Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-06-15
NEWS IN BRIEF
Reign of Terror in st. Louis.

Ten People Have Bssn Killed and Many
injured Since the Beginning OF the
strike May S--.Scenes or Shame
strike Has Cost More Than sac, OOO.-
900.
The great street car strike which WAC ba.
gun in st. Louis May 8 has thus far cost
the CITY in loss of business it is estimated
more than $2U,O0O,000. There is no inn,
mediate prospect of settlement of the
trouble despite the efforts of business men
TO brlng about arbitration The strikers
stand firm in their demand for reinstate
nent and recognition of their union while
One railway company says it will not dis
charge the men who have taken the places
oi the strikers nor force any one Of its en-
ployes to Join the union. Despite all eff
forts, the deadlock remains unbroken.
A reign OF terror has been started. and.
although police protection has been fur.
nlshed, the railway company has been I'M
able to operate all its lines. The regular
police force has been increased by a posse
comitatus of 250U summoned by the sheriff
but working solely under the orders of the
chief of police. Strong pressure is being
brought to bear upon the governor to in
duce him to call out the state militia, which
would make the available force fully 5000
In addition to the regular police of the city.
Politics enter largely into the question.
Since the beginning of the strike 10 men
nave been killed outright five others are in
the hospital believed to be mortally wound
ed, 40 have received bullet wounds, $50 have
been injured with missiles of various kinds.
while five distinct attempts have been
made to blow up cars of the transit COM
a . ...ta
house, blowing out windows and SCATTERING
the walls. On Thursday night the first
car after 9 o'clock was run since the strike
began. Very few passengers were carried.
People are afraid to ride on the cars. If
they are in business they are boycotted.
If they cannot be reached through their
pockets they are assaulted, or the women
members of their families are terrorized.
Unless the militia is called out the transit
company might just as we'll surrender the
streets after nightfall.
From the inception of the strike to the
present time scarce day has elapsed with
out violence. Men have been shot and
beaten, both sides firing indiscrminately
on the least provocation; women have been
Invested of their clothing. and publicly
whipped for daring to ride upon transit
cars; three school teachers were publicly
spanked by a crowd of women and other
acts of devilishness have been committed
by strike sympathizers, the strikers them
selves remaining in the background.
Encounters between strikers and individ-
uals and constituted authorities resulted
in three deaths and the wounding of five
persons Sunday. One hundred or more
strikers attacked a car near the temporary
barracks occupied by the sherriff's posse
on Washington avenue. Several shots
were fired by the strikers when the posse
appeared on the street to rescue the car
men. The posse returned the fire, mortal
ly wounding G. +. Thomas, a conductor,
and Geo. IReine, motorman, both with the
strikers Fred Boehm, an aged citizen,
was killed while standing in his own yard
by stray bullet fired by deputy sheriff
One woman had her clothing stripped
off by mob and her body and hair daubed
with green paint ON Friday. Schools were
invaded by other mobs and teachers threat
ened. One teacher was assaulted.