The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-01-26
CONNECTICUT RIOT.


The staid Old sNutmee" state Experienced
a Sunday Riot-Street Car Strike NJ
bridgeport.
BRIpGEPoRT, Conn, Jan. 22.-Yester.
day was one of the most exciting il the
history of the city of Bridgeport All
day excited crowds thronged the
streets and mob law prevailed. The
police were set at defiance and 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 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 its
cars. The mer held long consulta-
tion 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
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 organization.
The men withdrew and the strikers
held brief session, at which it was
decided that they would not return to
work and would prevent the company
from running cars
Meanwhile the company was prepar-
ing to start service, and at o'clock
nine cars were run out of the shops.
AS soon as all of the strikers were in
formed of the refusal of the owners of
the road to arbitrate they proceeded to
block the tracks on every street. The
yards of the New York, New Haven &
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 of
the sheds, but were unable to proceed
but n short distance. They were sur
rounded and the crews were compelled
to vacate.
The police were summoned and sew
eral cars were started with three rail-
road employees and guard of three
policeman.
The crowds quickly drove the police
e. hA
ductors and drivers. Sticks and stones
were thrown, and the windows of the
cars broken. Several policemen and
railroad employees were slightly in
jured.
AT o'clock car in charge of five
policemen and several railroad em-
ployes was attacked at the corner of
Congress and Main streets. Here a
mob of about 1000 was gathered.
they bombarded the cars with stones,
breaking all the windows and injuring
several of those in charge
At Williams street in East Bridge
port, 500 men and boys raided the yard
of Jones & Hoffman, contractors, and
piled lumber trucks and other obstruc-
tions on the tracks.
At o'clock a patrol wagon filled
with police and three wagons with
railroad employees left the stables to
bring back a wrecked car at Congress
and Main streets On arriving there
they were surrounded by a mob and
lively row ensued, in which 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 a 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 min.