Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-13
RIOTING At FORT WILLIAM
Twenty-FOur Men Injured in Clash
Between Strikers and Constables.
CITY UNDER MARTIAL LAW
said 90 Have been started by
shot Fired by Special officer
After a Had Agreed
on Terms.

FORT WILLIAM. ont, Aug. 12-Fort
William for the first time In it's history
is under martial law. A thousand dock
laborers, principally Greeks, Hungarians
and italians who have been on a strike
for a week, enraged by the arrival OF the
special Canadian Pacific police from Win
nipeg, were melted TO riot and 300 OF them
engaged in a fight with the police today
around the Canadian Pacific freight sheds
on McTavish street. Twenty-fOur men
were injured, three fatally, including Chief
Ball of the railway c~ompany's local force
and two Greeks. Chief Ball was shot in
the stomach.
Five Of the wounded are Canadian Pa
cific special policemen, three are Greeks,
one Is a Times-Journal reporter. Others
are Sergeant Taylor of the city police force
and John Lane, a butcher. A leg of Con-
stable Carpenter Of the Canadian Pacific
force was shattered. The Ninth regiment
Of militia was called out this afternoon
after Mayor Pelletier had read the riot
call.
The strikers have twenty-five railway
constables penned up In the Canadian Pa
cific railroad bunk house. For an hour
this afternoon shots followed each other
in quick succession. The strikers after
driving the constabies into the bunk house
fired into the windows and were preparing
to storm the house when Police Chief
Dodd, backed by Sergeant Taylor and the
city police force, prevailed on them to stay
away. The strikers retreated back to Nc
lavish street, but further they refused to
bulge and continued to keep up an inter-
mittent fire under the eyes of the police
officials. The strikers threatened tonight
to burn the Canadian Pacific mammoth
grain elevators. Saloons have been closed
by order Of the mayor.
Soldiers are guarding the district under
the command Of Colonel Steele, head Of the
Canadian permanent force in western
Canada. The permanent force In Winnipeg
will arrive by special train early In the
morning. The city police department is
unable to cope with the situation. 1t was
impossible to control either the imported
Canadian Pacific constables or the dock
strikers. Tht men seemed to have a thirst
for hood and they shot in any direction,
regardless OF friends and foes. Whether
the first shot today was fired by the
strikers or the Canadian Pacific ~constables
is not positively known, but 1t is believed
it was fired by one of the imported
constables, thirty Of whom arrived from
Winnipeg and were sworn in as constables.
1t was evident the constables dlsobeyed
orders of their chief. The sight of the
constables seemed to rouse the strikers to
a frenzy. AS the constables marched
through the company yards, shotguns,
rifles and scores of revolvers were seen
in hands of strikers.
AT the city hall the mayor had done what
he could to arrange peace. The Canadian
Pacific officials had agreed to grant the
demands of the men and put them to work
under an Increased scale. Chief Andrews
of the ~constables was telephoning to his
men to stay In the boarding house and not
to incite The strikers, pending a confirma-
ton OF the report that the company had
yielded, when the first shot rang out. An
agreement had Just been reached at the
city hall when the report was telephoned
that rioting was in progress. The railroad
officials then notified the mayor that they
would fight the strike to a finish.