Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-03-03
FOUGHT WITH A MOB.
Riot in Indianapolis Due to the
Street Car Strike.
An Attempt to Run the Cars Under POI
lice Protection Proves Unsuccessful
Savage Fights Upon the streets
"A Number Hurt
UGLY STRIKERS.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Feb %. The
crisis Of the street car strike came Sat
urday and for nearly five hours the
principal thoroughfares of the city
were in possession of a bowling, boot
ing mob, and scenes of disorder were
enacted that have never had a par
allel in this city The police
were attacked with stones and clubs,
the drivers and road officers of the
company were dragged from the cars
and beaten. the cars were overturned
upon the streets and several men were
carried wounded and bleeding from
the scene.
In one sense it was a drawn battle,
with neither side the victor, but as the
whole power of the police was exert
ed to run the cars, and this power
was insufficient, the strikers have
secured place in the fight
which encourages them to con-
tinue it and blood will doubtless flow
before the company can hope to have
peaceable possession of the streets.
The mayor is no less determined than
the strikers, and when the fight is re-
newed to-day the police will be aug
mented by hundreds of special officers
who have been sworn in.
The strike has now been in existence
since Sunday last, when the entire
street railway system was tied up
through a disagreement between
the men and President Frenzel,
of the company over the mean
Of ha
weeks ago by board of arbitration.
On Monday and each succeeding day
this week the company made feeble
effort to run its cars, but the mayor de-
clined to order the police to protect
the company, and the strikers easily
prevented the running of cars In the
meantime the business men of the city
began to complain, and all property
owners saw in the mayors action
menace to their property and business
and loud complaints were heard from
many of that class. Others, however
sympathized with the strikers and en-
couraged them to psrsevere in their
battle course
The police, finding that they could
not protect the cars, turned their at
tention to the ringleaders of the mob
and soon had dozen or more under
arrest. These were taken to the sta
ton house but were soon baiIed out by
respectable citizens and in half hour
were back in the crowd ready to lead
another attack.
Capt. Dawson was nearly felled to
the ground by an earthenwar vessel
which struck him on the head, being
thrown from an upstairs window
Such actions as these precluded all pos
sibilities of further leniency.
The closing battle of the day oc-
Cured at 1890 o'clock on South Me-
ridian street as cars 81 and 81 were
going south. The police were massed
around the cars and in greater force
than on any previous occasion, but the
mob was not in the least daunted, and
rushed to the attack as if eager for the
fray.
At signal from the leaders of the
mob hundred men surrounded the
first car and hurled it from the track.
The mules We're unhitched and turned
loose and the attack turned upon the
second car, which was also ditched.
This made eight cars that were
off the tracks, and it was useless
to attempt to bring out any more.
There were eighty three arrests dur
ing the day, and of these sixty prison
ers have been bailed out. The major
ity of those arrested were outsiders,
who had no interest whatever in the
strike b11t were aS active rs the StYilx-
ers themselves Mayor Sullivan an
nounces that he will give ample pro-
lection to-day, and that the cars will
run if there is power enough in the city
to hold the strikers in check.