Norwich bulletin., 1912-06-08
Troopers Out
 Al MiddIetOWn
CAVALRY CALLED TO AID IN PRE-.
 SERVING PEACE.
VIOLENCE BY STRIKERS
Missiles Thrown at Police-Strikers All ItaIans-First Labor Trouble at Mill in 7s Years.

Middletown. Conn, June IA clash of $50 striking operatives of the Rus sell Manufacturing company with force of police officers and deputies at tbe mills in South Farms today, brought here later platoon of caval- rymen from Troop A, Connecticut Ma tlonal guard, who will stay here to assist the police officers until the trouble is oyer. The strikers are en- tirely of Italian nationality, the great CT number women, and few speak Eng- fish understandingly All have joined the Industrial Workers of the World within a few days, and then, under encouragement of the organizers of the labor body. made a demand for in creased wages and certain changes in working conditions. The strike follow ed when the company refused to rec osnize the workers, but offered to treat with the employees direct.
 Women Placed in Front Ranks.
 The clash today was brought about by the strikers trying to stope others from going into the mills. Practically none of the other 800 employees in the group of mills at South Farms, and they embrace Polanders, Germans and | other continentals, who are for the l E had not joined the Workers, stayed away from work when the whistles called them this morning. The police 1 gave protection and the clash came. l The male strikers adopted the ruse of | putting women in the front ranks and | then sending forward d flying wedge | The officers did not want to use foTce l but they found the women who crowd | ed them using their finger nails and 1 teeth, while from the rear came a | shower of stones, bricks and other mis- miles.
 Police Use Clubs.
 The police finally used their clubs, l heading over the heads of the women. | Several got hurt, however, but the dis | turbers were dispersed after several arrests had been made. The prisoners | had hearings in the city court, but aft CT an all-day sitting no decision was 1 reached in any case the prisoners be- ing defended by attorneys who went | deep into the question of whether ] there had been breach of the peace, as charged.
 Quiet, at Noon Hour.
 After the first outbrea K, the strikers hung back and while during the morn | ing it required tact on the part of
 
 tween strikers and non sympathizers. no one was molested, and the noon hour passed off quietly, most of the working folks in the mills being giY- en their dinners.
 Cavalry Called Out.
 Representatives of the company asked Governor Baldwin for a military guard and the matter was placed in the hands of Adjut. General Cole, with full power After visiting this city and comforting with Sheriff Thompson
 he decided to call out the cavalry quar-
 tered in New Haven, The chief req
 sen for taking this action, it was ex-
 p.ained, WAS not because the soldiers
 were actually needed to quel the dis
 turbance, but for the moral effect Cl
 their uniform upon the female strikers
 who seemed to be willing today to be
 placed in the front rank in an attack
 upon the officers The policemen o1
 this city, who, with officers from Hart
 ford, had reinforced the sheriffs depu-
 ties. had said they had hesHated 1T
 roughly using women who were pushed
 against them, but with fully two hun
 dTed screaming, clawing women pro-
 tecting the male strikers, they could
 not quickly quell the trouble. Windows of Mills Broken.
 The presence of the soldiers. it wa:
 believed, would do much towards sub
 duing the fighting spirit of the women
 During the morning clash many win dows in the mills were broken ana
 some property damage done. Tomor } TOW the operatives will be paid off an;
 some look for another collision be
 tween the workers and the strikers
 l. G.r-. ! trouble is confined to that at Soutl Farms. which is some distance iron : this city. The other mills are at Hig . gsnum, Middlefield and on Saddle Hi = here.
 l First Strike in 7S Year& g While organizers of the Worker have been among operatives elsewher Q they have not recruited many mem |. berS. All mills make coarse cottol . goods of kinds which it is claimed doe j. not require skilled help. The compan, y in 8 statement issued this afternool g said that the mill was founded in 1834 - and this was the first time there hal - been labor troubles at 1t. It elaine k the wage scale was as high if no t higher than paid elsewhere for lik g closses of goods, and the recent in V speCtion of the factory by the stat q authorities showed that 1t was full a equipped with everything the la7 d requires to make conditions sanitary. Strikers Can't Speak English. e Among the strikers it was difficu
 curing the day to secure a statemer a from them, as so few spoke Englis Q and they appeared to have no leader = While the hearings were in progress
 the court, groups of strikers stood O
 the street seemingly in sullen moot
 There was no disorder when the em
 ployes left the mills this evening. Tn , company had special trolley cars walt '' ing for them shortly before six o'clOc
 and five minutes before that hour wor
 was, stopped and the operatives pU
 aboard and gent into the city. Be tween 1000 and 5,060 persons had com 1i | down from the city as spectators, bt ;, not striker was in sight.
 a Double Guard in Italian Quarters. V In addition to the police officers an l. deputies on duty, the members <, Troop of New Haven were on guar @ about the place. Within the city # the Italian quarter where a large pal - ef the strikers live, the police deta a, had been doubled to guard again! IS any possible further outbreak, y New Leader Turns Ue,
 fhe strikers held a meeting at d lecai theater tonight where they vel ,~ addressed by Jean SRielHan, d prom is nent worker of the Industrial Werke!
 Of the World. He was on his Wa
 from Boston te New York. when l
 learned of the trouble here and stoppt '- off. After looking over the ground l @ decided to remain here and tai la charge of the strike, the other ergsl Il lZerS for the Workers taking. their d.