The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-09-05
TILE STREET CAR STRIKE.
Lively Experiences Y.strrdny-1he scsnca
Along tho Lins-Statsments from Both

Sides. 4.l 1.F } :
There was a small sized riot on the
South Side. yesterday, growing out OF
the street car strike, although It must be
said that tho strikers had nothing to do
With it, and were In no way to blame.
Shortly after noon, Michael Lotus, IT,,
and o %non.union conductor took an open
car around the loop. When a point
near the d. 4 0. crossing ut Thirty.sec.
street WA reached on tho down trip,
the track was found 10 be blockaded. A
crowd OF boys ranging from six to six.
teen years had gotten a lot OF rail.
road ties and spiked them together and
fastened them TO the track.
The gang Of boys was on hand 10 hoot
at tho men on tho car, and when
tho car came to a standstill on the
b. 4 0. Railroad tracks immedi.
ately surrounded 1t. Tho gate keeper
at the crosaing asked that the car be
moved oil the track, and by putting on
all the power the operator succeeded In
getting 1t oil the crossing. The non were
afraid TO get oil among the crowd to re-.
move the obstacle, and in trying to push
1t of with tho car, the car was derailed
md ran of upon the brick pavement.
by that time the hoo,ing and yell.
ing had excited tho men, boys
'nd' girls III the Wheeling Pottery.
and they all knocked oil TO come out and
see the row, and some OF the boys aud
girls 10 take part in It. About the time
the pottery shut down, a farmer came
along with about two bushels OF toma.
toes In his wagon. The crowd blocked
tho street and he could not pass, and In
a minute the boys were aneakiug the
tomatoes from his wapon. Seeing that
they could not well ba protected. nnu
being on his way home, he told the boys
10 help themselves, and in two minutes
the men on the car were bombarded
with ripe tomatoes.
In q few minutes both men were
soaked from head to foot with tomato
juice, tho boys and girls throwing with
such good aim .as to seldom mias the
mark.
About the time the row was at its
height, Chief Of Police Delbrugge, who
had been sent for, arrived upon the
scene. He triedto quell tho disturbance,
but was powerless ", do more THAI take
a revolver from Michael Loftus, jr.
The Chief was struck by several 10.
matoes,S and was otherwise mistreated.
LOTUS aud the conductor. finally aban.
doned the car, and tho boys took pos.
session. They rang the bells, pulled up
half a thousand fares on the register, and
had fun with that car for half an hour.
Later, with the aid Of the police, the
car WAS gotten to the burn, the operator
and conductor going ahead to take the
distractions from the track. -
While the excitement was on ut the
crossing the strikers were all at a meet.
ing in Trades Assembly hall, and not a
ribbon badge was seen in the crowd.
Tho women and boys did all the work,
the men standing back and watching the
fun.
Later In the evening Superintendent
Lotus aud four non.union men went
down on a car. Their first trouble was
at I wenty.seventh street, where tin cans
on etrinSs had been thrown over the
trolley wires 80 Us to knock the trolleys
of: When the Thirty.seconl street
railroad crossing wa reached they found
The tracks b!ockadsd, and q mob OF 200
boys and women waiting for the car.
There we're . number Of men in the
crowd, but It Is asserted thai they took
no part, and that several Of them tried
TO induce the women and boys to desist.
Their efforts were uuavailing, however,
and after the obstruction wac removed,
the boys and wDpea threw stopea sud
sticks At the men on the car, and come
OF the wonen appealed to the men
standing by to pull the men from the
car.
IS soon as the main obstruction was
removed, the boys ran along with the
car, putting sticks in the wheels aud
stones on the track, till the car seemed
10 be getting away from them, when
some one pulled J half brick from the
pavement and threw it at the Gas. This
signal brought Il volley OF bricks and
stones, and Mr.. Lotus and the men were
kept busy lodging till the car turned
out OF Thirty.third street into Eof. On
the straight TRACK tho car soon outran
the crowd and vas safely landed in the
barn.
There were several other efforts made
to stop the cars, and at one place a rock
was thrown through the yentilator win.
doEsalong the top Of . ear, emashing it
to pieces. All along the line the boys
yelled, "Bahl bah scab" and similar
epitheta at the mon on tho CARS, and
made lie generally burdensome Tor
them. A crowd Of two hundred boys,
Girls and women formed a solid mass
acroaa Ecl strept be,oW the car barn.
and followed ont conductor nearly 10
the creek, hooting and yelling at him,
and throwing emall stones. The man
was not hurt, but was very much alarm:
ed, and finally broke into'a run.
At lie meeting yesterday afternoon,
the strikers adopted 6 resolution calling
for nil their members to wear a bunch
Of psrrow red, white and blue ribbon, 80
they might DO distinguished, and 80
that they could pot be mixed up With
the crowds that are doing violence to
the company's property. They also ash,
II any man wearing the badge be found
doing violence to the company's prop.
etty or mpa, that he be nailed on the
spot and aa investigation W to Ehelhey
be is a striker made,
The union also adopted a resolution
deprecating the disorder and asking
their friends not to engage in such de.
Ron6trations, but to use their influence
to prevent others from earryipgron aa
was done yesterday.
The Conference Committee of the
strikers holds Itself in readiness to meet
the directors OF the road, but it is not
their intention to ask another confer
ence.
Alrnmor was current yesterday that
tho company would diomiep Sgperiptea-
dent LOTUS, and that the man to take
bis place had been hired. When the
rumor was received in the strikers
meeting they almost went wild, and
cheered and threw their hats to the
ceiling. 4 motion was made to detail
members 10 60 down along tho line aud
assist in preserving order, and it was
decided to do this il there are signs to.
day Of a repetition OF yesterdays dis.
order.
The iNTELLlaEScER reporter yesterday