Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-18

WOULD nave tue VTtAtEtuNt III htluh dcelAAtA
to regular cars and undoubtedly a great
deal Of friction will occur on this score in
case the strike is declared of.
At midnight tonight none OF the cars OPP
Grated by the traction company we're run
but President Rossitter said they
would be going on full time early tomor-
row morning.
Fifth Avenue Car Attacked.
A Fifth avenue car was attacked in Ben
sonhurst this afternoon by $50 strikers.
Thirty or forty Of them, apparently chosen
for the purpose, seized Conductor Cleary
and dragged him of the car. Four police
guards charged the strikers and tried to
rescue the conductor, who had been car
ried thirty or forty feet away and was fight
ing desperately, but the bluecoats could not
prevail against such numbers. One of the
policemen then run to the unionville depot
and there he gave warning to Inspectors
Kane and Campbell. who, with forty police
men, fastened in a special car TO the scene
OF the disturbance.
The policemen dashed into the crowd. 4
shower OF stones and bricks was hurled at
them and many painful wounds were In
Gicted. but the advance Of the bluecoats was
unchecked and soon the rioters were in full
Hight-all save seven Of their number who
were captured. Cleary was found beside the
road unconscious. He was lifted into a spe-
cial car and was carried to the Bath Beach
station, where a physician said his skull had
been fractured.
This rioting occurred in a part of Benson
hurst where many wealthy and fashionable
families live and caused great excitement.
Statement from the Men.
Charles W. Mackenzie, chairman of the
committee in charge of the strikers, said
that the men were holding their own and
would surely win out. He said that every
union man on the traction company's roads
and all of the men on the Nassau lines were
out and that all night long 81 road en-
ployes were being brought into the union.
He said that the IL" men were working at
the express wish of the strikers, so as not to
inconvenience the public. Mackenzie said
he was confident Of success and that a gen
eral tie-up OF the cars in Brooklyn would
occur If the traction company failed to &C
cede to the demands of the strikers.
General Master Workman Parsons said
today in reference to the street railroad
strike in BROOKLYN: 81 believe the position
of the strikers is being strengthened every
hour, and with the assurance of the financial
aid that has been given the contest will be
continued. Between s and II o'clock last
night 1000 men who worked yesterday en-
rolled with the strikers. The duration OF
the strike will depend entirely upon the
citizens Of Brooklyn, especially the business
men, and the influence they have on the
city officials of Brooklyn. in compelling them
to see that the ten-hour and speed law are
enforced.
II desire to say that every Encouragement
has been given the men to remain at home
and not congregate around the car barns
or street corners. This strike cannot be
helped by violence"
Then Mr.. Parsons began to discuss the
conditions in Manhattan borough. He said:
81 do not think there will be a strike of the
employees of TIM Metropolitan Street Railway
company. l fully expect the Board Of Arbi-
tration will impress PresidSd1 v~ree1and with
the fact that there are real grievances to ar
bitrate, and Mr.. Vreeland's refusal to con-
slider the matter with the Board OF Arbitra-
ton could only be interpreted as an intention
to join with the Brooklyn Rapid Transit COM
pany and crush out, with police assistance,
the spirit Of organizing among railroad en-
ployes. In such a contest the combined In
fuence of both corporations will be pressed
into service, and 1t is my purpose to arouse
organized labor so as to secure its assist
ance for the railroad men in meeting exist
ing conditions. II should be remembered
that the main question in dispute between
the employees and the corporations is: Shall
the ten-hour workday law be enforced?' 1t
should also be remembered this ten-hour
law for surface railway employees was made to
protect our citizens from the danger Of hav-
ing trolley cars operated by men who, from
excessive toll, are untitled for the work,
rather than enacted especially for the bene-
At of the men themselves.
aside from the purpose of enforcing the
ten law. the question at issue before
the public is: Should the company be
made to respect our laws?'"