Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-07-18
ALL CARS STOPPED SHORTLY AFTER
O'CLOCK LAST NIGHT.
Attempt of President Rossiter to Ad-
dress q Meeting of Strikers ON
Invitation Almost Led to n
Riot-Chief Devery's
Opinion.

Cars were run on most of the lines gov
erned by the traction company from early
morning until Z o'clock this evening, but
after sundown there was a considerable
falling off in the service and by 9 o'clock
not car was moving on any of the lines
affected by the striking motormen or con-
ductors. The roads comprising the Nassau
were most effectively crippled. None Of the
striking employees returned to work, and
most Of them were busy during the day
influencing union and non-union men on
the other lines to quit work. In this re-
spect the strikers were partially success
full, but they made no inroads on the rum
ming of the Putnam avenue cars. This
line is practically intact, not more than half
dozen of its employees being affiliated with
the strikers.
The Coney Island Railroad Company
reaped q rich harvest on all of Its lines
during the day. It lived up to Its
sequently its business was not in
terfered with in the slightest. In
fact. the business on these roads was con-
siderably augmented, as many travellers
patronized the cars, although In many
cases going blocks out Of their way to do
so.
OF all the lines in the traction system,
Flatbush avenue and a newly opened
Brighton beach route were the most seri-
ously affected lines during the day. The
regular schedule on the Flatbush and
Brighton Beach roads calls for ninety-four
cars. but only six of these were success
fully worked. On the Nostrand avenue
line, seventy-five cars are daily sent out
To-day only eight were manipulated and
most of these did not cover the entire
route. Tompkins avenue was very much
neglected, only two cars passing over the
entire line during the day.
President Rossiter, accompanied by Seth
l.. Keeney, visited the barn on the Fiat.
bush avenue line, near Vernon avenue
during the afternoon. The strikers were
there to man, and when the railroad
magnate drove up in. coupe, the strikers
adjourned to- a nearby hall and held a
meeting, to which they invited Messrs
Rossiter and keeney.
Mr.. Rossiter was introduced by Albert
swseny @ the ,s The h r latter RasseT sae
Win or lose, let us be gentlemen" 49,
There were shouts, jeers and Kisses as
the president of the road stepped forward
81 want to say" he began, that don't
need an introduction to the men. They
have seen me in the power houses and
along the lines and in the barns and they
know me-" He was again interrupted with
shouts, jeers and cries: I'VE want ar
heard in the din. That's a lie," was
shouted again. ~
The president told of the beginning OF
the strike and the measures he had taken
Yesterday all the cars went almost or
schedule time" he said.
That's a lie was shouted out, and again
there vas kissing.
Il don't need to ask you to believe" he
continued. You know whether 1t is true
or not. To-day the cars on all the lines
are running on nearly the regular
schedule He endeavored to talk, bu,
scarcely uttered a sentence without being
jeered and hissed, and finally as he told
of his dealings with the men and his de.
sire to aid them, but of his determination
not to recognize there was strike, there
was din that lasted for fully a quartz,
of an hour. v---t -
After 1t was over the president said HI
had come to the meeting to restore har.
mony. He declared he would take the mer
back and not hold their action against
turn and said II they did not come bacl
then they would be discharged.
Weil sot never fro come back Sas was 1lH the reply
while the babel reigned and finally he was
escorted down stairs and through the moi
tered a carriage with his party and wa.
driven to the barns around the corner
where the party boarded the car Ampere.
The crowd made a rush for the car, but
sitter on the. front platform, the coolest
man about, the car went to Church street
In Flatbush avenue, and was switched of
toward the Thirty ninth street ferry.
AS the car moved off someone hit Ros
sitter with the core of an apple.
During the excitement attendant on the
the barns on the Flatbush avenue line ant
were attacked by the mob The police
however, charged and drove them back.
Some twenty strikers took advantage Of
fr, Of he. har
to obtain stones. bricks and other things
from a new building, and they scattered
debris for half block along the car tracks
of the Flatbush avenue line below Church
street.
When a car came along towards the barr
the strikers rushed for 1t. One aimed Z
blow with a heavy iron at the motorman
He jumped into the arms of the striker.
and was roughly handled until he said he
would strike. The conductor was pulled
from his place also and agreed to strike.
The next car was guarded by four police
men, and these resisted the attacks of tn.
strikers until detail of fifteen men wa:
rushed from the Grant avenue station
These soon charged the crowd and drove il
back.
Early in the afternoon small sized boul
ders and sturnps of trees were thrown upor
the Flatbush avenue tracks in front OF the
Wildwood Club, but all these obstructions
were removed in time to allow the limited
number of cars to make their scheduled
trips Considerable difficulty was eXper-
fenced on the Nostrand avenue and cross
town lines. but no serious mishap occurred
All the cars were manned by two or more
policemen and the presence of the officers
on board the cars prevented, in great
measure any outbreak on the part of the
strikers or their sympathizers.
Very few cars were run over the OLE
Nassau lines and those which were rul
were in charge of road inspectors, electric
light men and trackmen belonging to tn,
road. These cars were totally inadequat,
to supply transportation for their patrons
| and those who rode over the lines had t.
put up with frequent and annoying delays
At o'clock this evening President Ros
sitter issued instructions to shut down oil
all the Traction companys lines. and from
that hour until long after midnight not
car was run, with the exception of a coupl
which were placed at the service of tn
city authorities to take the policemen t,
outlying districts.
part of the afternoon in Brooklyn. He al
lowed nearly half of the New York police
men. who had been on duty since earl!
yesterday, six hours leave of absence, and
in the meantime, their places were taker
up by others who had managed to snatch
a few hours sleep earlier in the morning
aS Mnsn fts apK probabIe be @ outcome % CHIEF peveE,
said: "This strike should never have oc
CURED The men will surely lose. The,
are not organized, and think the whole
matter will be adjusted inside of twenty
Police Commissioners Hess and Yorl
were at the municipal building shortly al
ter noon andJw soon Joined by Commits
sioner Sexton, Chief Devery, Deputy Chic
Mel oughlin and President Rossiter.
Commissioner Hess, in speaking to Mr.
Rossiter. was very plain spoken in his re
marks, and reiterated his statement of yes
terday as TO the advisabiiity Of considering
The strikers claims, but he advanced NJ
practical way OF the company's getting ou
OF its present difficulty.
AT midnight tonight Chief Of Polio
Deyery and Deputy Chiefs Mclaughlin AM