The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-07-01
GREEKS IN A BIG RIOT.
A Gang of Greek Section Men Try
to Mob a Conductor when His
Train Ran Over One of Them.

the policy of placing big gangs of
Greeks and other foreigners at work
along their lines to do the section work,
and down at Lockridge on the main
line last Saturday there was a regular
riot, the Greeks becoming enraged be-
cause one of their number had been run
over by a train. Local interest is add
ed to the affair on account Of Edgar
ketchman, of this city, being in the
miXup. Edgar, who is the youngest son
of Mr.. and Mrs. G. M. ketchman of this
city, is one of the telegraph operators
at Lockridge and was ON duty at the
time of the trouble. The Greeks sur
rounded the depot in which the conduc-
tor had taken refuge, threatening to
kill him, and the agent and Edgar who
were unarmed locked the conductor in
the freight house and stood the crowd
off until the officers arrived, although
| they tried to break in the doors. The
| following account of the trouble is
taken from Sundays Burlington Hawk
Eye:
Enraged over the injuries received
by fellow worker a gang of Greek sec
tion hands sought the life of Burling
ton Road Conductor Michael j. Hayes
at Lockridge yesterday afternoon, and
would probably have succeeded in their
purpose had it not been for the ar
rival of Superintendent Thieoff and
several other officials. Detective
Shorts, special agent of the Burlington,
was also called to the scene from this
city, and took the lead in protecting
Hayes from the violence of the mob.
Conductor Hayes was in charge of
west-bound freight No. 81, which ar
rived at 1ockridge early in the after
noon. number of cars were being set
out on the sidetrack thore, and in doing.
the switching the Greek laborer was
struck by the cars and fatally injured.
Aa soon as the big gang of Greeks saw
what had occurred they rushed at
Hayes with shovels and pick-axes up
lifted, and with imprecations, forming
a babel of foreign oaths, made a vigor-
Gus demonstration. Hayes realized
that he was in dangerous position
and sought safety in the office of the
agent, the crowd pursuing the trainman
to the door, which the agent shut and
locked.
The Greeks continued to hang
around the station, and were wrought
| up to high state of excitement.
Shortly afterward Superintendent
Theioff, Trainmaster Frank Cone and
Ruadmastsr Corcoran reached Lock
ridge on motor car. The officials saw
that there was trouble and took charge
of affairs. A telegram was sent to
Sheriff Goe at Mt. Pleasanton and an
other to Detective Short at Burlington.
Both officers arrived at Lockridge on
No. in response to the wires, and the
train was held long enough for the Of
icers and railroad officials to surround
Conductor Hayes and escort him to the
train. The trainman was put aboard
No. 8 and left for the west, as it was
considered the safest course to remove
him from the vicinity of the enraged
foreigners.
When the engineer and fireman of
Conductor Hayes train saw the demon
stration that was being made by the
Greeks, the engineer pulled out for the
west. The train had been split, in Or
der to do the necessary switching, and
the men in the cab decided to take no
chances with the Greeks. Conductor
Hayes was far in the rear attending to
the placing of the cars on the side track
and had no chance to swing aboard the
front section of the train.
The injured Greek was carried into
the station, and fast passenger train
No. Q. enroute east, was stopped on its
arrival at Lockridge in order to bring
the sufferer to Burlington. A swarm Of
his fellow Greeks accompanied the in
jured man to Burlington. Upon arriv-
ing here the Greek was taken in an am.
bulance to Mercy hospital.
An examination disclosed that the
Greek had sustained serious internal
injuries. Several ribs were broken and
the skull is fractured. There is but
slight chance for his recovery.
Lockridge, Iowa, June 26.-The towr
has been full of excitement this after
noon and people have not quieted dowr
yet. All over town you can see groups
of citizens discussing the affair.
When No. 81, the west bound loca
freight, arrived in charge of Conductor
Hayes, of Burlington, they went in or
the house track to do their switching
and were pushing some cars in against
some that were already here, when il
was discovered that one of the Greeks
or Italians, whichever they are, thai
was supposed to be tagging for the
gang, had been sitting against the cal
and had been knocked down and rur
over. The train was stopped and the
injured man picked up and taken tc
the hospital at Burlington on No. 6
but it was thought he would not live
until he reached there, as he was badly
injured. AS soon as the accident hap
penod the whole gang of seventy-iv,
started in pursuit of Conductor Hayes
claiming he was responsible for th'
accident. Hayes ran into the freigh
house and the doors were locked ant
the crowd held back until help arrived
from Mt. Pleasant. Sheriff Goe, Con
stable Anderson and others coming OF
No. 8 and Hayes was taken west on th'
same train. A short time afterward
Sheriff Niebert, of Fairfield, arrived
and it was arranged that the gang wa
to be moved from here at once, as tn
} people here were talking strongly of or
ganizing and ordering them out of town
and if they did not go, to force them t
, leave.
Hubbell Bros, the publishers of th
t Grand River Local, last week issued tn
{ first number of their new paper pull
; lished at Elston, the Elston Eagle, wit
NH TN. ~