Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-01-22

Bridgeport. Conn.,. INDUCES In
a Wild Sunday.
T1E-Up OF A STREET CAR LINE.

Striker and tho POpulace Set the Authort-
ties at Defiance and Fay No Atteatioa 70
the Police-rhe Tracks Bl0ckaded and
Car TrafHo Prevented by violence-No
Cars Allowed to be Run - A Day Of
Riot.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn, JAN 22.-Yesterday
was one of the most exciting in the history
OF the city of Bridgeport. Not since 1861.
when marching volunteers on their way to
the front filed the streets, have the resi-
dents been so aroused. All day excited
crowds throngcd the streets and mob law
prevailed. The police were set ut defiance
and crowd of angry men ruled the town.
The rioting was one Of the results of the
discharge Of five employees of the Bridge
port Traction company and the strike
which followed. About 100 employees Of
the company stopped work. completely
tying up the road. They held numerous
meetings and sent committee to the man.
ager Of the road in an effort to bring about
settlement. In this they were unsuccess-
full. Yesterday morning fifty men came
UP from Jersey City to take the places Of
tie strikers and it was announced that the
company Intended TO run its cars.
Decided to Run the Town.
The men then held a consultation 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 commit
tee to the owners and managers Of the
road. They were denied audience, the
managers refusing to meet them rs a COM
mittee or give reasons for the discharge of
the men. They announced that they
would meet the dissatisfied ones individu-
| ally, 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 running cars. Meanwhile the COM
pany was preparing to start service and at
8 o'clock nine cars We're run out of the
| shops They were in charge of the new
men from New Jersey, the stable hands
and about dozen of the old men who re.
| ported for work.
The Tracks blocked Everywhcrc.
The report that the company was to
start cars and that the strikers would try
to prevent it spread rapidly through the
ers and hundreds of sympathizers gathered
at the stable on Main street and along the
streets through which the road runs. As
soon rs all of the strikers were informed
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
road We're raided and railroad iron, ties
compiling pins, boxes and barrels were
taken and piled on the tracks at variou.
points. Some Of the cars were moved out
of the sheds. but were unable to proceed
but short distance. They were sur
rounded by the strikers and their friends
and the crews We're compelled to leave
| them in the streets.
| PopuIacc with the Strikers.
Police were summoned from head
quarters and several cars were started with
three railroad employees and a guard OF
three policemen The crowds quick.
ly 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 ard
railroad employees were slightly injured
Main street in the vicinity of the stables
was the center of the trouble. Here large
crowd gathered and encouraged ths
strikers The demonstration became SC
threatening that an alarm was sent out
from police headquarters and all of the
officers and specials who could be sum
moned were brought in. This force wa.
stationed along the trucks, at the stables
and on the cars The crowds near thu
stables and along the road increased il
numbers until nearly 1000 people were in