New-York tribune., 1919-07-29
Three Men Severely Beaten
Before Police Gain Con-
troll of Situation and
Disperse 1000 Strikers
Foreigners Are Blamed
Sought to Keep Americans
From Going to Work in
Conduit Plant, Is Charge

HAST1NGS-O GS-ON-HUDSON, N. Y,
July 28.-Three men attempting to go
to work at the plant of the National
Conduit and Cable Company here to-day
were beaten by strikers and severely
injured. Throughout the morning the
strikers fought the police and home
guard. A shot fired into the ground
by a home guard marked the passing
of the crisis. Since then there have
been only isolated outbreaks. Seventy
five members of the sheriff's emer-
gency squad. armed with riot guns
and machine guns, are patrolling the
village tonight
The strike was called month ago
by the unskilled workers, who de-
manded 30 cents an hour instead Of
81. For more than a week virtually
no work was done at the shops, the
skilled workmen, Americans, finding
that there was nothing for them to do
when the unskined foreigners stopped
feeding material to them.
Two weeks ago the Americans de-
cided to go back to work and start
the industrial machinery going some
how. Trouble was expected, but they
We're unmolested. Last night, how
ever, the foreigners had meeting and
decided, it is said, to class the Ameri-
cans as strike breakers and frighten
them into quitting.
Before the whistle blew this morn
ing mob of nearly 1000 men, women
and children gathered at the bridge
across the railroad tracks at Washing
ton Avenue giving access to the north
factory. Seven patrolmen under Police
Cnrnp1I eel, ~
numbered. The Home Guard, whose
members carry carbines and night
sticks, came, under command of Cap
tain F. f. CrosSman, and began to clear
passageway.
The mob opposed them. Brickbats,
stones and bottles were lobbed over the
heads of the front ranks at the Home
Guards by rioters in the rear of the
mob. Those in front strove to main
tain their footing against the out
thrust clubs and carbnes, women
snatching up children and holding
them before the men as shields when
the guards exerted themselves.
1t was veXatious and harassing work.
with an even chance of broken head
for the guards In the midst Of it
word came that a similar mob was
beating up workmen at the south gate
of the plant, three quarters Of mile
away. Before the guards could get
there three men had been stretche d
out senseless. They were Robert Bull
lock, sixty years old, who had several
broken ribs and internal injuries !;
George Haynes, whose skull is thought
to be fractured, and Hugh Mclaughlin,
suffering from severe contusions.
They were taken to Dobbs Ferry
Hospital and the guards, between two
gangs of rioters, began slowly to drive
both back from the plant One of the
guards, catching sight of a striker not
ten feet away with bottle poised TO
throw at his head, fired his carbine
scattering the rioter with dirt and
gravel and sending him to the rear on
the double quick
Both mobs began to disntegrate
after that, and Sheriff Charles e.
Nossiter arrived with his emergency
squad soon after. The strikers were
driven back along Warburton Avenue
and fifteen or more arrested for spe-
cfic acts of violence and sent to
White Plains to be locked up No
work was done at the plant in the
morning, but part of the force not
on strike succeeded in getting in and
starting work in the afternoon.