Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-27
HOME OF LONE WOMAN
RAZED BY ARMY OF MEN
RESULT OF BITTER FIGHT WITH
STEEL MAGNATEs
Cunning Device by Which Widow Lot
Was Lured From Her Residence.
She Entered 1t as a Bride Fifty
Years Ago
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
PIITSBURG, Pa, Nov. 26.-With the
S100,O0O,O00 of the Jones e. Laughlins
Steel company back of them, force of
1000 men employed by that corporation
yesterday afternoon enticed a lone wo-
man from her home, where she had
long baffled them, and during her a b.
sence they tore down and carried off
her house in half an hour.
For six months Mrs. Sarah Lot
whose home had been at the
corner of Sydney and South Twen-
ty-sixth streets, has held up the prog
ress of the $20,000,000 addition to the
plant of the Jones e. Laughlins COM
pany, which is to extend from Twenty
fourth to Thirty-fourth, along Sydney.
1t was "only a woman's whim," but for
six months that whim has been VIC
torious over the greatest steel concern
in the world, with the exception of the
trust.
Reason She Wouldn't Sell
When the Jones & Laughlns COM
pany decided to enlarge it's plant 1t
bought up all the property along sgd
ney street for fancy prices. But when
its representatives reached Mrs. Lot
they encountered unexpected opposi-
ton She firmly refused to sell. Fifty
years ago when she was a bride,
band. The little home was then far
away from the heart of the city, and
no one ever imagined that great mills
would some day creep to that spot. 1t
was there that Mrs. Lot reared her
little brood, and there that her husband
breathed his last. They We're simple,
thrifty people, and on his deathbed
Mrs Lots husband had made her prom
Use never to sell the old homestead.
Finding that Mrs. Lot could not be
induced to sell, the steel company de-
cided to build around her and make
things so unpleasant that she would be
glad to get out.
But when the great plant began to
rear itself about her little home she
made no complaint, but only fortified
herself from stronger attack. She had
regular stockade built around her
two-story frame dwelling, and there
she lived alone, protected only by three
ferocious dogs which she secured.
Seeks Aid of Courts
Finding that they could not force her
to move, the company went to the
courts, but found no relief there. There
was no law which could force the
woman to sell. Then it was decided to
buy her off. Mrs. Lot was offered a
bonus of $4,000 for her place, and the
claim of her heirs. But still the agents
met with the same obstinate refusal.
John told me never to sell the old
home, and 1 never SHALL" she declared
in her broken English.
All the while, however the great mills
had been erected on every side of her.
Yesterday an agent of the Jones
& Laughlins company called on Mrs.
Lot and told her that her home would
L. ntAl,t tNrr INfNfH nf
and shawl the widow summoned her
brother-in-law, Charles Lot and left
him and the brood dogs in charge of
the, house. Then she hurried to the
court house to secure an injunction
against the company.
Mrs. Lot reached the court house just
ten minutes too late, for the courts
closed at noon.
No sooner had she left her house than
Charles Lot was enticed to come out,
and he walked over onto the property
owned by the steel company. The min
ute he set foot on it he was arrested
by an officer who was there, taken to
the station house and locked up on a
charge of trespass.
Then the horde of workmen, held in
readiness, swept down the place. The
stockade was torn down as If 1T had
been made of matches and the three
dogs were overpowered and chained
Then, as If it had been dolls house
the home of Mrs. Lot was torn down
by an army of men and thrown into
the street, together with its contents.
| The entire proceeding occupied just
| half an hour, and when Mrs. Lot re-
turned great steel girders had been
erected where her home had stood. She
tainted and, when she was brought
back to consciousness, sobbed bitterly
saying she would not stir from the
place. She was carried way by main
force and taken to the home of hel
| enO