Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1903-09-30
RIOTS ON MICHIGAN BORDER
DISCHARGED EMPLOYEES ON CAN.
ADIAN 500 RESTLESS.
Can Not Get Their Wages-lgnorant
Foreigners Are eIamed-Can Not Be
Reasoned With-They Attacked the
Office BuiIding-Destroyed Every.
thing on Ground Floor.

odulL Ste marie, MICH, Sept. lS.-
The situation in the Canadian 500,
which has been the scene Of serious
rioting by the discharged employees
Of the Consolidated Lake Superior
company all day, is very grave. No
reinforcements of militia have arrived
from outside, and the only defense
against the mob, which grows hourly,
is a more or less demoralized police
department and a small company Of
militiamen. An assault upon the office
building by the mob early in the after
noon. before the arrival on the ground
Of troops, was successful and mass
Of frenzied rioters secured possession
Of the ground floor Of the building, de-
stroying everything movable that came
in their path. A crowd Of the Office
staff. with drawn revolvers, prevented
their gaining access to the upper floors
Of the building. Every window and
door in the building was smashed.
The arrival of the troops on the
ground armed with ball cartridges
about o'clock served to restore some
semblance of order. The rioters then
contented themselves with throwing
stones at the building and hurting in
vectives at the soldiers, who estab-
lished dead line" and prevented any
approach toward the building by any
of the rioters.
The greatest number of the mob are
ignorant Italians, Films, Norwegians
and Frenchmen, the latter, perhaps,
the hardest of all to handle. All have
been drinking more or less, although
the bars have obeyed the, order to
close The mob is one that can not be
reasoned with and the man they seem
most anxious to get at is Mr.. Coyne,
the assistant manager, who in the alb
sence of Mr.. Shields is in charge of
the works. Mr.. Coyne has discreetly
kept out of sight all day.
Late in the afternoon the leaders Of
the mob held conference and de.
manded that the company house the
men in their hotel and boarding mouse
and feed them until the money for
their wages is forthcoming. In order
to appease the crowd this demand was
granted, and the men have taken pos
session Of the White House, large
boarding house operated by the COM
pany. Provisions are being sent there
to feed them. AS their leaders are
making the most inHammable sort of
speeches., great fears are entertained
for the outcome Of proposed meet
ing.
Attack on Cars Feared.
An attempt is being made to put the
streetcar system in operation in the
Canadian 500, which suspended opera
tions after an attack had been made
on it. Inasmuch as most of the rioters
were not in the streets at the time this
1t is estimated that there are 10000
men in the 500 and these are rein
forced by all the idle rabble in town.
The local police force is being
strengthened by all the deputies who
can be found, each man being given
a badge and revolver and ordered to
use the latter whenever necessary.
Much feeling has been aroused over
the shooting of two Frenchmen by
the police during the trouble this
morning. The rioters declare that the
officers used their revOlvers when 1t
was not necessary. Neither of the
men are fatally hurt.
The mob Is planning an attack on
police headquarters with the object of
releasing the men who have been cap.
tured.
The problem today's developments
has created is beyond the solution Of
any of the company officials on the
ground. Apparently their only hope
is that the anger Of the mob will spend
itself and that the men will get out
Of town by degrees.
A meeting Of the employees Of the
company was held and it's proceedings
were said to be of the most heated
character The particular grievance
which seems to have infamed the
men to acts of disorder was the prom
Use of pay today, when the men who
made the promises, the employees be-
lieve, knew they could not be fulfilled.
Immediately after this meeting ad-
journed the men went in a body to
the office of the company. determined
to get their money or get "satisfac-
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