Embedded Files
South River's small police force was probably overwhelmed by the strike.
On March 28th, a Sherman Agency guard, John Kelly, was attacked with a thrown broken bottle outside of "secret" meeting of strikers being held at the hall of the American Hotel on Reid Street. (The headline [LEFT] suggesting it was the "strike headquarters" probably referring to the Embroiderers union office at 1 Reid Street [BELOW] ).
The local newspaper called this incidence a "riot" although the article itself says that police arrived on the scene almost immediately:
"By the time police arrived the news of the attack was carried to the strikers and they rushed to the scene like so many mad men. But they were met by the police and quieted down and kept a safe distance."
The detective agency later claimed the guard was not spying on the meeting but was simply "on a stroll" on his way to going on duty at the factory. (The Sherman guards were living in South River at the time - unknown where - local hotels, boarding houses or H-A owned cottages).
April 6, 1917 Home News noted that Frederick Busch (Bush), an embroiderer, was “brutally attacked” by a number of strikers while walking to work one morning from his home to the plant. The paper suggested that strikers may have mistaken him for a guard. An April 28th Daily Home News article mentions a second, unnamed stitcher had also been attacked recently.
On the evening of April 22rd, The Home News reported that Captain Stephen Bennett of Brooklyn, NY was recovering from injuries in a
fight with striking workers - "waylaid, beaten and nearly killed by strikers after he left the plant (for the night)" for the Whetherill's (sic) boarding house."Captain Bennett was in a critical condition last night and little hopes are entertained for his recovery." ---May 1st The Daily Home News
Bennett also worked for the Sherman Detective Agency of New York City which patrolled the company, and would not die, but was sent home to Brooklyn to recover.
Eleven special deputies (referred to as "special uniformed police" in some reports) from Elizabeth, Newark, Jersey City and Hoboken had been sworn in as by Mayor John Fee on April 28th. These men were in addition to the unknown number of private guards of the Sherman Agency, hired by Herrmann, Aukam & Co.
By May 12 the strikers in South River were no longer "wandering" the town but are "well organized" with picketing starting a half-hour before the plant opened and continuing until closing at night.
During a Borough Council meeting on May 15, citizens complained about violence perpetrated by the Sherman guards. Members of the Polish Citizens Club claimed that the guards had attacked several of their members with clubs, non-strikers who worked at the "powder mill" - one man, "Mr. Chadowitch", was clubbed while walking along Whitehead Ave. after work at 8 am when he asked a guard if there wasn't enough room on the walk for both of them and was then struck by the guard.
CALLING THE CHRISTIAN BLUFF John Sloan 1914
In another instance, according to the assistant priest at the Polish Roman Catholic Church a Sherman guard with a club broke up a group of men gathered in front of the building before services.
NEXT PAGE >>> THE "STRIKE RIOT"
SEE ALSO >>> SHERMAN DETECTIVE AGENCY
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