The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-08-03
WHOLE NORTHWEX
IS NOW MENACED
THE |. w. w. TERRORiZlNG MANY
PLACES WITH ExTRAvAGANT
DEMANDS AND THREATS
SEVERAL PEOPLE SHOT At REDF|ELD
Reports From Other Towns Indicate
Conditions But Little
Better

From all over the northwest reports
are coming in that the l. w. WIS are
attempting a terrorizing program to
ecu what farmers consider extrava-
giant demands. These fellows are ask
ing $6 per day for eight hours work, a
figure which no farmer could pay.
Trains are being seized and they ride
from m large city to another free in
spite of railroad officials. When they
can't get. what they demand they try
to force men now working to quit their
jobs and join them, and in places have
succeeded.
At Redficld last Thursday a pitched
battle was fought between 800 /. w.
WIS and $50 harvest hands.
During the ~fracas, in which perhaps
a hundred shots were exchanged, four
men were wounded, one receiving a
bullet in the back Of the head, infict-
ing a nasty wound. The other three
received minor injuries-two were shot
in the legs and one in the toe. The
man who was shot in the head was
taken to the hospital where he is re-
covering nicely.
1t seems the trouble started when
the men got off from the incoming
tlein and were approached by celega-
ties from the l. w. WIS who demanded
that they join the organization. This
the ants refused to do. About this
time somebody opened fire, which
seemed to be a signal fer a pitched
battle between the two factions. Not
only did fire arms of many sorts and
sizes come into play, but clubs, knives,
rocks, tin cans, ETC., all played their
part.
The local authorities appeared on
the scene, and under the able leader
dolph and Chief of Police Tyrell, the
deputies, joined by every citizen who
could scare up a fire arm of any de-
scription, proceeded to order both fac
lions to throw up their hands and sur
render.
The I. w. WIS were lined up and
marched to the city limits at the Mil
waukee railroad with instructions not
to return. The other bunch of ants
and harvest hands were ordered to
board the freight train which was then
standing on the track and get out of
town. Quite a number of this gang
purchased tickets and left on the pas
senger.
The little town of TLlare was the
scene of a lively time last Friday night
when a shooting scrap took place be-
tween a gang of l. w. WIS and two
negroes. One of the colored men was
badly beaten up and one of the other
fellows was shot in the chest.
A report from Madison last Friday
said:
This sections first reported violence
by members of the Industrial Workers
Of the World, is said to have occurred
early this morning on a Milwaukee
freight train, a few miles south of
Madison. Men who arrived on the
train, which came from Sioux Falls,
told that here were some forty-five
men riding in or on box cars. 1t is re-
lated that a group of the men ap-
preached several individual %harvesters,
who were riding at different points on
the train. 1t is told that the group de-
manded to know if the others carried
red cards." emblematic of member
ship to the l. w. w. 1t is declared
that when one young fellow denied
membership in the order, he was
thrown bodily to the ground, while the
IAolh vas tldSClluS at u opCCu. ~
is not known how badly the mar was
hurt.
Most of The incoming travellers took
passage on a freight train which start
ed for the north shortly after the ar
rival of the train from the south.
Madison residents who returned yes
terday from Dell Rapids, tell that the
management of the big rock quarry
located just south of Dell Rapids, this
week complained to the city authori-
ties there that a large body of men,
who claimed membership in the 1. w.
W., frightened the forty or so hands
regularly engaged in the quarry from
their work. The quarry manager said
that he paid his men from $3.50 to SO a
day. it is told, and that the strangers,
who, under threats of violence, kept
his men from work, would not them
selves accept employment.
Ortonville, Mimi, July 27.-Orton-
vile citizens took up arms today
against an invasion of more than 800
l. w. W. and before the latter had
been put to flight and driven from
town a number of shots had been fired
by both sides.
Down in the "jungles" of the city
the idlers had been accommodating for
days-virtually all ~professed I. w. w.
a~dherents. There have been some
minor difficulties experienced because
of their presence, but the trouble did
not become serious until the arrest of
one of their number for begging.
Today they thronged about the city
lookup and warned the authorities of
dire results should the incarceration OF
their member continue. Then when
little attention was paid to this small
number the /. w. W. "army" moved on
the Jail in force.
Aroused by this display Of boldness
between $50 and 400 citizens-mostly
business men-armed themselves with