do so. The ap
pearance of the troops on the street:
caused more confusion.
About 4 o'clock the leaders of thu
men held a conference and demanded
that the company provide lodgings ant
food until their wages were paid. II
an effort to appease them the official,
turned over one of the large boardin,
houses operated by the company to thu
men. and this building is now head
quarters for their operations.
y night an.
speeches Of the mosAin1am ne kind
were permitted without III ference
by the police.
A vigilante committee of the youn!
men of the city has been organized II
protect the house of the Mayor ant
Mr.. Shield. president of the company
from attack by the rioters.
The greater number of the mob were
ignorant Italians, Films. Norwegian,