The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-12-18

- Chestnut stree {
- - line The cars
'OiA' L. "i-i1' reached east of
Broad, and between that point and Eighth
street about twelve cars were massed when
crowd of small boys began taunting the
motormen and conductors. Then stones
were thrown and in an instant almost the
twelve cars were made the subject of a
general attack, and forced pedestrians and
shoppers to take refuge in the stores. The
attack was kept up for so long that some
merchants were compelled to lower their
iron window shades for protection.
Meanwhile a detail of policemen had
been summoned, and after hard work sue
ceeded in dispensing the mob, making
many arrests. During the disturbance
Reserve Policeman Keppler was very Sc
riously injured through being beaten and
stoned. The trouble was without ques-
tion the fault of small boys, urged and as
sisted by gang of hoodlums
Along Eighth street practically the same
condition of affairs prevailed. The cars on
both thoroughfares were badly damaged
and every pane of glass was broken. The
men on the Chestnut street cars were com
PEELED to abandon them.
The police were absolutely unable to
control the mob. From early morning un-
til dusk as each branch line made desper-
ate efforts to start, bowling mobs sur
rounded each car, stoned and hooted the
motorman and conductor, smashed the
windows cut the trolley ropes and wreaked
all possible destruction. The strikers took
little, if any part in the work of destruc-
ton This was in the hands of the inev-
table rowdy element Many persons were
it,i, I,,rn 4 q g.
that when complete reports have been re-
ceived they will include fatalities, and
thousands of dollars worth of valuable
property was destroyed.
The fiercest riot of the day occurred at
Sixth and Vine streets, about noon. The
mob reached almost to Market street. 1t
entrenched itself along the sidewalks and
bombarded every car which attempted to
run the gauntlet. superintendent Lin
den, with great force of police, finally
succeeded in dispensing the crowds, after
sixteen arrests had been made. At Sixth
and Market a veritable pandemonium
broke loose as the first two cars reached
that point, l an instant every glass was
smashed, and fusilade of dinner kettles,
fire buckets and blocks of wood poured
from the upper floors of business houses
on either hand. Motormen and conductors
fed for their lives.
Later in the day another violent scene
was witnessed at Eighth and Market A
West Philadelphia car made its appear
ance. Motorman, conductor and the few
passengers were ordered to leave, and after
the fender had been ripped from its at
tachInents and the same general work Of
destruction perpetratod, the car was upset
at the intersection Of the two lines of
track. This blockade was not raised for
two hours. Similar scenes occurred in
the northeastern section, and all through
/ the city less destructive attempts were
made to prevent the running of the cars.
Three proclamatiOns were issued by
Mayor Warwick yesterday afternoon.
First, he appealed to all good citizens TO
assist the authorities in maintaining or
der, and to that end to refrain from gath.
ering in crowds on the streets Secondly,
he ordered the summary closing OF ali
liquor saloons and thirdly, he asked all
women and children to stay at home
Five hundred extra policemen were
sworn in by Mayor Warwick last night.
They have orders from the mayor to carry
their batons unsheathed Should this fafl
the governor will be appealed to to order
out the militia. Tho citys executive de
clarcd in unmistakable terms that the
strike is no longer "a contest between IA
railway company and iIs employees, but a
battle between the city and violence, and
the city Will win, if it take, tho United
States army.
Over a hundred arrests wer, made dur
ing the day, and nearly all the prisoners
were held for a hearing, Ons young man,
not striker, was held in $1,000 bail for
cutting the rope on a mail car. The United
States commissioner will give him an ad
ditional hearing.
President Mahon, of the National Asso-
citation of Street Railway Employees, made
statement to the public in reference to
the disturbances He denied that the
strikers were in any way to blame. He
said the disorder and destruction to prop
erty was the work Of others not connected
with them. The committee decided also
TO again caution the men against violence.
The company he said, was alone respon-
sible for the trouble by not listening to
their or the citizens committee 1t stated
that the traction company purposes hold
ing the city responsible for the damage to
their cars
The war itself remains unchanged. The
traction leaders refuse to listen to any