Labor Conflict Turns Violent in Ballard
A shingle-weaver's dispute in Ballard leads to an aggressive confrontation between union and non-union workers.
The story, cleaned up
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During an altercation at Ballard last night between Jim Beckett, a union shingle-weaver, and L. R. Lambert, a non-union man, the latter knocked the former down with his fist. Beckett then drew a knife and, being reinforced by several union men, chased Lambert several blocks until he took refuge in Edward Hopkins' house. Hopkins came out with a shotgun and the union men gave up the chase. Merton Hawley, son of K. C. Hawley, of Ballard, was attacked last night by a crowd of union men, who beat him on the head severely.
“Hopkins came out with a shotgun and the union men gave up the chase.”
Labor disputes in 19th-century Ballard were frequently settled with fists and weapons, reflecting the intense volatility of the early timber and shingle industry. This friction between unionized workers and 'scabs' was a common feature of Seattle’s rapidly industrializing waterfront.
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