Pray for the dead
and fight like hell for living.
-Mother Jones
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday April 2, 1918
Kansas City, Missouri – Lon Amos Millsap, Labor Martyr
Lon Amos Millsap, striking laundry truck driver, gave up his life in Kansas City Research Hospital on Friday March 29th. He died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The kept press claims that the strikers were rioting when they were fired upon by armed guards at the Globe Laundry. Two other strikers were injured but are expected to live.
The following articles tell of the shooting and of the death of Brother Millsap.
From The Fort Scott Tribune of March 28, 1918
-Inset added is from The Leavenworth Post of March 31, 1918:
TROOPS TO CURB STRIKE.
—–RIOTING IN KANSAS CITY STRIKE,
WHICH IS SPREADING SLOWLY.
—–THREE WOUNDED YESTERDAY
—–
Strikers Wrecked Laundries and Restaurants,
and Stoned Street Cars;
Not So Many Disorders Today.
—–
Kansas City, Mo., March 28.-The union employees of the local street railway company were instructed this afternoon by their officials to refuse to continue the operation of cars as a result of the disorders arising from the general strike in progress here, which, it was said, placed the lives of the men in jeopardy.
The men immediately began taking their cars to the barns. It was said that the entire street railway system would be tied up by tonight. About 2,500 men are affected by the order. Whether the employees of the local power plants will join in the strike movement was still in doubt this afternoon.
—–
Kansas City. March 28.-With members of the 7th regiment, Missouri National guard patrolling the down-town streets to prevent further outbreaks of disorder in connection with the general strike in progress here, comparative quiet prevailed throughout the city this afternoon.
A number of instances of stoning street cars had been reported to the police, but there had been no disorders of proportions such as occurred yesterday and last night, when a number of laundries and restaurants were wrecked by the rioters and three alleged strikers were shot and seriously wounded.
Gen. Harvey C. Clark, adjutant general of Missouri, sent here by Governor Gardner, arrived late this afternoon and took charge of the situation. General Clark at once went into conference with Mayor George Edwards. The steps to be taken were to be outlined later in the afternoon, it was understood.
Latest reports indicated that the strike was continuing to to spread slowly and in many parts of the city its effect could be plainly seen.
Victims of Yesterday’s Rioting.
Lon Millsay [Lon Amos Millsap], 32 years old, laundry driver, dangerously wounded by pistol shot.
Frank Hubert, 23 years old, shot and slightly wounded.
C. H. Pebley, shot in left wrist; not dangerous.
Frank Hubert, 23 years old, was shot in the shoulder and Alonzo Millsap [Lon Amos Millsap], 32 years old, a driver for the Dunlap laundry company, probably fatally wounded yesterday when armed guards at the Globe laundry, 912 East Fifteenth street, fired on a crowd of strikers who were attacking the building with stones. The trouble started when two girls who were picketing the laundry, declared that one of the guards insulted the American flag she had planted before the door. A crowd of about 400 strikers and sympathizers gathered.
Several stones were thrown through the front windows of the building and a riot call was sent to the Nineteenth street police station. A crowd of about twenty-five strikers approached the rear of the building and broke the windows with stones and pieces of brick from the alley. One of the guards crouched behind the window still on the second floor and fired into the attackers, wounding Hubert. He was carried up the alley and a mob of strikers again attacked the rear of the Globe building. The guards fired a fusilade of shots, wounding Millsap in the groin.
Hubert and Millsap were taken to the Research hospital in a private motor car; Millsap is not expected to live.
———-
[Inset added is from The Leavenworth Post of March 31st.]
From the Leavenworth Times of March 31, 1918:
INDICT 24 K. C, STRIKE RIOTERS
—–
Are Technically Charged With “Unlawful Assembly”
Punishable by Prison Term.
—–SITUATION IS UNCHANGED
—–Kansas City, March 30-Twenty men and four women were indicted by the Jackson county grand jury late today for alleged participation in one of the riots growing out of the general strike in progress here.
The technical charge upon which they were indicted was “unlawful assembly” and carries with it a jail sentence. They are accused of having been involved in a riot at a cafeteria yesterday.
The general strike situation showed no decided change tonight.
Conferences looking toward a settlement of the dispute were begun late this afternoon and arrangements were being made to continue them tomorrow morning. Especial attention was being given to the conference of independent employers and ad editors of three newspapers called by P. J. Gill and Luther Steward, federal conciliators, with a view, it was understood, of creating a body before which both sides might appear.
One improvement as far as the general public was concerned, was the partial restoration of street car service. Cars guarded by police and in a few instances, by national guardsmen, were operated on nine of the larger lines, and were well filled with passengers all day. No attempts at interference were reported. The cars were withdrawn tonight.
