The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-20
INCIDENTS OF THE RIOTS.
How the Militia Were Disposed Of
Mail Car Held Ep.

in earnest. The calling out of Brooklyn's
5000 nilitiamen ncensed the strikers and
many acts of lawlessness were committed.
The first appearance of the soldiery upon
the streets, which was at Twenty-fifth street
and Fifth avenue. greeted with jeers
and Kissing from the men and boys who
thronged the thoroughfares, while women
at the windows of tenement houses shook
their fists and uttered imprecations at the
militiamen. Detachments of troops were
sent to the stations of all the trolley lines
which the companies proposed to operate.
Reserves were kept at the various armories.
The police force also on duty to man.
The arrangements were to have the police
guard the cars on their while the milf
tia guarded the power stations and car
houses. Special efforts were made to oper-
ate the lines of the Brooklyn Heights and
Atlantic avenue companies The latter na@
twenty-five nonunion men escorted to tha
Bergen street station early in the day where
$50 miitiamen under Major Cochran We're
stationed. Strikers who were hanging about
the place claimed that the company had not
men enough to run its cars and this was IL
part borne out by the fact that no STOW
sweepers had been sent out to clear the
tracks of the light fall of snow which had
come during the night The Prospect-park
under command of Captain Tobias while
Captain Stokes had $50 men al the car sheds
and stables in F'latbush. The privates dill
not enter on the campaign with any degree
of enthusiasm In the strike of 1892 they
had a long spell of service at Buffalo, pro-
tecting railway property, and they professed
to fear that if they should be kept on duly
now for more than forty-eight hours their
employers would come to the conclusion that
membership in the national guard is not
compatible with efficiency in business. NJ ny
talked of resigning from their companies.
Twenty five thousand sandwiches aud 100
gallons of coffee were ordered for the mai
tiamen duty.
STRIKERS BEGIN RIOTING.
Although the police made tour of the
CITY and requested all the dealers in fire
arms not to sell pistols or guns to the
strikers. many of them were armed. Some
of the men were drinking heavily, and
manifested spirit of restlessness. Ihe
police gave orders to arrest any striker
who melted acts of violence. AT the Ninth
avenue and Twentieth-street station
large number of strikers placed obstruc-
tions on the tracks. They were charged
by the soldiers. and ran to safety. This
was near the car shed of the Ninth-ayenue
trolley line. AT Twenty-fourth street and
who came from Jersey City and Hoboken
to go back.
The first demonstration of violence
towards the soldiers took place at rail-
road station, where soldier named Cher
ry was knocked down by crowd of
strikers. He MAS SO severely beaten that
he had to be taken to the arrnore. Two
Halsey-street motormen were assaulted by
a mob and so badly hurt that they could
not continue the trip. Police Commissioner
Welles sent word to the railroad companies
to "nove their Wheels Soon after a car
of the Putnam-avenue line was attacked by
a mob of strikers near the vacant lots on
Halsey street. between Ralph and Howard
avenues. Motorman Kelly and conductor
Hawkins were badly beaten, and the latter
had to be removed to the hospital. The
police charged the mob and arrested one
man Another car of the same line was
also attacked and the motorman beaten.
A car ON the Halsey-street line, in charge
of conductor Joseph Whalen, was tied up
at the corner of Ralph avenue and Halsey
street by a large crowd of strikers, who
tried to induce the motorman and con-
ductor to quit. Failing in this, a rush was
made for the motorman, but he held on
with all his might Conductor Whalen was
also attacked but before the strikers
could do any damage they were dispersed
by the police. Companies F and G, of the
Forty-seventh Regiment, were sent to the
East New York depot, on Fulton street, at
noon crowd of strikers had collected
there to prevent cars from being started.
The police charged the mob and used their
clubs freely Two strikers were badly
hurt. Nearly sixteen hundred strikers and
sympat athizers waylaid two Broadway cars,
near Flushing avenue and carried off the
motorman and conductor prisoners.
The police were powerless to prevent the
act.
Two cars of the Fulton-street line, one
flying a United States mail flag, reached
Williams place and Fulton street at 40
O'Clock D. m. This is two blocks from the
Fulton-street station. A crowd of about
fourteen hundred strikers surrounded the
cars and chased the four policemen from
them. Passengers and number of nom
union men were also driven off. Rein
focements arrived, but could do little or
nothing with the large throng. The motor
men deserted their posts, and the cars are
now at the mercy of the mob. About three
hundred nonunonists who were on their
way to Fulton were induced by the strikers
to join their ranks.
At 2:1o D. m two more Fulton-street cars
street The crews deserted their post.
The Sumner-avenue line is blocked, the
circuit having been burned out by mex
perienced hands.
The trolley wires were cut by the strik-
ers at Fulton street and Nostrand avenue
They were repaired by the company, but
less than an hour later were again cut
far down the street.
The militia at the Jamaica car stables
were forced to charge a big mob three
times after O'Clock. The first time the
strikers gathered around the stable and in
the street and jeered the soldiers. Colonel
Eddy, who was in charge, drew his men
up in line and gave an order to charge
The rioters were driven back to the houses
on the opposite side of the street and fell
pei! nell through the doorways and down
cellars and in fact, wherever they could
find place of escape One man. Charles
Wilson, was injured by being stabbed in
the back with bayonet. He was taken to
a temporary hospital established by As
sistant Surgeon Belcher. in one of the empty
car houses where his wound dressed
1t was only a slight flesh wound
TIN at bo