The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-01-25
a MOB IN CONTROL.

- MOD LIN OONlhOle
BRIDGEPORT, CONN.,, in THE HANDS
OF ANGRY STRIKERS.
They and Their sympathizers Run Thing,
and the Police Are Set at Deflance-Ar
Attempt to Run Street Cars Results in
Several Sharp Encounters.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn.,. Jan. 90. Sunday
was one Of the most exciting days in the
history Of the city Of Bridgeport. Not
since 1851, when marching volunteers
on their way to the front filled the
streets, have the residents been SO
aroused. All day excited crowds
thronged the streets and mob law pre-
vailed. The police have been set at de-
fiance and crowd of angry men have
ruled the town. The rioting was one of
the results of the discharge of five EN-.
ployes of the Bridgeport Traction COM
pany and the strike which followed.
About 100 employees of the company
stopped work Saturday,
Completely Tying Up the Road.
They held numerous meetings and
sent committee to the managers Of the
road in an effort to bring about settle
ment. In this they were unsuccessful.
Sunday morning 81 men came up from
Jersey City to take the places of the
strikers. The latter held a long consul
tation and decided that they would not
allow the company to run the cars.
They concluded, however, to give the
company another chance for settlement
and sent a committee to the owner and
managers of the road. They were
denied audience, the managers refusing
to meet them as committee or give
reasons for the discharge of the men.
They announced that they would
Meet the Dissatisfied Ones
individually, but would not recognize
them as an organization. The men
withdrew and the strikers held a brief
session at which it was decided that
they would not return to work and
would prevent the company from run
ming cars. Meanwhile the company
was preparing to start service and at 9
o'clock nine cars were run out of the
shops. They were in charge of the new
men from Jersey City, the stable hands
and dozen of the old men who re-
ported for work. The report that the
company was to start cars and that
the strikers would try to prevent it
spread rapidly through the city and in a
short time all of the strikers and hun.
dreds of sympathizers 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 of
the road to arbitrate they proceeded
To Block the Tracks
on every street. The yards of the New
York, New Haven and Hartford rail
roads were raided and railroad iron.
ties, coupling pins, boxes and barrels
were taken and piled on the tracks at
various points. Some of the cars were
moved out of the sheds, but were un-
able to proceed but short distance.
They were surrounded by the strikers
and their friends and the crews were
compelled to leave them in the streets.
Police were summoned from headquar-
tiers and several cars were started with
three railroad employees and guard of
three policemen. The crowds quickly
drove the police from the cars, together
with the conductors and drivers.
Sticks and Stones
were thrown and the windows of
the cars broken. Several policemen
and railroad employees were slightly in
jured. Main st. eel, in the vicinity of
the stables, was the center of trouble.
Here crowd Of nearly 5000 gathered
and encouraged the strikers. The men
themselves aid not take as active part
in it as the young roughs. III. demon
stration became 50 threatening that an
alarm was sent out from police head
quarters and all OF the officers and spec
ials who could be summoned brought
in. The force was stationed along the
tracks at the stables and on the cars.
= AAS Wv sNo AAOesA OAO 0O0OAO3 0uu ft1Ouk
the road Increased in numbers until
nearly 10000 people were in the street.
The presence of the police did not, how
ever, deter the mob, and Instructions of
all kinds were piled on the tracks IS
rapidly as they were removed. At .
o'clock car in charge of five policemen
and several railroad employees was at
tackled at the corner of Congress and
Main streets. Here q mob of about
1900 men and boys were gathered.
They Bombardsd tho Cars
with stones, breaking all the windows
and injuring several of those in charge.
At Williams street, in East Bridgeport
500 men and boys raided the yard of
Jones & Hoffman, contractors, and
piled lumber, trucks and other obstruc-
tions on the tracks. At 3 o'clock the
company succeeded in getting one car,
strongly guarded by police, over the en-
tire line, but this was the only car to
make the circuit during the day. At s
o'clock patrol wagon filled with police
and three wagons with. railroad en-
IL la L