The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-01-25
STREET CAR RIOT.
A Disordetly Sunday at Bridge-
 port, Conn.
ALL BECAUSE OF A STRIKE.
A Force of New Men Arriving Provokes the Strikers, Who Are Aided by Hoodlums in Destroying
 Properyt-

 3olice were set at defiance and Q crowd of angry men ruled the town.
 The rioting was one of the results of the discharge of five employees of the Bridgeport Traction Co, and the strike which followed. About 100 employees of the company stopped work, tieing up the road. They held numerous meetings and sent a committee to the managers of the road in an effort to bring about settlement. In this they were unsuccessful
 Yesterday morning fifty men came up from Jersey City to take the places of the strikers, and it was announced that the company intended to run it's cars. The men held long consulta- ton and decided that they would not allow this. They concluded, however, to give the company another chance for settlement, and sent committee to the owners and managers of the road. They were denied an audience, the managers refusing to meet them as a committee or to give any reason for the discharge of the men. They an. nounced that they would meet the dis satisfied ones individually, but would not recognize them as an organizat ton. The men withdrew and the strikers held brief session, st which it was decided that they would not return to work and would prevent the company from running cars
 Meanwhile the company was prepar' s,,1 n -. al, nine cars were run out of the shops. They were in charge of the new men from Jersey City, the stable hands and a dozen of the old men who reported for work. The report that the cars were going to start and the strikers would try to prevent it spread rapidly through the city, and in a short time all the strikers and hundreds of sympa' thizers gathered at the main stable on Main street and along the streets through which the road runs.
 As soon as all of the strikers were in- formed of the refusal of the owners oi the road to arbitrate they proceeded to block the tracks on every street. The yards of the New York, New Haven X Hartford railroad were raided, and rail- road iron, ties, coupling pins, boxes and barrels were taken and piled on the track at various points,
 Some of the cars were moved out ot the sheds but were unable to proceed but short distance. They were sur. rounded and the crews were compelled to vacate
 The police were summoned and sev- eral cars were started with three rail. road employees and guard of three policeman.
 The crowds quickly drove the police. from the cars, together with the con. ductors and drivers. Sticks and stones were thrown, and the windows of the cars broken. Several policemen aud railroad employees were slightly in jured.
 Main street in the vicinity of the stables was the center of the trouble Here crowd of nearly 1000 gathered and encouraged the strikers The men themselves did not take such an active part as the young roughs in the crowd. The demonstration became so threat. ening an alarm was sent out from DO lice headquarters, and all the officers and specials who could be found were brought in.
 This force was stationed along the tracks and on the cars The crowds near the stables and along the road in, creased until nearly 10000 people were in the street The presence of the po- lice did not, however, deter the mol and Instructions of all kinds were piled on the tracks as fast as they were re. moved. At intervals attempts were made to move the cars and about noon several proceeded short distance iron the stable.
 At 2 o'clock car in charge of five policemen and several railroad em ployes was attacked at the corner ot Congress and Main streets Here 6 mob of about 1000 was gathered They bombarded the cars with stones breaking all the windows and injurine several of those in charge
 At Williams street in East Bridge port, 300 men and boys raided the yard of Jones & Hoffman, contractors, and oiled lumber trucks and other obstruc tions on the tracks.
 At o'clock the company got one ear, strongly guarded by police, over the entire line, but this was the only one to make the circuit during the day.
 At 6 o'clock a patrol wagon filled with police and three wagons with railroad employees left the stables to bring back wrecked car at Congress and Main streets. On arriving there they were surrounded by a mob and a lively row ensued, in which a hostler had his nose broken and another employe was badly bruised. The police and employees retreated.
 Meanwhile the mayor summoned the police commissioners, sheriff and city marshal, and conference lasting three hours was held. At the end of the meeting it was announced that the company had agreed to re-employ the strikers with the exception of nine men.
 
 ALARMING REPORT.