Shortly after the inauguration of the strike on the Michigan Central Railroad, the Communists, or as they call themselves, the Workingmen's Party of Illinois, assumed charge of the operating forces which went through the city, stopping the men from work at the various railroads, factories and large business places.

Mr. Schilling, a noted Communist, was in charge of one gang, and Mr. Stochle, an equally notorious member of that organization, headed the other. They received their information from headquarters located at the Vorbote office, corner of Market and Madison streets.

A Tribune reporter called at that place during the afternoon. Mr. A. R. Parsons was acting as general in chief, and Jacob Winnen and others acted as lieutenants. Every few minutes orderlies arrived, bringing information from the various mobs, and directions were returned by the same orderlies. The leaders were evidently surprised at their great success and they did not disguise their pleasure. They argued that the people were with them and that the authorities dared not oppose them. They disclaim any intention of interfering with private property or committing excesses; all they want is to right the wrongs of the working classes and release them from slavery. They were particularly strong in condemning the employment of women and children in factories and other places. The cheap work 2done by the women and children, they argued, had brought about the present state of affairs by forcing down the wages to a minimum. The leaders of the mobs were instructed to be particularly careful in turning out women and children at whatever shop they were found, and this order was obeyed to the letter.

At about three o'clock all the leaders of the party were ordered to headquarters and a meeting was held, at which the situation was fully discussed. All gave a flattering account of what had been accomplished, and all that was yet needed to crown their work with permanent success, was a thorough organization and an enrollment of all the workingmen. Committees were appointed to enlist the men, and a mass-meeting was ordered to be held on Market St. near Madison. The committees were ordered to meet for private consultation and for the formation of plans at 113 Milwaukee Ave., where an all-night session would be held.

Instructions were then sent to the mobs on the West Side, that under no circumstances should they destroy private property, nor should any man be allowed to drink; any man found drunk should be turned over to the police immediately. When the work on the West Side had been completed, instructions were sent to the West Side mobs, that they should move over to the South Side, one of the bodies to march through the freight depots at the lake front and see whether all work was stopped; and the other to go to the large boot and shoe, and other manufacturing 3houses on the South Side, and force the workingmen to quit. The first body accomplished its work quickly and then marched west on Madison St. to the Vorbote office for further instructions.

The rear end of this crowd was composed of a lot of as dirty, God forsaken looking little imps as ever blacked boots or sold newspapers, whenever they passed a fruit stand, each boy made a grab, and when they had passed, the stand was empty of apples, oranges, Peanuts, etc., and the bewildered Italian seller hardly knew what had become of his wares. The other crowd which operated among the shoe houses, met with several reverses and was finally ordered back to head-quarters, where they later dispersed.

The account of the subsequent arrest and discomfiture of some of the leaders will be found elsewhere.