Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-02

Of s, 900 was waiting outside Of the 9th avenue
car stables TO wreck the car the company was
about to send out the policemen who were TO
accompany il asked Inspector Williams, who
was commanding. what measures they were to
take il attacked by the mob. The rugged and
griZzled hero of the 'tenderloin precinct" looked
his questioner straight in the eye. Il don't want
to see any Of my policemen licked" he said.
sententiously; I'VE are here for war" And
there was war, but very brief one. when the
mob charged the car and were charged back
again. In an hour twenty cars were running
and not sign of interference was visible. And
all over the city. wherever a mob gathered, the
police scattered il; wherever the tracks were
barricaded the police made arrests. and in most
instances compelled the rioters to tear the
barricade away. IL any refused thew so. either
punch from a night stick or were run of TO
the nearest station-house. Every attempt
made to run cars was successfully carried out,
and in almost every instance where men look
ing for work were assaulted their assailants
were caught and imprisoned.
A dudish-looking young chap volunteered to
take car out Tuesday for the 4th avenue line
when drivers were scarce. He did it ''just for
the fun of the thing" he said in the Hoffman
house last night, when he was telling a circle
of admiring "Johnaies" about it, Il had a
half-pint of cocktails put up in bottle in my
top-coat pocket" said he, ''and while L was
waiting for orders TO run the car out of the
stable l took pull at the bottle now and then
TO keep my courage up. When they threw
open the doors Isaw the red and dirty faces Of
bout a million devilish mad-lookin' fellahs
right in front of me. and would have backed
out then il the policemen hadn't hit the bosses
whack that sent me spinnin' outside with the
car right into the mob. 1 only remember feel
ing for the bottle and wishing ID taken another
big nip, and l saw the coppers knocking the
fellahs right and left in dim sort
of way. l forgot all about handling the
brake and the HOSES, and the cussed
car got on the wrong switch and started
up town instead of down town, where we'd in
tended to go. The coppers swore at me little,
but let 'er go right into the tunnel, and when
l saw there weren't any of the strikers in there
L just lashed the horses into a tearin gallop.
When looked around and discovered that we
were leaving mob out o. sight felt pretty good,
and wished some of the boys could have been
there to see me. As drove out of the tunnel
and turned into AID street / began TO get ner-
vous again on account of the tough-lookin' fell
labs grouped along the curbstones, but | kept
on. looked at the cop on the platform at nv
right. and he was big fellah. and was smiling
as if he wasn't scared. The cop on my left was
little chap, though, and he acted awfully I'M
easy, and when l noticed that the biggest
crowd of toughs was on the left side of the
street l wished the coppers would change
places. At every corner / expected a mob
all. and when l saw a man with a brick leaned
back behind the big cop and prepared to dodge.
But We got to Seth street all right and finished
the bottle, and when we started back on the
down trip felt so good L didn't care a rap
whether the strikers attacked us or not. /
would have enjoyed it then if they had. and
when when We passed the fellow with the brick
again yelled at him: Drop that brick, you
dirty cadr and demme if the fellah didn't drop
it and sneak off up 69th street"
or course business has been almost at a
standstill all this week. The shopping districts
on Broadway, 9th avenue, l4th street. and 23d
street have worn a Sunday appearance. and
clerks have idled around front doors to see the
occasional cars go by and hope for good,
rousing scrimmage where they could take it all
in. Cabs stages, and the elevated railroads
have done big passenger traffic. The strike
is the most determined one vet known in New
York, as it is understood plainly that if the
strikers are beaten the Knights of Labor or
ganiZation will be a thing of the past. The
car-drivers' and conductors assemblies are
now the only remnant of this once powerful
body in New York. H. III. SoULE.