'Tramps Terror' revolver

Way back in 1877 USA there was yet another depression that resulted in mass unemployment, wage-cuts and strike action - which sparked rioting and protest hunger marches.

 The rail-road barons and other corporate and Wall Street financiers of-course responded in a typical "Free Market" manner by sending in well armed private 'company police forces' with orders to shoot and get rid of any of the hungry lower classes who might dare to interfere with their (rolling) stock.

One Chicago business - The Western Gun Works - took this 1877 opportunity to market their small seven shot .22" revolver for "Police, Bankers, and Household use." as the TRAMPS TERROR

The urban immigrant proletariat were at this time labelled as "Un-American, communists, tramps, 'Molly Maguires', atheists, and assassins"

The Philadelphia Inquirer trumpeted  that public authority should ".. club it to death at the hands of the police or shoot it to death at the hands of the militia." - Get your Tramps Terror here.

Molly Maguire 'Coffin Notice' threatening a 'boss'

There's a good Wikipedia page on the Molly Maguires.

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- Sounds to me very similar to New Zealands "wharfie-whammer" club swinging farmers galloping through the streets of Auckland in 1951 to put-down striking dock workers - who were curtailing their farm export profits.

1951 Union March

 Funny enough, but when the five month long NZ "wharfies" strike collapsed under extreme emergency laws - the British ship owners posted record profits for that years operations!

- Nothing much changes eh.

Marty K.