The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-06-01

OUSTED FROM
ENID BY FORCE
MILITIA COMPANY UNDER ARMS
COMBINED FORCES or THE
SHERIFF AND POLICE ESCORT
300 TO RAILROAD STATION

Enid. Okla. May l1-supported b.
the militia. the combined forces Q!
the sber.r and the chief Of police
escorted more than three hundred
men TO the railway station Monday
night and ordered them TO board
freight trains. The authorities TOOK
action after threats Of violence had
been uttered against officials and
merchants who refused longer to feed
the men. The militia Is under arms
Monday night awaiting orders from
Sheriff Hume while the latter, as
sisted by deputies Is engaged in rid
ding the city Of disturbers The trou-
bic began Monday when Mayor Clo-
yer served notice that the city would
no longer provide food and lodging
for men who came here in answer to
calls for harvest help. For about
a week the city officials provided for
those who were stranded and in a
short time several hundred were re-
ceiying two meals a day and lodging
quarters. The county refused to fur
nish supplies. Then I. w. w. agi-
tators began to arrive and the discon-
tent spread rapidly. The leaders be-
gan attempts to organize the men
for the purpose of forcing farmers to
pay So per day for harvest hands.
State Labor Commissioner Ashton
and Superintendent Feger have been
attending to the agitators, picking
them out and seeing that they left
the city When notice came from
Mayor Glover that no more food
would be distributed committee of
the men visited that official and fin
ally demanded that they be given food.
When refused they informed Mayor
Glover that they would have it, one
way or the other.
During the afternoon the police
closed the building tnat had served
as quarters, while groups of sullen
men gathered on the outside. Many
went uptown and attempted to OBJ
tain supplies from merchants but
in most cases were refused. In some
cases, it is reported the merchants
were intimidated Representations
were made to Governor Williams in
the afternoon by Sheriff Hume after
he had been called upon by Mayor
Clover for help. The situation called
for immediate action, and the county
authorities joined in placing the mat
ter before the governor with the re
suit that Capt Ralph Jarboe was
ordered to call out company X and
await orders. The company is un-
der arms ready to assist the officers
if further trouble develops with the
two hundred or more harvest hands
still in the city. Early in the even
ing the officers placed 125 men aboard
a northbound freight train. Among
those were the |. w. w. agitators,
who, according to the officers, pre-
cipitated the trouble Shortly after
other groups were rounded up to the
number of 200 and put aboard a south
bound train. At the same time sew
eral hundred more were arriving on
the trains but the officers ordered
them to continue their journey. At
.ractcd by the call for harvest, men
nave been arriving for the past two
weeks. They failed to heed the warn
ng of the state labor department not
% come until June 3. The result
has been that a great many profes-
,ional tramps invaded the city under
he guise of seeking work. Com
,laints began to be made against
heir presence and the city officials
attempted to open a "hotep. Some |
If the merchants responded and for
everal days 500 men were kept at |
public and private charge. Then |
he coming of the |. w. W. agitators, |
everal from Kansas City. started |
rouble.
Meetings were held in the building |
o induce the men to strike for higher
harvest wages. Property was de-
troyed in some instances by the
nore violent. Doors were taken from
reight cars and burned. while many
etty acts were reported. The mill
ia served as a patrol Monday night