W. D. Mahon of Detroit, president of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employes, arrived today and went into conference with officials of the local street car men’s union. He said he had come to investigate charges by Col. P. J. Kealy, president of the street railway company, that the men broke their contract by joining the strike movement.
The first death in connection with the general strike was reported late today. It was that of Alonzo A. Millsap, a striking laundry driver, who was shot during a riot at a laundry plant.
The Laundry Employers’ Association announced late tonight that it would take no part in the conference called for tomorrow morning by federal mediators. The laundry heads declared they had nothing to arbitrate and the they would never recognize the union.
———-
From The New York Times of March 31, 1918:
KANSAS CITY RIOTERS UNDER INDICTMENT
—–
4 Women and 20 Men Charged with
Unlawful Assembly-First Death
as Result of Strike.
—–KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 30.-The Jackson County Grand Jury returned indictments today charging twenty men and four women with “unlawful assembly,” in connection with riots growing out of the general strike in progress here. The defendants are charged specifically with participation in a riot at a cafeteria here yesterday.
The general strike situation showed no change tonight. Conferences looking toward a settlement were begun late this afternoon and arrangements were being made to continue them tomorrow.
One improvement, as far as the general public was concerned, was the partial restoration of street car service. Cars guarded by police and National Guardsmen were operated on nine of the large lines, and were well filled with passengers all day. No attempts at interference were reported. The cars were withdrawn tonight.
The first death in connection with the strike was reported late today. Alonzo A. Millsap, a striking laundry driver, shot during a riot at a laundry plant, died at a hospital.
—–
WASHINGTON, March 30.-Politics incident to a coming city election are hindering efforts for a settlement of the strike at Kansas City, the Department of Labor was advised today by Federal Conciliator Gill.
———-
SOURCES & IMAGES
Missouri Death Certificate
Lon Amos Millsap – Deceased
March 29, 1918 Jackson 9270
https://s1.sos.mo.gov/records/Archives/ArchivesMvc/DeathCertificates
Findagrave
Lon Amos Millsap, 1885-1918
Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri,
Burial: Mount Washington Cemetery
Independence, Jackson County, Missouri
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78291798/lon-amos-millsap
The Fort Scott Tribune
(Fort Scott, Kansas)
-Mar 28, 1918
https://www.newspapers.com/image/59765308/
The Leavenworth Post
(Leavenworth, Kansas)
-Mar 31, 1918
https://www.newspapers.com/image/109943481/
Leavenworth Times
(Leavenworth, Kansas)
-Mar 31, 1918
https://www.newspapers.com/image/76969514/
The New York Times
(New York, New York)
-Mar 31, 1918, page 10
From NYT archives.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/20470343/
See also:
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday March 28, 1918
Kansas City, Missouri – General Strike Is Spreading
General Strike In Kansas City Now Underway in Sympathy with Striking Laundry Workers
Laundry striker Alonzo Millsap died of his wounds at Research Hospital this morning. He was shot by Globe Laundry private guards on the 27th through the abdomen. Labor leaders are planning a large funeral
#KCGS1918 https://t.co/l0gvKn05Eu
— Kansas City 1918 (@Jeff_Stilley) March 30, 2018
Stilley Sociology re Kansas City GS 1918
https://stilleysociology.wordpress.com/
Kansas Citian Vol 7
Chamber of Commerce of Grtr KC, 1918
https://books.google.com/books?id=GiVJAQAAMAAJ
Edition of April 2, 1918 – “The Chamber and the Strike Situation”
-gives names of Federal mediators: Luther C. Steward & Patrick Gill
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=GiVJAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA264
Annual Report of the Secretary of Labor for 1918
Report of the Secretary of Labor and Reports of Bureaus
-by United States. Dept. of Labor
U.S. Government Printing Office, 1919
https://books.google.com/books?id=eYhIAAAAYAAJ
Page 72:
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=eYhIAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA72
“Statement showing number of labor disputes handled by the Department of Labor through its commissioners of conciliation from July 1, 1917, to June 30, 1918 — Continued.”
Shows Kansas City laundry strike and sympathetic strike under month of February:
-Strike, laundry workers, Kansas City, Mo:
Commissioners of Conciliation: P. F. Gill and L. C. Steward
Workmen affected: 1400 directly and 1000
-General sympathetic strike, Kansas City, Mo.
Same commissioners.
Workmen affected: 15,000 directly and 60,000 indirectly.
States this strike was “adjusted,” adjusted in whose favor is a questioned not answered by the report.
WE NEVER FORGET – Lon Amos Millsap, Labor Martyr