Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1903-10-07
$500" EMPLOYEES IN A RIOT
Attack Comoany's Building in an
Atiemp: to Obtain Wages.
AF ERMATH or A STOCK BUBBLE
Consolidated Lake Superior Concerns
Mcn, Unpaid, Grow Desperate aud Bat
tlc VITA tho Poiicr-Four Wounded
Mob of 1000 woodsmen of Mixed Nn-
tionality field Town AT Its Mercy


tionaIity Held Town at 1t, Mercy.
Sault ste Marie. Mich The Cana
dian 500 after the most exciting day
in It's history was left practically at
the mercy of Il mob of more than 2OOu
Finnish. Norwegisu and Italian woods
men ana miners. who were recently
discharged 10y the Consolidated Lake
Superior Company with two months
pay due them.
At midnight all the lights in the
Canadian 500 were suddenly cxtin-
SuiShcd. and Immediately the fire bells
began ringing an alarm. The greatest
confusion prevailed.
The rioting grew out of Il promise TO
pay oil all the men. although the Cuu-
Solidatcd Lake Superior Company'S :
ofhcialS who made this promise adj
mittcd that they had no knowlcdgr of
where the money was coming from to
satisfy the men.
The trouble for the most part WAS
confined To the grounds occupied hy
the works of the company. where an
immense thron% of woodSncn gathered
10 get tickets cashcd.
for them they became ugly. aud a hig
rock that crashed through one of Tie
windows of the offices was followed by
cloud of missiles of all descriptions.
which demolished every window in the
building and drove the officials inside
To places of shelter.
y rush upon one Of the doors WAS re-
/ pulsed only after two policemen were
seriously injured and number of 9th
crS more or less hurt. The policemen
welded their clubs. ana several shots
were fired by occupants of the building
into the crowd
The injured member of the mob were
taken away 10y their fellows. and no
details could bc obtained.
Three or four streams of water from
ire hose seemed To drive the crowd
away temporarily but il 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 Il number
OF officials. who confronted the rioters
with drawn revolvers. T!., "ioting by
this time had become general. and
about noon, i'll Il fracas on one of the
downtown streets. two Frcnchmcn
were shot by the officers Both were
seriously wounded. This row grew
ont of an attempt of some French
women To rescue one of their number
who had been placed under arrest.
The shooting intiamed the mob to
high degree. and only Il biz display of
force prevented Il tierccr riot on the
spot
The local company of militia was as
Sembled ut - o'clock. ball cartridges
were issued and orders given to fire to
Kill if commanded to 90 So The ap-
pearance of the troops on the streets
caused more confusion.
About 1 O'Clock the leaders Of the
men held Il conference and demanded
that the company provide lodgings and
food until their wages were paid. In
an effort To appeaSc them the officials
turned over one OF the large boarding
houses operated by the company TO the
men. and this building is now head
quarters for their operations
big meeting was held ut night and
speeches of the most innammablc kind
were permitted without interference
by the police
y NiSilantc committee of tho young
men of the city has been organized to
protect The house of the Mayor ana
Mr.. Shield. president of the company.
from attack by the rioters.
The greater number of tho mob were
ignorant Italians. Films. Norwegians
and Frenchmcn. the latter perhaps the
hardest of all To handle. All have been
drinking. more or less. although the
bars finally ohcycd the order TO close
up.