Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-02-04
BROOKLYN AGAIN AGOG.
Big Mass Meeting of Strikers
 Before the City Hall.
CITIZENS ADVISED TO GO ARMED.

BRooKLIN, Feb. 4.-lntoTest has again been aroused in the trolley strike, anI to- day the excitement is at fever heat. \ big open air mass meeting was arranged for by the strike leaders for . o'clock this afternoon, and at noon there was already a crowd in front of the municipal build ings, Many persons arc hurrying from other parts of the city, and it is evident that the situation may at any moment be- come serious
 No parade hermit having been issued, the mayor ard chief of police havc made preparations tu puvll any disorder at once.
 Master Workman Connolly has issued a manifesto calling upon the people to carry arms, and it k cXI CCtcd thu! this may encourage some of the lawlc>S element in the city iO make this an excuse for fur ther violence
 Master Workman Connolly s manifesto is as follows
 To the titi. ems of Brooklyn:
 "Wu notice a statement made today by pre>id, mt Norton of the Atlantic Avenue system that he proposed to claim the priv ilegc. in defiance or the police department, to arm his imported scabs and Pinker tons. and if this is done tho citizens of Brooklyn will certainly exercise the same privilege to go armed in self defense and as n precautinu against these lawless i'm. ported thugs and the corporate criminals who employ them in defiance of the laws of this city and state
 MAHrIN F. CoNNELLl.
 The manifesto also claims that the board of aldermen possesses the necessary power to annul the trolley companies charters Mir Connolly also stated that he had heard that Presidents Norton, Lewis and Wick 0PS hn hpl u In at which it had been decided to arm their men with rcvolverS
 4 Monster Petition.
 \ monster petition is to be presented this afternoon to the Brooklyn board of aldermen, in $ ssS!on at the city hall It calls for the revocation of the licenses and franchises of rhe Brooklyn Heights, the Atlantic Avenue and the Brooklyn Queens County and suburban Railroad compa nies-the three trolley systems affected by the recent strike, wh Ch has never yet been officially declared of. According to Mir Connolly, it already contains 6l, 49l sig. natulC< Al tho same time the aldermen are to hr given an oh eCt loSSon-a show ing of unemployed mo;ormen and con ductors-to emphasize the petition
 The strikers contend that the city cuun- ell has power to immediately revoke tho three charters. They arc to gather In ex- pectation that summary action will he taken. They believe that the moro Gf them thcrC are at the city hall this after noon the morr deeply will the aldermen be impressed The fact that Su many citizens of Brooklyn, representing thousands or women and children as well as themselves are in enforced idlrne>s through the policy of the trolley system whether that poll, V is right or wrong. Is relied upon tu make the petition virtually demand The al dermrn have already passed several rcsolu- tions and uIdiuunceS indicating sympathy with the stribvrS
 The men are not to march tu the city hall in q body, but they are going in squads Thry say they need no permit for this A tu tho possibility Of disorder and police interferrn ce Master Workman Con nelly. the strike leader referred to the meeting yesterday as another Coxey case in whiCh the city hall srIss was to be protected ai all hazards He rather seemed to an 'riUatC official uruvocat ion A few instance, "l clubbing might fan the smoldernG "mhcr~ uf dissatisfaction into open riot-migh, rcsusCitatr the corpse of the strike even and inCamr popular sym pathy, Connolly dIdnt say that however He was asked if any speeches were tu he made.
 That isn' | decided he sand.
 Who k Id present tho pctition:
 'l do not know. This is a movement of citizens not of strlker~, am not di rectinS the matter,
 Who Is directing it
 Only an cNaSiVe answer wa~ gwen. He would not say how many people hr expect ed at tho mCCtlnE
 Will DcNS be there
 
 going to say.
 It could not be lCarne what part. fl any, the Chicago strikr leader is to play in the demonstration Nobody but Connolly l would admit that HchS is or has been re i ,cntly in Brooklyn There was .. report that he in stopping in New Nork at tht home OE his sister, but that statement could not be verified.
 Talk ot rinkerton>. Discuss. Ii in connection with the meet | ing Sunday and us bearing upon develop mentS to be expected within the next few ! lays was tho refusal by Police Commis. sioner Welcs Uf tho rrquest of President Norton of tho Atlantic Avenue company for the privilege of arming our employ 1eS with revulvers for the purpose of pro | seCting themselves and our property while ! ID the discharge of their duty. and also ir l going to and from their homes, and the l subsequent defiant assertion of an officer i of the same company that the employees would be armed anyhow The st!iknrs made the most of this claiming that the 'cmrloyee>' whom il proposed to arm arc PinkCrton men. | When they bSgin to arm imported hirelings to shoot down citizens" said Connolly. we'll prepare to take care o | ourselves.
 This waving of the Piakerton red flaa had naturally an infla:nmatory effect Mayor Schieran said at his homo last night:
 There arc two people in Brooklyn who ought to keep their mouths shut They are the Atlantic avenuc man and Mir. Con Eelly. "
 Does the outlook for renewed troubl, warrant calling out the militia again=''
 By no means, The present protection IS sufficient for all purposes. The reques of MT. Norton to be allowed to arm g., employees whose names he sent was re fused because those men are not selected ey the city to le special policemen Wh, l was to guarantee their soberncss and dis | oretion:"
 Will any steps be taken to prevent th mass meeting of unemployed at the cit! hall:"
 No. These men are citizens and hav \ right to go there in an orderly manner. ,
 The police of this city spent a CT, busy day in their efforts to preserve orde and prevent the crowds that gathered il the various districts from maltreating tl nonunion men in charge of the trolley car In several instances the motormen we severely beaten hefOrr police assistance a rived. No riots. however. ur q serious n ture occurred during tho day.
 At Third avenue and Fortieth streI the line was incumbered with great pi of boards boxes and other material of
 heavy nature. Every car that passed tn way was held up hy the obstruction. aT while the conductors and motornen we engaged in removing the debris they we pelted numerically with tricks, mud ar
 snowhalls Many of the mems assailan were merely strike sympathizers and stre loafers. but they were just as enthusiast | hair lad