The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-16
SHOOT TO KILL
Is Order Issued to PENNSYLVANIA
State Constabulary
Called to Preserve Order Steel
Car Plant.
WANT TO GO TO WORK
Company Claims a Large Num-
Der of the Strikers
Would Return if They Could Be
Guaranteed Protection.

Pittsburg, Pa, July 16.-"Shoot to
XIII If a man reaches for a gum" Is
the order under which members OF
the state constabulary are working
this morning at the Schoenville plant
OF the Pressed Steel Car company.
owing to the increasing gravity OF the
strike situation.
A crisis, and probably bloody battle
is anticipated when the company at
tempts to resume operations. II
claims 300 employees wish to return
to work IL guaranteed protection. ANY
attempt to oust strikers families
from their homes I'm the company
row will be fought.
The first serious attempt to effect
an organization was made by strikers
at a meeting yesterday afternoon
Nine nauonalities were represented
and a committeeman appointed from
each race Hopes for peaceful set
tiement center on a meeting today
when grievance committee VIII ba
chosen TO confer with the officiais
H. n HoHstott. president OF the
Pressed Steel Car company. arrived m
the city last night from New York He
said:
Reports have been grossly mac
curate and the criticism against the
pooling system of paying wages is not
justified, as those who are in posses
sion of the facts know. The pooling
system is really to the advantage OF
the men.
money was paid employees in order to
secure employment 7 do not believe
there is a word of truth in it.
The extent of the whole trouble has
been greatly exaggerated. as only 500
out of over 5000 men are actually in
volved in the disagreement about the
pooling system.
After the company. state and local
officers have restored order at the
works. we viii go ahead with our busl-
ness operations.
THE most of our men want to work
but we're intimidated by the strikers"
the situation is critical.
Showers of Rocks.
At $50 o'clock the groups OF idle
workmen had increased to such an ex-
tent that an order was given to clear
the streets. The consta bulary in squads
of ten scattered the strikers. Little re-
sistance was offered at the time. but
later. when it was believed all was
well. the troopers were showered with
bricks. Several of the policemen were
slightly hurt.
Twenty-Five men charged with riot
ing were brought from McKees Rocks
to the county Jail by Sheriff Gumbert
today.
The number injured as a result of tho
disorders late last night and today viii
total close to so. Several men have
bullet wounds but the majority sus-
tanned bruises and cuts when the con-
At one time fully 10000 men, women
and children gathered at a large gate
of the works. Stones were thrown into
the stockade and then the foreigners
opened fire upon the police inside. Sud
denly the big gate swung back and p
troopers, firing their carbines in the
air rode into the mob full speed. For
a while the air was filled with the
screams and curses of the strikers and
their sympathizers. while the crack OF
the guns spread terror. The mob WAS
driven a half mile from the plant and
probably 30 persons were injured, some
of them seriously.
Plenty TO Drink.
It was learned today that fifty kegs
of beer and a large quantity OF whisky
was brought into the mill settlement
during the night by the strikers and
today quads of constabulary searched
the district in an effort to locate It.
A monster mass meeting, attended
bv over 10000 strikers and sympa-
thizers, was held today on the historic
Indian mound at McKee's Rocks.
The authorities maintained strict
watch over the meeting to prevent the
making of speeches that might further
excite the strikers.
At the Standard Steel Car plant at
I,yndora, near here, today $50 of the
1000 employees struck. The men ask
ed for higher wages.