The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-01-12
And Several Mill 0verseers In
jured at Lawrence, Mass.
OPERATIVES ON RAMPAGE.
1t Is Feared That the City Faces Strike
of 10000 Hands--Police Reserves
Were Called to the Scene
of Trouble.

! Lawrence, Mass, Jan. H.. Serious
rioting occurred to-day in the Wash
! ngton, Wood and Aver mills of the
American Wooden company here, and one
girl operative was hurt and several
mill overseers were injured.
Several thousand striking Italian oper-
atives forcibly took possession of the
mills this morning. The police reserves
We're summoned on riot call, but they
We're so greatly outnumbered that they
could do little for some time towards
suppressing the disturbance. The strik-
ers marched from room to room OF the
mills, urging all the operatives, who
had not quit work, to leave the mills.
The strike resulted from dissatisfac-
tion over the operation of the 54-hour
law. which went into effect on January
/ Five hundred weayers and spinners
struck yesterday, and it is feared there
win be a general strike of 10000 opera
tives.
The Italians, who said they would not
work to-day, were enraged when the
other employees refused to quit. Several
thousand angry Italians crowded through
the mills, demanding that all the opera
tives quit work, and the men were en-
ragged when the overseers asked for po-
lice assistance.
Oyerseers Begin and Blodgett at the
Washington mill were badly cut by be-
ing hit with bobbins. In the same mill
Della Clark, an operative, was severe
~ cut by flying missile.
At the Atwood mills the strikers cut
the pulleys and opened the sprinklers.
Many girls IN the mending rooms faint
ed, and practically all of the operatives
left the building. When the rioters real
iyed that the police were making a de-
termined stand they left the mills with
out offering serious resistance. The po-
lice swung their clubs freely. The
Woodward and Aver mills were shut
down.
The strikers went to the Lawrence
Duck company's mills at about II o'clock
and when the police attempted to pre-
vent their entrance into the mill the
men began throwing missiles of all de-
seriptions Several officers here were
ctt. When the police began making ar
rests, this caused further disturbances.
Last night the Industrial Workers of
the World with which most of the tex
tile workers OF this city are affiliated.
heiu an luIoflndi MEETING 10 ulsSusS the
matter. No definite action by the or
ganization as a whole was taken. but
il was reported that 1000 Italian spin
ners employed in the Aver, Wood, Wash
ington and Arlington mills would 20
out to-day.
A meeting OF the organization is sched
uled for tonight, at which some definite
step by the Industrial Workers as an
will be discussed Persons
close to the mill situation in this city
say that the city faces one of the big
gest strikes in its history.
1t has been several years since Law
renee has had a strike of large proper
tions.
The Wood mill, said to be the largest
woolen mill in the world is con-
trolled by the American Wooden com
pany. II employs 5000 hands under
one roof, while the Aver. Wood, Wash !
ington and Arlington mills combined, |
have payroll OF between l4,000 and |
$4,000 hands Even if the majority |
OF the weavers and spinners should not |
walk out at once it is pointed out that |
enough have announced their intentions |
Of quitting to cripple the work in other