Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-06-03


Employes-Carriages Demolished and
"Black1egs" Roughly Handled-Un-
successful Efforts of the Police to
Oueu the OutbreaI-Army Protec tion
Refused.
PARIS, May 26.-The strike of stage
drivers throughout Paris, which was
begun Yesterday, continues to-day and
is causing great excitement in this city.
Enormous crowds Of people, the ma
iority Of whom are in warm sympathy
with the strikers, surround the depots
of the omnibus company. During the
night and this morning the company's
depots and offices were guarded by
strong forces of police and attachments
of troops. There was no serious
disturbance last nj ght, but rioting was
renewed early to-day, when the stage
company, assisted by police, made an
endeavor to run several stages. The
strikers pickets had kept the main body
of the disconnected men well informed
of the movement rejected, with the re-
suit that crowd of the most desperate
of the striking drivers gathered at the
point from which 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 with perfect storm
of hooting and jeering. Though the
stages were escorted by policemen, the
strikers watched their opportunity, and,
at signal agreed upon, charged furious
ly upon the stages, swept away the po-
lice lines, dragged the ''blackleg" driv-
ers from their boxes, pounded them
vigorously, cut the traces Of the horses
and, in several cases, overturned and
seriously damaged the stages them
selves.
The police did their best to protect
the company's employees and property,
but their efforts were nearly useless, IN
the face of the overwhelmingly power
full rushes of the mob. At one time it
was thought that troops would be called
upon to take action, but the authorities.
in view Of the popular sentiment Of re-
sentiment which was aroused Dy the
slaughter of the men by the soldiers at
Fourmies on May Day, are not expect
ed to order the troops to fire upon the
people unless absolutely compelled to
do so. Numbers Of stages are standing
deserted in the streets, blocking the
traffic and showing how we'll the strik-
ers are holding their own.
Popular sympathy is undoubtedly
with the strikers, and in one case this
was illustrated in manner somewhat
disgusting to the "blacklegs." Two
stages were stopped by the strikers at
certain point, and the horses were as
usual embarrassed and led away amid
the ieers Of the crowd who witnessed
the onslaught Of the strikers. When
the "blackleg'' drivers and conductors
were pulled from the stages the inhab-
itants of the neighboring houses, male
and female, nearly smothered the
"blacklegs" with showers of dirty wa
ter, filth and refuse. When the ''black
legs finally escaped they were in al
most as filthy a condition as it is posi-
BILE for men to be in.
Squads of police attempted, by repeat
ed charges upon the strikers and their
supporters, to protect the stages issuing
from the depot on the Boulevard Bour-
don, but the crowds responded by at
lacking and Oyerpowerlng the police.
The strikers then pulled the black
legs'' from the stages, severely maltreat-
ed them, and compelled the stages to
return into the depot. The police later
on were reinforced and made many ar
res CS among lllo SlrlheIS WHO udu OCcu
prominent in the rioting.
The stage Company asked M. De
Freycinet, president of the Council, and
the minister Of war, to allow troops to
take the places of the com panv's drivers,
and to permit the company to run
stages loaded with soldiers through the
streets of Paris. NJ. De Freycinet re-
fused the company's request. The lat
ter then sent some Of its officials to the
Hotel De Vile and requested the Mu-
nicipal Council to intervene in behalf of
the company. After some deliberation
the Municipal Council consented to
formally receive and hear the COM
plants of the stage company's officers
this afternoon.
The extent to which the strikers en-
Joy the sympathy of the Partisan public
may be judged from the fact that many
Of the newspapers Of this city have
opened subscriptions in behalf of the
strikers and their families in order to
enable the drivers to succe ssfully push
their fight with the stage company.
The strikers ask for twelve hours work
per day and the reinstatement of driv-
ers belonging TO their union who have
been discharged for agitating this move
ment.