Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1895-01-24
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
BROOKLYN STRIKE,
Militia Called Out and Shoot te
Kill,

| HlOIc SERIOUS aSpGcC laSU SUNDAY.
From midnight Saturday night there
were the usual number of minor dis
turbances likely to occur at such time
A crowd on the corner of Fifth avenue
and Twenty-fourth street grew so bois-
terous that the militia were compelled
| to charge upon them and drive them
away.
About 3 o'clock Sunday morning a
mob of strikers numbering 800 were
supplied with drums, with which they
mac e the night hideous as they marched
around. They filed by the militiamen
and jeered them but as the soldiers paid
no attention to the abuse the strikers
soon grew tired and disappeared.
Although a number of cars were run
ming on the various lines during the
day noticeable feature of the day was
the comparatively few passengers who
panies. 1t was evidently considered
too great risk to ride in them by the
travelling public. A car of the Bergen
street line became stalled on account of
some defect of mechanism in front of
two empty lots between Classon and
Grand avenues. The crowd gathered
there and threw stones at the cars, de-
molishing every pane of glass. The
police charged and secured one prison
oner. The strikers attempted rescue,
but the policemen marched the prison.
er off. Several of the policemen were
cut by flying stones and pieces of brick.
Cooking utensils and other household
goods were hurled at the police from
the windows of the houses and boiling
water was thrown from the upper floors.
AT 2 2o'clock in the afternoon two cars
were started from the depot and got as
far as Somers street, where they were
stopped by pile of building materials
placed upon the track for distance of
250 feet. Other cars came along and
were stalled as was the first, until sew
en- stood in line, while the crowd,
which had doubled in numbers, con-
tinued ieering and hooting. The five
story brick buildings that line the street
on either side were crowded with peo-
pie, all of whom sympathized with
the strikers, apparently. Three or four
men and women thrust their heads
from each window and jeered. AS
men soon as the cars were stopped the
in the street began Ito talk and to
argue with the motormen and conduc-
tors to induce them to leave their
places. For time the police, who had
lined up, kept these men back along
the curb, where they stood and made
speeches, appealing to the Snotormen,
In the names of their wives and fami-
flies and for their own credit, to stop
work. The crowds in the windows
caught on. Some shouted: ''Come up
and we'l give you dinner.n Others
held turkeys, or chickens, or roasts of
beef or bottles out of the window, in
viting the motormen to come and par
take if they would only quit.
AS the situation was growing more
serious it was thought advisable to call
for the assistance of troops from New
York city. 1t was decided before 5
o'clock in the afternoon that the First
brigade should be put under arms, and
early in the evening Brigade head
quarters in the new armory at Thirty
fourth street and Park avenue put on a
martial aspect. The order for the as
sembling of the entire brigade was sent
out at little after O'Clock.
The first soldiers to arrive were sent
out to bring in their fellows. In short
time there was great gathering. The
men had been scattered all over the
city. And they came hurrying from
their home and the friends they were
visiting to the armory, all, or most of
them, in their Sunday clothes, some in
evening dress, some in top coats, and
some in frock coats, and some with tall
hats, and some the handiest hats they
could grab when they got notice. And
few came in their uniforms. Those
that didn't come thus attired were sent
back by the officers to get their uni
. forms. Three-quarters ofthe men were
at the armOry at 8 O'Clock.
At the intermission of the concert at
the Metropolitan Opera House, Quar-
termaster John d. Fisher of the Seventh
regiment was called for from the stage.
There being no response, Treasurer
Hirsch read from the stage a telegram
ordering him to report at the armory.
By midnight most of the men were
at the armory, setting up cot beds and
spreading blankets on the floor for a
few hours sleep, for the men uuder-
stood they were to march by route
then not made known.
On Monday morning car which
started from Ridgewood station little
after 5o'clock was assailed with volleys
of stone and bricks and soldier was
struck ON the head with stone and
disabled The officer in command or
dered his men to shoot and two volleys
were fired in the direction of the rioters
who, however, were obscured by the
dense fog. About $50 bullets were sent
shrieking in search of victims, but how
many found them was not known.
The militiamen' IS orders were that when
they shot, it should be to kill. 1t is as
serted by the mill ia officers that they
only ordered the volleys when the viO-
lence of the mob made it necessary to
do so. There were numerous conflicts
during the day and at $50 O'Clock in
the evening further attempts to run
cars were abandoned for the night.
Tuesday, matters were much the
same and the day closed without bring
ing material change in the situation.
1t was a day of alarming rumors, which
fortunately proved to have slight or no
foundation. There were numerous
brushes between the police and militia
on the one side, and the strikers or
headstrong, law-defying sympathizers
with their cause on the other. The
linemen's strike, which was to have
tied the trolley lines more effectually
than had been done by, the strike of
lmotOrmen, conductors and other en-