The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-26
TWO ARE DYING AND -FOUR
OTHERS ARE BADLY HURT
Governor Fort Has Sent Four Com
panies of State Guards to Restore
order-Men Say They Were
Promised Higher Pay.

Perth Amboy. N J., November 25-Fol-
lowing a pitched battle between 700
strikers and L deputy sheriffs today, at
the factory of the National -Proofing
sompany- at Kea sbry. near ere. in yhica
I six of the strikers were shot down. ,5ov-
ernor Fort dispatched four companies of
the State National Guard at Trenton to
the scene. aud tonight the streets are
| patroled by $50 soldiers. All saloons
| have been closed
A feeling of intense excitement prevails
as the strikers declare the deputy sheriffs
were not justified in firing upon them
Two of the wounded men are dying and
four others are painfully hurt. The Cit
liens fear for the morrow. when the
strikers threaten to renew the attack on
the plant of the National Fire Proofing
company.
For two days there has been rioting at
Keasbry and a number of manufacturing
towns along the Raritan river. Two weeks
ago the men employed by the Raritaa
River Clay company went on strike for
higher wages They marched to the
! plant of the Perth Amboy Fire Brick
company and induced the men there 20
go out Then each succeeding day the
| strikers, constantly Increased in number.
marched to other towns to induce en-
ployes to leave their work.
Political Basis of Strike.
The strikers. nearly all of whom ara
| foreigners. say that they were given to
understand before the. election that If
Taft were elected their pay would be
qt
The officials of the factories deny such
a promise was made.
Yesterday several hundred strikers APP
peared on the streets f1ourishing revolvers
and when the deputy sheriffs endeavorsd
to disperse the gathering they were met
with a fusillade of stones.
They continued to advance. however,
| and the strikers retreated.
Early today mob of strikers gathered
around the factory. The foreigners were
armed with heavy iron pipes, pitchforks.
clubs, stones and some of them showed
revolvers, the police say.
When Chief of Police Burke sent a
man to bring lunch to the deputies the
latter was met with a shower of stones.
compelling him to retreat. He succeed
ed later in leaving the factory unobserved
and secured the food As he was return
ing one of the strikers caught sight of
him and Immediately there was a gen.
eral attack The man was not injured.
Then began a bombardment of stones,
during which nearly every window in the
factory was smashed
Two Policemen Hit.
Chief Burke says that TWO of his men
were struck by missiles and slightly IN
tured. He restrained his men from OPEN
ing fire until the last minute, he de-
elares. Matters had become so serious
that the deputies were compelled to open
fire to protect themselves.
At least a dozen of the shots were fred
point blank at the strikers and six men
fell.
The workmen turned and fled, leaving
the wounded ON the ground. There was
temporary lull in the rioting. The strik-
ers soon returned to the factory. They
kept at a distance, but it was evident that
! they were angered by the shooting down
of their comrades
Colonel Gilkeson, assistant adjutant gen.
ersl was sent. to Keasbry to investigate
the situation and advise the governor,
and 1t was on his advice that the troops
were sent
dict with instructions to sign the one
to which it agreed, as follows:
Guilty of murder in the first de-
gree: Death
Guilty of murder in the first de-
| gree: Life sentence.
Guilty of murder in tine second de-
| gree: Life sentence.
Guilty of manslaughtsr.
Guilty of arson.
Not guilty,
After celebrating until 1890 .. m,