The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-27
Firemen Were Able to Prevent
Spread to Other Buildings.
DANGER OF RIOTING
Is Provided Against by Chief OF
Police O'NeilI.
All Meat Wagons Ordered TO
Travel on One Street.

packers. firm in their stand went ahead
slaughtering stock and doing as much
other work as possible in the circum-
stances. Convinced of an improvement
in the situation as far as available non-
union help and capacity otherwise OF
the plans were concerned, the officers
had sent word to shippers to be some
what more generous with their con-
signments and as a result the receipts
of cattle. hogs and sheep were consid-
erabIy larger than had been the rule
during previous days of the strike.
There were more men working accord
ing to the employers and more work
for them to do.
The chief excitement of the day CEN
tered about Swift's lard refinery fire in
the interior of the stock yards. almost
q mile from the main entrance.
Flames were seen bursting from the
upper floors of the building and before
long the whole of Packingtown was in
a turmoil. There was a wild rush from
all directions and despite the efforts of
the police the fire engines found great
difficulty in making their way through
the crowd. Not far from the damaged
building is the centralized power house
from which above the fire swept lard
refinery ran a net work of electric ca
feature of the blaze was the
temporary Imprisonment of nine
women stenographers in an ele-
vator in Swifts office building. The
cage was caught between two floors
and the young women were in a panic.
Office employees put up ladders, cut the
wirework OF the elevator cage, and car
ried them out to safety
Rumors of incendiarism were rife.
70 NFr4amH
showed the cause of the blaze to have
been an oveEheated dynamo. The build
ing was filled with tierces of lard, many
OF which exploded, spread ding the burn
Swift directed the fremen in their at
tempts to reach the blaze.
The fire Threatened a number of
buildings nearby but the firemen man
aged to keep the flames from spread
ing.
Thousands of strikers attempted to
get near the burning building but ropes
were spread by the police blocking the
streets for three squares away The
contents of the building were said to
be valued at 100000.
Kitty English. forewoman in the
sewing department of the Swift plant,
was mobbed and badly hurt by a
crowd of girl strike sympathizers
They beat her, tore her clothing and
finally slashed her face with a knife.
After a desperate struggle Miss En-
glish escaped No arrests were made
As result of the teamsters' strike
managers of several of the plants took
the places of drivers on the buses and
speedily others followed and the army
yards.
1t is stated that the packers at pres
ent would make no general attempt
10 employ nOnunion teamsters Plans
nave been arranged to deliver meat by
railroad TO packinghouse branches
throughout the city.
Eight negro StTiLra -,
way TO work to the stock yards were
arrested today for carrying concealed
weapons.
Amid all the warlike demonstra-
tion there were reports of plans for
another peace conference between the
packers and the striking butchers
members OF the state board of arbi-
tratlon appeared at the Office of Presj-
dent Donneily today and held a con-
ference with the labor leaders tn
strike situation was gone into thor
oughly and the arbitrators then left
the office TO seek a conference with
the packing interests. Later President
Donnelly and several of his aides left
strike headquarters for a second con-
tration.
Besides the fire another cause for
tumult was the fact that today for
the first time VIII olesale picketing was
CURED.
Francis T. O'Brien. secretary of the
Acme Manufacturing company ap-
preached the entrance to the yards |
on wagon. himself holding the
reins- He was delivering load of
men. but pickets compelled him to /
turn back He protested to President /
Donnelly but to no avail.
To Minimize Riotino.
Chicago, July 27.-To minimize the
danger of rioting should the packing
companies attempt to deliver meat to
local customers with nonunion team |
sters- Chief Of Police O'Neill has given |
instructions that all hauling shall be 1
done on Halstead street. The chief de- !
clareS that all teamsters will be protect
ed Ifofn violence but to make this DOS /
sible the hauling must be confined to 4
one street which will be strongly pa /
trolled.
The order calling out the packing
house teamsters affects many other
drivers as well Those employed on |
market and grocery delivery wagons |
Ice and express wagons are prohibited /
from handling any goods to or from the 1
packing plants While it is said to he /
the intention of the packers TO shin 4
practically all the meat to outside !
points by rail and make no effort to 4
take care of the by-products the strik- |
erS expect to cause them much incon-
venience by shutting off supnIies of IN /
kinds as far as possible.
Nine wagonss loaded with meat were
sent out today from the Schwarzschild /
& Sulzberger plant at the stock Yards /
The wagons had been repainted the
lettering removed. high sides placed ~,
disguise They were escorted from the
yards by a dozen policemen, who were
relieved by another detail to guard |