New-York tribune., 1899-07-20
THE STRIKE NOT GENERAL.
SECOND-AvE. LINE THE ONLY ONE Sc
RIOUSLY AFFECTED.


RIOUSLY AFFECTED.
LEADERS SAY MANY MORE MEN WILL JOIN
THE MALCoNTENTs TO-DAY-vIoLENcE
FEATURE OF THE OUTBREAK.
The street railway strike which was started
| in Brooklyn last Sunday spread to Manhattan
yesterday It brought along its chief charac-
teristic a total lack of backbone. and its prin.
cipal accomplishments, riotng and intimidation
| The trouble in this borough precipitated
about 3 a. m. by few impatient men, who
| broke away from the control of General Master
| Workman Parsons, and endeavored TO tie up
| the principal electric lines Of the Metropolitan
| Street Railway Company. They met no success
J at all on the Madison and Fourth ave line, got
trfng response the sixth-ave. and Eighth
! ave. lines and caused serious inconvenience on
| the Second-ave line only. There they succeeded
| in suspending traffic for a couple Of hours in
! the morning. That was the extent of their
threatened tie up Cars ran all day long on all
the lines on schedule time, near It, Not more
that four hundred of the companys thirty-one
! hundred men had quit work up to last midnight
! But II little was accomplished In the way Of
legitimate strike, the city actually disgraced
! by the rioting which followed. Violence was re-
I sorted to by the strikers their sympathzers
from the start. This was confined almost wholly
! to the Second-ave line. where motormen who re-
fused to strike were dragged from some cars
,tcoiIac
! thrown through the windows and obstructions
! were placed on the tracks wedged in the cleo
trio conduit slot The trouble increased as the
! night came on. and many casualties both
sides resulted.
WOMEN MOB LEADERS
! A prominent feature Of the roting in Second
ave was the number Of women who took part
| in it, as far as their presence and their lungs
were concerned. They melted the stone throw
ers by looks and words. and when the police
charged the mob they often stood their ground
with great boldness, feeling sure the patrolmen
would not club them. Several Of these women
were knocked down and trampled on, but did
not seem to mind 1t much. Children formed a
large part of the mobs, too, and their elders
often egged them to throw stones at the
motormen and police, by offering penny for
every time they hit the mark. The Brooklyn
poce. who bore the brunt OF the fighting. said
the Second-ave. mob was much more dangerous
than any they had to deal with in their own
borough and much more eager for scrap
out no more cars on Second ave. until this morn
ing the danger to the men from the mob being
too great and passengers being afraid to ride
in the cars Later, however, half dozen cars
were sent out
Devery's men showed what their Chief meant
by his orde' TO stand no nonsense ana
clubbed all disorderly men with such a will that
the rioters were terribly discouraged. Loud
complaints were heard that the patromen
showed unnecessary activity and vigilance in
preserving order and many promises were made
that Tammany would lose many labor votes at
the next election In consequence. These COM
plants Of course. came from those who were
dubbed or whose friends were dubbed While
"only looking on" 1t seems useless to inform
such people that those who throw stones count
on hiding themselves behind the onlookers. and
would not be likely to throw anything II they
had 10 do It in the open. A good way to escape
clubbing is TO keep away from the places
where clubbing is going on.
DEvERY IN HIS ELEMENT.
Mr.. Devery, who might easily be improved
upon as suppressor OF unobtrusive crime. is in
his element when there is any bone cracking to
be done. He let the strikers know that his men
were ready. to use his own words. Ito knock the
tons OF their heads off," and in order that they
might not be hampered by having TO beat any OF
their own acqualntances he brought four hun
dred poicemen from Brooklyn and Queens to
do the clubbing These men were fired by the
example which the Manhattan policemen nave
SET in Brooklyn. and they did Devery proud
with their night sticks The Chief declared that
there would be no need to call out the militia
here or in Brooklyn He has entire confidence
,ha, b,s forces could queli all rioters without
even resorting to revolvers
The strike was started purely out OF sym
patty for the Brooklyn men. but Parsons no"
asc,ares that II will not be settled until the
Manhattan employees get a ten hour work day