New-York tribune., 1899-07-17
OFFICIALS IN A FIGHT.
A LIVELY EXPERIENCE ON THE TEST.
ING CAR AMPERE.
STICKS AND STONES FREELY USED. A MO-
ToRMAN ON A PASSENGER CAR IN
JURED AND FIVE STRIKERS
ARRESTED.

JURED AND FIVE STRIKERS
ARRESTED.
The trip OF the private perlor car Ampere, used
principally by the engineers OF the road for the
purpose Of testing the power Of the electricity at
different points OF the electric system from the
City Hall. in Brooklyn. to Coney Island and re-
turn furnishes a rather thrilling chapter in the
history Of the present strike. Chief Engineer J.
G Breckenridge. w w. wickes private secre-
tary TO President Rosster; MIR. Van Cott. OF the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company four Central
Ofice detectives Harrington, Reynolds. Stod-
dard and Gray-besides the motorman and con-
ductor were on board.
The Ampere went leisurely along till 1t reached
point opposite some vacant lots near Twenty
second-st in FYfth-ave. close to Greenwood
Cemetery. The car which preceded the Ampere
was blocked at this point by bowlder, which
had been rolled from the side Of the bank There
were about one thousand men, boys and women
lining the tracks and as as the passenger
car and the Ampere reached the obstruction
they set up tremendous jeerlng and swearing
az the trolley car occupants. Then they began
N throw stones and the motormaD on the nrst
oar was knocked from the platform by rock
thrown by some one in the crowd. AS ne top
nlAd over on the track from the platform Of the
car the crowd howled its approval, ana Dig
man darted from the crowd and. seizing large
stone. rushed TO where the senseless man was
living. with the evident intention Of hitting the
notorman with II.
The Ampere was just drawing up TO the ior-
ward car at this instant. and Private Secretary
y1-icLes saw the danger the PROSTATE and sense
less man was in He jumped from the front end
and ran toward the advancing striker He met
the man lust as the latter was raising the rock
over the rnotorman and struck him with all his
might In the Jaw. The striker went down in
heap with Wickes on top Of him. Inc stllhe'
was much the more powerful Of the two and II
might have been bad for Mr.. Wickes II 1t had
not been for the Central Office men
Wickes grasped the striker by the throat and
the two were OF the ground struggling when
detective lent his aid and the man was arrested.
Meanwhile there fuslade OF STICKS ana
stones on the trolley cars. The policemen ana
Transit officials jumped right into the fray ana
charged up the bank.
Then followed a free fight in the vacant io's
which will long be remembered by all who were
IN II Chief Engineer Breckenridge is big
man weighing over two hundred pounds, ana ne
broke through the outskirts Of the strikers ana
rahbed two OF the stone throwers, holding tnelh
.tu ,ha detectives could help arrest them. The
strikers and their friends took 10 their heeis'
throwing more stones as they retreated ana the
detectives and officials dragged their Struggling
cantiyes TO the car They rounded up the fol-
loving. who were taken to the Fifth-ave. police
station, all Of whom were motormen:
ASH John twenty-five years old No. 90 Ftteenth-st.
CARIIN Henry. twenty-five years old. No Se4 Thirty
coNB0N Thomas. tventy-three years old No. 80 FIJI
HIGGINS Bernard thirty years old FOrtynlnth-st and
MoRRISoN Thomas F. twenty-eisht years old No
22219 Twcnty-hrst-st
The car was pretty badly battered by the
mob one Of the large plateglass windows was
broken and there are numerous dents in the
woodwork 1t drew up to the Brooklyn Clty
Hall soon after o'clock and It's unusual conol-
ton attracted the attention OF a throng of sight
seers. The Ampere was run 10 the mali track
near the postoffice. in front OF the CLARENDON
Hotel where the party took luncheon
1t was the toughest trip ever saw or ever
expect TO see" said Mr. Breckenridge TO a
Tribune reporter. The mob charged US with
great fury. and the stones flew like hall There
were half dozen. big powders on the tracks,
and nothing for US 20 do but stand ana nght
The detectives showed that they were made OF
good stuff That was the only place we had
much trouble this morning. and II was enough
for one day. I haven't had any sleep for thirty
six hours. and begin TO feel rather weary.
don't think the strike is going 10 last much
longer There doesn't seem 10 be much potion
10 H. All our lines are running. and some Of
Mr. Wickes' when seen. said: 1T may seem
"a her humorous to think Of peaceable railway
officials mixed UP in scrap with mop ike
that one this morning. but there was no humor
IN II for me- I wonder that l came out OF II
with a whole head. and don't see how the
Ampere came out Of 1t with only one window
glass broken"
The injured rnotorman was Howard Jackson
thirty-two years old Of No. los Flfty-seventn-
81 He was found to be suffering from scalp
wound where the stone hit him. and sprained
leg from falling off the car He was ATTENDED
by an ambulance surgeon and removed to the
Seney Hospital ,,.
His assailant was Bernard Higgins. thirty
Years old OF Forty-rin+h-st. and Eighth-ave,
who with the other prisoners was locked up :.
In the neighborhood Of the riot aiterward II
ox-d
contained new men to take the places Of the
strikers and they had no idea that they were
Central Office men.
WINDOW SMASHED ON SECOND TRIP.
Late Yesterday afternoon second trip over
N, lines OF the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Com
panv was made by the Ampere Assistant
SUPERINTENDENT Van COtt was the only repre-
sentative of the company on board There were
five detectives from the Central once mar
rncton Gray DOnavan, Reynolds ana o'oo-
dard Mr Van Cott sent out by Fresioeh'
Rossiter TO see If there were any signs oi SER
ous trouble along the lines He reIi)rted. after
a trip which took from O'Clock 10 o''"' '"''
everything was auiet along most Of the route.
The only signs OF discomfort were seen aio'e
the lines of the Nassau division. At various
point. IN Fifth Seventh and Third aves crowds
were encountered, but. aside from shouts OF DE-
rls.on Lhese was no defnohsia''oii
against the car and its passengers
There was one exception to TINS statement
Al Twenty-Arst-st and Third-ave' TWO young
lads were standing in a crowd. Some one essea
them on to peg" rock at the Ampere' Do.n
boys let hy at the same time. one OF lhe roo"s
went wild The other smashed through one ..
the glass windows OF the car LUCKILY none -
the passengers were hurt by the flying glass 0,
by the stone which Detective DonaVah p''N'D
up and put in his pocket .
The detectives jumped from the cai az
tho -. ,--.. ...ho Cred the stones. under ar