The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-15
MOBBED THEM.
Hundreds of Citizens of CIeve-
land, o., Pursue COuncilmen
Threatening Them With a Coat
of Tar and Feathers
BECAUSETHEY OPPOSE
Reduction of Streetcar Fares
in That City.
Police Patrol Wagon Finally
ReSeues the City Fathers.

| Cleveland, O.. Dec. 15.-Raiding par
/ ties paid their respects to the council
men again last night. Had it not been
! for the Opportune arrival of patrol
wagon, Councilmen Lucas and Stinch-
comb would have been mobbed. They
were threatened with tar and feathers,
and were mauled, hauled, kicked and
beaten until they sought safety in
flight. Had not Councilman j. F-Palm-
er promised the party which went to
call on him that he would not vote for
Reynolds street car ordinances, he
would very likely have been roughly
treated.
At the conclusion of low-fare meet
ing, held at the West Side Turn hall,
last night, marching party started
out to pay a visit to Councilman Miller,
who lives at No. 696 LOraln street.
Frank FriederSdOrf headed a crowd of
about 200 persons, who marched in an
orderly manner to Miller's home. Fried
ersdorf raped for admission. Finally
Miller's mother appeared at window
and said that the councilman was at a
party.
He can find time to go to a party"
shouted FriedersdOrf, but can't come
to the lOW-fare meetings. He is a nice
representative of the people,"
Threats were freely made by a num-
Der of men that the councilman would
be tarred and feathered if he voted for
the Reynolds ordinances. Mrs. Miller
pleaded with the crowd to go away
FriedersdOrf made a hot speech, and
suggested that a hunt for Councilman
Lucas and StinchcOmb be made.
The crowd started east on Lorain
street and threw out a skirmish line of
young men on both sides of the street.
COuncilmen Lucas and Stinchcomb
were finally located in SiIburg's saloon
near the West Side Market. With a
howl of joy the scouts announced the
news to the main body Some ran to
the back doors and others held the en-
trance to prevent escape until the main
body arrived.
The councilmen stood at the bar and
behaved coolly in the face of the shout
ing crowd. There were cries of Boo
die and How are you going to vOte?"
Friedersdorf acted as spokesman and
demanded to know how the men would
vote. Lucas said:
Il will not answer mob"
This angered the crowd, and they clos
ed in on the two councilmen. Lucas
and StinchcOmb were jOstled and tram
pied upon. Their hats We're knocked
off, their hair pulled, they received sun
dry jabS in the ribs, and StincOmb
claims to have been vigorously kicked.
Lucas carried a big cane, but the press
was so dense he did not have a chance
to use it. The crowd kept gradually
working the men toward the door.
Once outside, both cOuncilmen made
determined stand. Lucas threatened to
call the police. Meanwhile the council
men kept gradually working toward
Pearl street When they reached a drug
store at the corner they took refuge in
side. Lucas at once telephOned the
Central Police station and asked for
patrol wagon.
Finally a policeman appeared and
partly cleared the store. Repeated de-
mands were made on the cOuncilmen to
define their position and they stead
faStly refused. Justice of the Peace
Biermann, who was chairman of the
Turn Hall meeting, asked Lucas to go
outside and address the crowd, promis-
ing him protection, but knowing that
the patrol wagon would soon be there
he refused.
The police finally dispersed the mob.
The cOuncilmen are greatly excited
over the manner IN which they have
been treated and are talking of i'm
peaching Mayor McKisson, to whose
infiammatOry addresses they lay all
their troubles.
The obnoxious ordinances were in
trOduced in the common council by d.
NJ. Reynolds. Jr., and extend the fran
chises of all the street car companies
25 years, with fares fixed at cents. At
once a storm of protest broke out, and
Mayor McKisson took a most active
part in the opposition.
Meetings were held in various parts
of the city to denounce the ordinances
and to urge the adoption of Scent
fares. 1t was at one of these meetings
held early this week that the mayor
urged his hearers to hound the coun-
cilmen until they promised to vote
against the measures.