Year: 1877

overcome without bloodshed and the leaders
are all lying in jail. For this result the people
are duly thankful and willing to bestow q
proper amount of praise, but there is dispo-
sition on the part of some of the heroes" to
exact too much in the way of public graft
tude. The fact is,


| THE POLICE FORCE OF THE CITY


deserves all the praise, and the civilians who
turned themselves into soldiers for three
days campaign, are entitled to only thanks
/ for what they might have done In case of
conflict st. Louis has one of the best police
corps in the Union, commanded by expert
enced and capable officers, and, as intimated
in previous letter, there was no period dur
ing the entire troubles when the outbreak
could not have been quelled by the police.
The members of the force and it's officers all
realized this, but the civic officials. who are
given control of the police, lacked courage.
The citizens were urged to enroll them
selves into companies and regiments,
and meantime the police were Or
dered to do nothing to 'sinfame the
strikers Citizens responded promptly to
the CALL but the work Of organization pro-
gressed slowly. In many instances jealousies
and chickering's arose from the desire of too
many to hold the official positions, limiting
the privates to number too small to be eff
cient. But these difficulties were gotten over
in day or two and last Thursday night the
military organization was pronounced by
the Committee of Safety ready to make for
ward movement. The Mayor at once issued
proclamation, the tone of which was in
marked contrast with his former official utter
ances. He planted himself squarely upon law
and order, and warned the mob that any
further interference with the business, of
others would be met with immediate arrest
and punishment.


| Meantime the rioters had formed them
| selves into companies and were engaged in
enrolling recruits at their headquarters in
Schuler's hall, corner of Fifth and Riddle
streets. About 10 o'clock Friday, a confer
| ence of the civil authorities and the Commit
| tee of Safety was held, and it was decided to
| at once


| TAKE THE AGGRESSIVE,


and put summary end to the riotous demon
strations. Orders were issued for ten COM
panies of the citizen soldiery to be ready to
move at O'clock and details of mounted and
foot police were ordered to accompany them





of the intended attack upon their headquar-
| ters. and few of them endeavored
| to organize a force to resist, but
the effort proved fruitiess. Your cor
respondent was in their hall and
even in their committee rooms when the
| attack was momentarily expected, and it was
evident they would surrender without blow
They had no arms, except such clubs and
sticks as had been gathered in their raids on
factories, and the leaders were utterly def
cient in courage. Besides this large numbers
had abandoned the hall to save themselves
when they learned what the authorities con-
templated. Some talked of fighting, but the
majority agreed to submit to arrest,


THREATENING TO AvENGE THE "oUTRAGE' " BY
BURNING THE CITY AFTERWARDS,
At o'clock the advancing column drew up
within less than two blocks of the hall. The
streets for squares in every direction were
packed with men, most of whom had gath
cred there out Of curiosity. The troops, all
volunteers from among the citizens, remained
in position in the middle of Fifth street, and
the police, consisting of thirty mounted and
sixty-fve on foot, advanced. The dismounted
detachment drew UP in front of the entrance
to the hall, and squad led by Capt. Lee
rushed up the stairs. At the same time the
mounted police charged the crowds, riding
down the sidewalks, and in ten minutes the
nsurrection was put down and


THE LEADERS,


together with sixty or seventy of the rank
and file, were prisoners. One man attempted
to prevent the police from entering the hail.
but single blow with club settled him and
the war was over. This man bled little
from a cut in his head, but was able to take
his place among the ranks of the prisoners
and march to jail.


There was general apprehension that the
scattered forces of the Internationalists
would rally in squads all over the city that
night, and adopt the incendiary torch as a
means Of revenge, and every precaution was
taken to protect property; life was no longer
in danger. The volunteers were distributed all
over the city, and every public building was
occupied by troops. But all these fears
proved groundless.


A more quiet night was never witnessed in
the city. The streets were deserted, compar-
atively; people evidently preferring to re-
main at home. The Internationalsts had an
nounced public meetings for three different
pOlnts-one in the northern and one in the
southern and one in the central portion of the
city, but no attempt was made to hold either.
At each of the designated places small crowd
gathered, more out of curiosity, no doubt,
than from any other feeling, but small squad
of police met with


NO DIFFICULTY IN DISPENSING THEM.
In fact everything was remarkably quiet
and has been ever since, with the ex-
ception of Tuesday afternoon, when
all the military organizations joined in a
grand parade just to show what military force
could be organized within few days in a case
of emergency About 1000 men We're in line,
and they presented very formidable appear
ance armed with Remington and Springfield |
rifles.


The fact of the matter is,
THE STRIKE IN ST. LOUIS WAS SIMPLY BIG


BLUFF.