Ambushed on the City Dock: How Union Sailors Ran Off a Ship Owners' Agent

The story of the treatment received by Hawkins, former agent of the Ship Owners' Association, at the hands of the union sailors, is thus told by a sympathizer of the shippers' association: Hawkins was at the time filling the position now held by Capt. Garrison, secretary of the association, and as he felt the need of protection he secured from the mayor permission to carry a revolver, as Wright and Newman have done. He chose an enormous weapon, which looked to be a whole arsenal in itself, but it did not do him any good. One day Hawkins was walking along the City Dock, where, it is said, he was approached by Glynn, who said:

"Say Hawkins, have you got the gun with you?"

"That's what I have," was the answer, "and I'll use it too."

"Well, I don't believe you've got it."

Hawkins was perfectly willing to show how well armed he was, and drew the revolver from his hip pocket. The story goes that Glynn, quick as a cat, grabbed the weapon and at the same instant three burly sailors sprang from behind a building, set upon Hawkins, knocked him in the face and gave him such an unmerciful beating that he barely escaped with his life. Three weeks later Hawkins' face resembled anything but that of a human being, and after six weeks, when he was first able to stir out of doors, he was glad enough to resign.