Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-01-15
STRIKE ON At BROOKLYN.
All the Trolley Lines Except One Com.
Sletely Tied Up.

All the Trolley Lines Except One Com
SleteIy Tied Up.
BRookLYN, Jan. 15.-Nearly 5000 men,
including motormen, conductors, cleo
tricians and others employed on the vari-
Gus trolley railroads in this city, have
quit work. 1t was the first strike the troll
ley system had experienced and was q
most thorough and complete one. The
only road not tied up was the Brooklyn
and Coney Island, better known as the
Jay and Smith street line. President
Henry NJ. Slocum had the mems demand
under consideration, and when the COM
mittee of the district assembly called on
him the strike, as far as his road was con.
cerned, was amicably settled. An agree
ment was signed and now that road is the
only one running in full force.
strikers Establish Picket Lines.
During the day Lewis, president of the
Brooklyn Heights Railroad company,
made public statement in which he said
the tie-up was without just cause. He
also notified the mayor, police commits
siorer, sheriff, and fire commissioner of
the strike, and asked for police protection.
He sent a communication to the railroad
commissioners at Albany, and posted no
tice OF warning at all the car houses, noti-
Tying strikers to keep away. There were
also warnings to keep the peace, but in
spite ofthese numerous cases of interior.
ence occurred. There was some delay in
transportation of the mails, but the mail
cars were guarded by policemen At the
different power houses throughout the
city everything was quiet. A short dis
tance from each one the strikers kept
their pickets on duty
Trouble Begins With Distractions.
Railroad stations We're deserted, but the
pickets kept watch there also. They did
not have much to do, but may have today,
as 1t is expected that the companies will
bring men from other cities to take the
strikers places. During the forenoon a
mail car of the Flatbush avenue line left
the Flatbush station for the purpose of
getting the mail ut the postoffice On it
We're Sergeant Zimmerman and two Do
licemen. About $50 strikers surrounded
the car and began to throw planks across
the tracks. The police removed the OBJ
structions and the car had proceeded
about two blocks further when farmers
wagon was placed across the tracks, men
jumping into the wagon and defying to
police to move them. A squad of police
finally routed the strikers.
Women Take a Hand in Turbulence.
About noon nearly 100 women in SYM
pathy with the strikers undertook to OBJ
struct travel on the Third avenue line by
piling ash barrels and other obstacles on
the tracks, but were driven away by the
police. Peter Butcher, motorman, has
been arrested on charge of obstructing
a car. He threw heavy iron fgirdcr in
front of United States mail car of the
Flatbush avenue line The car was
stopped, but went on to Flatbush later.
He was held in $500 bail for examination
and may have to answer to the United
States authorities for interfering with the
mail.
Superintendent Quinn made another at
tempt to force passage shortly after
o'clock. A mail car bearing the usual
sign United States mali was sent out,
the front and rear platform crowded
policemen. The determined attitude of
the officers cowed the strikers, who al
lowed the car to be taken as far as Ninety
sixth street and Fifth avenue Some
stones were thrown, but the only damage
sustained was a few broken windows.
The car was ordered back to the shed by
the superintendent. Inc StrlkcrS ana tne
women who gathered with them stood in
its path and threw a volley of stones ut
fine policemen guarding it. several of
whom received insignificant wounds.
Some minutes later Superintendent
Quinn told Poplice Captain Murphy, OF
the Eighth precinct, that he would order
another car to be taken over the line.
Captain Murphy protested on the ground
that such an action would be ill-advised,
inasmuch as it would lead to another con-
flict Quinn maintained that he had
right to do so, and he would. Captain
Murphy again demurred and telephoned
for more help the result being that the
reserve force of the neighboring precincts
were ordered to the scene of the struggle.
The demcaror of the strikers BECAME SO
threatening that Superintendent Quinn
finally consented to abandon his inten-
ton. The police continue to make arrests
wherever they can fasten upon n person
interfering with the company's property.
The motermen and conductors will, they
claim, invoke the law against the COM
panies District Attorney Ridgeway has
promised, they say, to bring the matter OF
violating the ten-hour law before the
grand jury.
II