Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-10
The Club in Action.
A Day of Brawls on the Chicago
Street Car Lines.
FORCE MET PROMPTLY BY FORCE.

The Progress of Street Cars Blocked by
Distractions and Broken Heads Result
West Side Lines Idle and Small Riot to
Begin with-One Resisting kioter Gath
cred Ina Number of Arrests-E1cite-
ment Increasing and Trouble Ahead.
CHICAGO, Oct. l0-The fourth day of the
street car strike closed with a record Of sew
eral minor brawls and one serious collision
between the police and the crowd, in which
several heads were broken. The feeling last
night was not as goodtempered as it had
been, and unless there are some quoting in
fiuences set to work it is probable that the
tumultuogs scenes of four years ago may be
repeated before the strike has continued
much longer The action of the railway Off
cias in attempting to start the ears on the
west side was, of course the cause of the
troubles there, and though it is said that the
company had announced positively that it
would not attempt to run cars on the west
side until the north side trouble was over,
which announcement when diSregarded an
gered the strikers, there is no reason to be-
lieve trouble would have been ayerted at
whatever time the attempt to start the cars
had been made
The conference Monday night between Mr.
Yerkes, Mayor Roche, aud the west side and
north side strikers committee resulted in
Mr. Ierkes making very considerable CON
cessions; he offered to increase the wages,
but not TO the extent demanded, aud to grant
several Vf the demands Of tue men as to time,
etc but his offer was almost contemporary
elected 10y the strikers meeting, The con-
sequence was ~tie up" on the west side,
leaving about 5o0,00O people, in all, to de-
pend on walking or the innumerable "arks"
that are helng dug up from all parts of the
city, to got down town
When the west side company determined
to try to run few cars yesterday afternoon
some half doz,u cars were manned with
new men, ami started out of the barns The
news that this step had been taken spread
Ike Id fire over the north and south divis-
ions and the excitement among the strikers
ant the unemployed that crowded the streets
was iniausd 60 fever head. At every cross
ing along the route of two miles or more
large crowds ha assembled and the APP
pearance OF sta cars, with their loads of po-
lice officers was the signal for a tempest of
| groans, - ses and shouts of "Scabp
"Shame!" and "Ratsl" But the officers,
much TO their credit, bore the attacks with
| equanmity, aud simply smiled at the exas-
| peratei crowds.
| At Fifth avenue and Madison street, where
| the cars were brought to a halt by block
| ade Of vehicles in front, about POO newsboys
| took up the strain of their elders and hurled
| imprecaJiOns at the conductors and drivers,
/ one dimiuutive urchin in knickerhockers
not more than 10 years old, going so far as to
| step upon the front platform of the forward
car and shake a bundle of papers under the
! drivers nose. A blue coat promptly took
| him by the collar and landed him in the
| police wagon, and the action had 50 Salutary
an effect that the rest of the Journey was
made in comparative peace.
! When the cars had reached the Western
avenue barns on the return trip, however,
the trouble was resumed Several hundred
strikers and their adherents had congregated
in the locality, and Superintendent Maggie
who stood at the barn doors ready to give
admission to the cars, was singled out as thu
especial object of their wrath. Seeming
| danger he rang up the police box for the
police, but he had hardly done SO befor,
| Jack Gleason, a heavy, muscular switchmaI
on the Northwestern road, sprang forward
and struck him a severe blow in the face
telling him to the ground. This was thu
signal for general rush of the strikers t,
the barn, and a riot seemed imminent. For
tupately at this moment Capt Aldrich witt
detachment Of police appeared on tn
scene, and G.esson, meanwhile fighting lk
tiger, was dragged into the barn, tn
officers clubbing him at every step
Meanwhile the crowd had retreated to
safe distance Upon the arrival of the pa
troll wagon Gleeson, still biting, kicking am
fighting, was dragged into it and hurrie
away to the police station. # took the CON
bined force of TIE entire wagon load of off
GERS to hold him down. Il was half an hou
later before Superintendent Maggie venture
to emerge from the barn in his buggy, bu
the strikers were waiting FOR him and stone
fell as thick as snowilakes about him and hi
vehicle as he rapidly drove away.