The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-12-18

An Angry Crowd Smasiles Car
WinIowS--Strikers Have
Public Sympathy.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. lS.--The great
strike OF mOtormen and conductors of
the Union Traction company began
early IN the morning, and all lines OF the
company are practically tied up. Pres
idcnt Welsh says hundreds of men are
applying for work, and he asserts that
nearly all the cars will be running by
noon. Cars are running with more or
less frequency on Chestnut street, but
not enough to accommodate the people
who usually ride. Beyond hooting and
ieeriug at the men. the cutting of u
trolley rope and placing boxes and bar
rcls filed with ashes on the tracks, no
serious disorder has occurred.
Have Sympathy of the Public.
Several cars We're dcrailcd. The SYM
pathy of the public is clearly with the
strikers. The company employs about
5000 men, two-thirds of them members
of the Employees association. The de-
mand of the men is for a working day
Of ten hours, with s. pay, reasonable
time for meals, protection from the
weather and recognition of their organ.
iZation.
At II o'clock street railway traffic all
over the city, with the exception of a
few lines, is at Il standstill.> The entire
police force is on duty and very busy
suppressing minor outbreaks of vlO-
lence.
Men are locked up at every station
house, and more are being brought III
constantly.
There Is Some Violence.
Despite the efforts of the strike lead
ers to preserve order, there has Leen
much violence, though none of IA So
rious nature.
At Sixth and Market streets. in the
heart of the city, somebody threw Il
brick through a car, and the conductor
and motorman fled for their lives. The
crowd then broke every window i'll
that car and the one which followed it.
A detachment Of police surrounded the
cars and prevented further damage.
Smashed a Few Windows.
The most serious disturbances of the
day occurred shortly before 2 o'clock on
Chestnut street. between Eighth and
Fifteenth, the busiest part of the city.
The conductors and motormen of two
cars were induced to leave their posts.
The crowd broke the windows in these
cars, and when they saw cars coming
down Chestnut, they started with a
yell for them. The motormen and con-
ductors, seeing the angry crowd, fed
up Chestnut street. The mob alta cked
and wrecked the cars. A group of re.
serve policemen gathered. but they were
practically powerless.
Inside a half hour there We're about
two cars to the block on Chestnut
street from Eighth to Fifteenth, each
surrounded by a bowling mob.
Shortly after 2 O'Clock the Eighth
street line was blocked for the first
time. The company's efforts have
been concentrated on this line. The men
working on it had MOI been organized,
and cars had been running uninter-
ruptedly up to this hour. The tie-up on
that street is regarded as a heavy blow
to the company. ~ this hour the cars
stood in a long line with their ropes
tied about the poles to prevent their cut
ting by the men.
Most of the destructive work is being
perpetrated by the hoOdium element,
and strike Hympathizers. As a rule,
the strikers themselves are carefully
Observing Leader Mahon's injunction
to observe order.
Excitement Is rapidly growing, SYM
pathy IOr the strikers IS intense and