Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-09
NIGHT OF RIOT
AND LOOTING AT
YOUNGSTOWN, 0.
Mob Of Strikers Burns Business Por.
tion of Mill Suburb, Causing
a Loss of One Million
Dollars.
ONE DEAD, HUNDRED INJURED
Three Regiments of Militia Rushed
to Town and it is Compare.
lively Quiet.
FIGHT STARTS NEAR STEEL MILL

YOUNGSTOWN, O.. Jan. s.
Fearing new outbreak of rioting
this morning, when a crowd of strike
sympathizers gathered on the hill
opposite the Youngstown Sheet and
Tube company plant, Brigadier Cen
eral John c. Speaks ordered four
Cleveland militia companies of tho
Fifth regiment to the strike scene.
Two companies marched into the
plant to reinforce 100 strike guards
and the other two companies pa
trolled the opposite hill to prevent
mob organizing. Operations at the
mill are entirely suspended today
and no attempt was made to oper-
ate It.
Three hundred office employees
are marooned in the plant, where
they spent the night for safety and
to keep fires going.
With three regiments patrolling the
smouldcring ruins Of the village
OF East Youngstown or encamped
in the mills nearby. the civic
and military authorities here today
expressed the belief that for the
present at least, an end has been put to
the wild scene OF rioting and lootings
which marked last night and left the
thriving little city mass OF embers. One
life is known TO have been lost, fully ten
blocks of the town, including the entire
business section, were burned and several
thousands of people were driven from
ha r,Ia ,N
less than sl.OOo.OOO,
Physiclans who were called to look
after the wounded placed the number at
100, although only fifteen had been
brought to hospitals here. While the ma
jority had been shot. there were many
wounds from knives.
There was no liquor question TO settle
In East YOUNGSTOWN today. for of tho
twenty saloons all but two had been
burned and those had been looted.
Demands of strikers.
! Two weeks ago laborers OF tho Repub-
lio Iron and Steel company struck for an
Increase of wages from 1915 to 25 cents
an hour The Youngstown Sheet and
Tube company offered them 221s cents an
hour Immediately after the United States
Steel cooperation had announced its in-
crease Of 10 per cent for laborers. This
was rejected by the workers and the
strike has since been in progress. Reports
today arc prevalent that strikebreakers
had been imported. which precipitated
the trouble.
The trouble began late yesterday. when
the day shift at the plant Of the Youngs-
town Sheet and Tube company quit for
the day. The plant Is located on the
flats OF the Mahoning river. several hun-
dred feet from the hillside on which is
built East Youngstown. where most OF
tho worlImen live. The mills are reached
from the town by high bridge. spanning
tho railroad yards This bridge has been
carefully guarded by private watchmen
since the laborers at the plant several
days ago Joined the laborers OF the Re-
public Iron and Steel company and other
mills for an advance of 25 cents a day.
A crowd of men and women estimated
at 200 had gathered at the East Youngs-
town end OF the bridge and ieered the
workmen as they crossed. Suddenly a
shot was fired and guards, taking this as
a signal fired over the heads of the
crowd The mob replied and another vol-
ley came. A number OF persons. incud-
ing two women. fell 10 the ground and
the mob broke and ran up the hillside.
block away they reformed and almost
Immediately set fire 10 the building oc-
cupied by the tube oompany's employs
ment bureau. A little later they fired a
small warehouse and then turned their
attention to private property.
saloon Looted and Fired.
saloon stood on the corner and q
rush was made for the door. A shouting
crowd quickly looted the place and then
a match was applied. A clothing store
nearby was next entered and the stock
( passed out to the constantly growing
crowd In the street by those inside. When
the looting was finished the place was
fired
| BY this time the mob was in a frenzy
Continued on Page Two, Column TwoA