The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-05-27
RIOTING At PARIS.
"Blackiegs" Assaulted by Striking Stage
with thu Police.

'Blackiegs" Assaulted by Striking Stage
Drivers-Conficts with the Police.
PARIS, May 26.-The strike OF stage
drivers throughout Paris. which was begun
yesterday. continues to-day. and is causing
great excitement. Enormous crowds of
people. the majority of whom are in warm
sympathy with the strikers, surrounded
the depots of the omnibus company during
the night and this morning. and the com
pany's depOts and officers were guarded by
strong forces of police and detachments of
troops. There was no serious disturbance
last night, but rlOting was renewed early
to-day, when the stage company. assisted
several stages. The strikers pickets had
kept the main body of the discontinued
men well informed of the movement
projected, with the result that q crowd OF
the most desperate of the striking drivers
gathered at the point from which the
stages were to start. No sooner were
the stages we'll out of the depots
than they were greeted with volley upon
volley of stones. which were accompanied
by a perfect storm of shouting and ~jeering.
Though the stages were escorted by police
men the strikers watched their opportunity
and at a signal agreed upon charged furi-
ously upon the stages swept away the
police lines, dragged the "blackleg" drivers
lIOn IuclE UOAcb, pOuuucu tuou NIkOIOuSiy,
cut the traces of the horses and in several
cases overturned and seriously damaged
the stages themselves. The police aid their
best to protect the cOmpany's employees and
property, but their efforts were nearly use
less IN the face of the overwhelmingly
powerful rushes of the mob. At one time
it was thought that the troops would be
called upon to take action but the author
tiles. in view of the popular sentiment of
resentment which was aroused by the
nln~rhfar ~ fha man hU tho onldIara af
Fourmies on May day, are not expected to
order the troops to fire upon the people un-
less absolutely compelled to do so.
Popular sympathy: as already stated. IS
undoubtedly with the strikers and, in one
case, this was illustrated in a manner
somewhat disgusting to the 'blacklegs."
Two stages were stopped by the strikers at a
certain point and the horses were. as usual.
embarrassed and led away amid
When the "blackleg" drivers and conduct
ors were pulled from the sta ges the inhab-
itants of the neighboring houses. male and
female, nearly smOthered the "blacklegs"
refuse. When the 'blacklegs' finally
escaped they were in almost as filthy O coz
dition as it is possible for men to be in.
Squads of police attempted by repeated
charges upon the strikers and their sup
porters to protect the stages issuing from
the depot on the Boulevard Bourbon, but
the crowds responded by attacking and
overpowering the police. The strikers then
pulled the ''blacklegs" from the stages.
severely maltreated them. and compelled
the stages to return into the depot. The
police, later on. were reinforced and made
many arrests among the strikers who had
been prominent in the rioting.
The extent TO which the strikers enjoy the
sympathy of the Partisan public may be
juG ged from the fact that many of the news
papers of this city have opened subscrip-
tions in behalfO of strikers and their families
in order to enable the drivers to successful
" push their light with the stage company.
The strikers ask for twelve hours work per
day, and the reinstatement of drivers be-
longing to their union who have been dis
charg ed for agitatiDg this movement.
During the morning eighty additional
arrests were made. This makes the total
number of disorderly strikers now in GUS
tody reach $50. The central labor commit
tee has adopted a resolution which forbids
public conveyance companies employing
men for more than twelve hours a day.
1t is announced that the government has
decided to intervene In the strike. 1t is
added that the governments determine
tion to interfere in the strike Is solely for
the purpose of assuring convey ance for the
public, who, naturally. suffer considerably
from the total suspension of tho stage
service.
The omnibus strike tonight ended in q
victory for the strikers