The previous article, the fifth in the series, told about the immediate aftermath of the failed Pullman strike. In that, you can find a summary of th

Life Since the Baby Boom

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2024-05-06 03:30:03

The previous article, the fifth in the series, told about the immediate aftermath of the failed Pullman strike. In that, you can find a summary of the first four articles, and the story of the Governor of Illinois, John P. Altgeld, pleading with George Pullman to show some humanity and help his starving ex-employees (Pullman stiffed him). You also see the U.S. commission that investigated the strike, and how Pullman and his lieutenant Wickes were grilled and didn’t give an inch. Eugene Debs, the strike leader, goes to jail the first time, and then faces two more trials, with Clarence Darrow as his attorney.

Spoiler: Debs won. Pullman, even though he got everything he wanted, was broken by the strike and died three years later. Debs ran for President five times, and got a million votes while he was prison. Here’s the PBS documentary on him.

I thought that my previous article was going to be the last in the series, but damn, there’s just so much history there. Let’s see the fireworks in the first trial for contempt of court for the injunction. Here’s the Chicago Tribune from Sept. 27 with a clickbait headline (remember, they called him “Dictator Debs” right from the start):