Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-02-08
R|OT|NG STILL.
Brooklyn Men Stone the
Women in the cars.
Angry MobS Attack Motormen
Under Cover of Darkness.
Several Dragged From the Car Plat.
form and CruPlIy Reaten

Brutal assaults by mobs that seem salts
fled with little short of murder are still fire.
quent in Brooklyn. The victims are invari-
ably non-union men who had accepted places
formerly held by strikers. The assailants
are invariably strikers or men urged on by
strikers. Matt r. reached such state that
President Norton of the Atlantic avenue com,
pany appea ed to Mayor Schieren for per-
mits for his men to carry firearms to protect
their lives. The permission not being granted
ON the general request each man was in
structed to appeal individually.
The step was necessary, Mr.. Norton said,
to prevent murder being done by the strikers.
Carrying any weapon Of defense without a
permit was out OF the question, Justice GOet-
ting and other police Justices having pun
ished men for carrying arms. One man in
particular who held back a mob of 200 bent
on murder, was fined $40 for having in his
possession the weapon that possibly saved bis
life. After his request to the mayor. Mr.. Nor
ton was informed that he hadn't applied to
to the proper Official and he wrote a caustic
letter to Police Commissioner " elles that
made that gentleman unhappy
The letter was stickler Mr.. Norton ac-
cused the po icemen of indifference, accused
the courts OF allowing the striking prisoners
to go with a small fine, and called the condi-
tion OF things disgracefuL Another came
licill -hi. NbIlbll. Lnuhlus Il lOIllhA Appiltd-
ton for permits to carry revolvers for 374
employees. 1t was refused, but he was told
to have his men apply individually.
The Vanderbilt avenue assault referred to
by Mr.. Norton in the first letter was COM
mitted by gang numbering 20 men. Car Is
of the Vanderbilt avenue line. in charge OF
motOrman George Ewing conductor Nicholas
Herrig and special policeman Thomas Dun
dardin, was passing the corner of 9Th avenue
81 h hntl. h.. a. ~.
corner, and, jumping on the front platform,
turned off the power by striking the lever
on the hood over the platform. Instant
ly the car was darkened. The near
est street lamp was a block away, and
it was pitch dark al around the ear.
| Where the mob came from nobody on the
C ir knew. The car was surrounded q minute
after the lights went out and there was a
shower Of stones. There was great strug-
Ge on the front platform. Ewing was hit
III the head with a stone and the blood
ran down his face but he was only badly
enough hurt to make him want to fight.
He pulled the power crank of and
swung ii with all his might at the man on
the platform. The man lodged and struck
him in the face Then half dozen men
grabbed the mOtorman and dragged him of
the platform. The men who had him dragged
him across through the street and halfway
across a vacant lot He recovered his senses
then made dash for liberty and escaped,
Conductor Herrig in the meantime was
having a terrific fight with the rest of the
gang. He had no weapon to defend himself
with. He had jumped off the ear when the
power was turned off to see what was the
matter, and his feet had scarcely
touched the ground when he got blow
! across the head that sent the blood squirting
and that felled him. He staggered up and
! fought blindly. Another blow on the head
y finally settled him and he fell unconscious.
! He was dragged across the lots and
was pummeled and kicked as he went.
Herrig was found in the field, still uncon-
scious He was b eiing from his wounds.
/ Ewing, the motorman who escaped, returned
when he saw the light in the ear bearing the
policemen. His eyes were blackened and he
was covered with bruises.
Two hours after the assault in 9th avenue a
| car of the Bushwick avenue line, returning to
the station in charge Of special policeman Ed
( ward Martin, was attacked opposite Meserola
street. 4 big boulder had been rolled on the
/ track. The spot was dark and the motorman
! did not see the obstruction i'll time. The
ear struck it and stopped. big crowd sur
! rounded it and stones were thrown. One nit
! Martin on the head and cut u long cash.
4 The mob was too big for him to jump off
: the car and fight and he stood on the plat
| form and welted every ad that came in
reach. Dozens OF stones were thrown and the
windows were smashed. Martin was hit on
the body by many. At the first assault some
| BODY who wasn't in the mob had telephoned
| to the nearest station for the reserves, and
roundsman McDevitt and squad OF men
+ hurried TO the scene. The mob got wind OF
! their coming and scattered just before they
! arrived and only one man was captured