The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-04-14
A CRISIS NEAR
In the Chicago Strike.
Combination Against
the Unions.
DAY OF EXCITEMENT

Chicago, April 12.-While the strike
against Montgomery Ward & Co. has
not spread beyond it's circumference
of yesterday, the tension has materi-
ally increased and appears to have
reached a point where either the en-
ployers must give in and not insist
upon delivering goods to the struck
firm or the strike will break through
all restraint and the latter condition
seems most probable.
Breaking off of negotiations between
teamsters and employers in confer
ence shortly before noon today was
followed by a gigantic merger of en-
ploying interests of the city in what is
said to be the largest gathering OF
representatives of Chicago's business
commercial mercantile, manufacture
ing and financial ever held for the
purpose of presenting a solid alliance
against trades unionism.
1t centered in an attempt to force
the several associations of team driv-
ers to ignore the International Broth
erhood of Teamsters.
There Is feeling in all quarters
that the crisis is near and confer
ences among themselves by the oppos.
ing powers are frequent but they are
not making public what has been de-
termined upon II such determination
has been reached.
The day was full of exciting clash
es with the police, and continued late
into the evening. AS late as O'Clock
belated auto truck laden with fur
niture and sundries from Montgomery
Ward G. Co.'S Michigan avenue store
was attacked at the corner of Madison
street and Fifth avenue, the goods
were scattered over the streets and
the auto overturned. Before the driy-
er was seriously beaten he was rescued
by squad of police, who being rein
forced so that they numbered 25 right
ed the auto, reloaded it and guarded
it on its way amid jeers and threats.
The greatest difficulty encountered
by Montgomery Ward & Co. in the
movement of teams came today when
the firm attempted to send eight wag-
ons in one caravan from the store at
to the freight houses of the Illinois
Central, the Wisconsin Central and
the Michigan Central at South Water
street. This was the largest caravan
that the firm has yet attempted to
move.
Notwithstanding the presence of
nearly 200 police officers the caravan
met with constant interference. A jam
of wagons was encountered from
Lake to South Water street, and while
the teams and police threaded their
way slowly through this ENHANCEMENT
of wagons, people in the windows of
buildings on both sides of the street
hurled missiles upon the pon-union
drivers. Just at the entrance to the
Wisconsin Central freight house, a
jam of 200 teams had been formed
by the strike sympathizers, who hur-
ried ahead of the caravan, and for a
time 1t seemed that 1t was absolutely
hopeless to attempt to break through.
Wagons had been abandoned by team
sters, horses unhitched, nuts taken off
the axles, wheels locked and every
thing done that could be done to rem
der the breaking of the blockade as
difficult as possible. Assistant Chief
Schuettler put so patrolmen to work
and after some strenuous efforts they
succeeded in opening lane sufficiently
wide to permit the Montgomery Ward
teams to enter the driveway.
On the west side rs policemen raid
ed a saloon at 95 Jefferson street this
afternoon in which crowd of more
than $50 strike sympathizers had TAX
en- refuge, and, in the worst clash Of
the strike, drove the rioters out. al
most demolishing the interior of the
saloon.
The police had escorted a caravan
of several wagons to the Milwaukee &
st. Paul freight sheds across the river
and we're on their way back when the
crowd, which had been demonstrative.
maui a luSh lOI tut WdBOHb.
After vigorous use by the police of
their locust sticks the crowd broke
and great many ran into the saloon
to escape.
A lieutenant entered and ordered
them TO leave. These laughed at him
and refused. He went out and gave
the order to clear out the saloon"
The police near by, rs in number,
drew Their clubs and made a rush for
the door They were met by a volley
Of glasses and stones and then the
clash came. Blood flowed freely and
scores of the crowd who resisted the
police were beaten over the heads
with clubs. Glasses and bottles were
thrown across the saloon and left torn
scalps and bleeding faces wherever
they struck. After the rioters had
been literally thrown from the saloon
the police chased them for q block