The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-07-17
Twenty-Five Unionists Sworn In
to Preserve the Peace in
East st. Louis.
MEN STRUGGLED INTO PLANTS.
st. Louis Dressed Beef and Pro
vision Company Has Trouble
With FOremen Over En-
plOyment of Nonunion
WOrkmen.

Sheriff Thompson of Belleville yester-
day at East st. Louis deputized twenty
five of the leaders of the strikers. Sher-
if Thompson took this action, believing
that the strikers were familiar with their
fellow-employes and would be better able
to keep an eye on those who might need
watching. The majority. if not all. of
these men who were deputized by Sher-
if Thompson had been previously depu-
tized as peace prcservers by the officers
of the local union.
Sheriff Thompson states that he has
had difficulty in getting citizens to act as
Deputy Sherirs.
All men who apply for work at any of
the packing houses are quickly accom-
modated. 1t was stated that about so
meH were smuggled into the plants yes
terday without the knowledge of the
union pickets, who are stationed all
| around the plants. 1t was rumored that
a train load of negroes was o the way
to the stock yards. but this rumor could
not be verified. Two freight cars, it was
! reported, had been used Friday night to
carry negroes to the stock yards. and the
| strikers heard of it and opened the doors.
The negroes wer frightened and ran
away.
FOREMEN JOIN STRIKERS.
The foremen of the East st. Louis pack
%ing-houses, who are either union men or
| union sympathizers, were called out at 2
o'clock yesterday afternoon to join the
| general strike. By 6 o'clock almost every
foreman who had remained in his place
since the strike began had added his name
TO the list of strikers.
T., &c rarorfai that tho leaierS Of the
strike will meet to-day to consider the ad-
visibility OF calling out the engineers and
fremen in the packing-thouses. This is
about to be done in retaliation for the ac-
ton of the packers in attempting to supply
the places of the strikers with nonunion
men.
Should this step be taken. as those who
are familiar with the situation say it will
be, it Will leave the packers with nearly
100000 pounds of fresh meat on their
hands. which it will be almost impossible
for them to handle. since they can hardly
supply the places of the engineers and
firemen, and their cooling plants may
nave to be closed down. With their fore
men out and the firemen and engineers on
the verge of striking, the situation for
the packers is considered more serious
than it has yet been.
Pickets have been placed by the strikers
at all entrances to the Union Stock Yards
and every man who enters is questioned
concerning his il tentions. Every method
of persuasion is used to prevent %nonunion
men from going to work in the place OF
the strikers.
SLIGHT DISTURBANCES REPORTED.
Several slight disturbances were report
ed yesterday, but were the result of mis-
understandings.
Thirty men on an East St. Louis street
car bound for one of the packing-houses
and shipped by a ST. Louis labor agency
on Market street got as far as First street
and st. Clair avenue last night. There 1t
was discovered that three of the men
were armed and they were arrested by
Sergeant Wilson and Deputy sherir
Cashel. They gave their names as Will
liam Hogan. Otto Blum and Henry Hazel
ton. all of st. Louis. They said that they
had been employed to guard the crowd
of thirty strike-breakers until they We're
safe inside the stock yards, and then 20
deliver them to the Sheriff.
They were locked up at the East st.
Louis Police Station and charges of carry
ing concealed weapons were placed against
each. Hogan had one revolver. Blum had
ii revolver and a billy, and Hazleton had
two r%evolvers. After the arrest Of the
trio the strike-breakers jumped off the car
and scattered.
Office men and foremen employed at the
packing-houscs are doing the work of
strikers. and several hundred young men
have been given employment in their
places for the time being. Many of those