An Unequal Clash An Unequal Clash 135 suspected ship to find out the engineer's name. They duly passed along the identity to the appropriate local who then hunted down the offender for interrogation and punishment.63 Violence on both sides featured heavily in the strike despite pleas by union leadership to maintain the public's support.64 Assaults, robberies, and brawls along picket lines began when the strike started. Strikers threw stones at boats crewed by strike-breakers, private security killed union men in Superior and Cleveland, and clashes happened as non-union men were brought to the docks. Among the most violent of encounters came in Detroit on 19 July as the chief engineer of a non-union ship shot two union men who were threatening him. Authorities quickly accepted his claim of self-defence and exonerated him of liability.65 A dock company operative reported that sailors now considered even more extreme measures to prevent scabs: "I spoke to a bunch of firemen at the Main Street Bridge, I asked them how it was coming and they said…they will fix the scabs even if they had to put dynamite in the bunkers, it might [do] well to pay 63 Operative Report, 21 May 1909, Box 4, OWPDC-BGSU. 64 Edward Stack statement, 4 May 1909, Box 2, Folder: MFOWBA, 1909, ISU-DPL. 65 "Kill Two Union Men," DFP, 18 July 1909. The 1902 built Frank T. Heffelfinger, sailing as a grain carrier for the Peavey Company, escaped a possible sabotage attack during the 1909 strike. (Thunder Bay Research Collection, Alpena County Public Library)