Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-09

J ST. LOUIS, May Sin accordance
with the decision reached by the st.
Louis Transit Company's employees
early this morning, general
strike was inaugurated on the
entire system at daybreak to-day.
| No cars were in operation save
a few on the Park avenue
division. The first car on this division
| left the sheds at O'Clock. The strikers
at the sheds did not attempt tot pre-
vent the crews from taking the cars
| out. The crews were allowed to run
the cars unmolested until 12:45 o'clock,
when car No. of the Park avenue di-
vision, was badly wrecked on Webster
avenue between Sixth and Seventh
streets, by a volley of stones thrown
hy crowd of men and boys.
The suburban line, many of the en-
ployes of which had been on a strike
| for several days, was also tied up after
the early morning hours Cars were
run as far east as Thirteenth street,
but when efforts were made TO bring
them down town, crowds of strikers
I
crews and in several cases dragged
them off the cars.
From time to time during the after
noon and night attempts were made 10
operate the cars, but in nearly every
case resulted in attacks on the crews
by crowds along the streets, practically
stopping traffic.
At lis o'clock a Park avenue car
| was considerably damaged at Eigh-
| teenth and Washington avenue. A
large crowd of men and boys was con-
gregated there and as the car was
within distance, they bombarded 1t
| with stones, regardless of the fact that
| several women were inside.
| The crew stuck to their posts, al
though the stones few thick around
| them. The company, when it found
| that the cars could not be operated, Or
| dered them back to the sheds. Num-
erous cars were stoned and the men
operating them attacked by crowds
along the streets. The strikers declare
! that they have had no active part in
these hostile demonstrations.
! Vehicles of all sorts were pressed in
to service to-day by the citizens of the
city in getting to and from business.
! Chairman Lee, of the national execu-
| tive board, the man who is conducting
this strike, said to-day that the union
was satisfied with the results of the
strike.
I'VE struck to tie up the system"
! said he, land we have succeeded. The
company has precipitated this crisis
| by its refusal to treat with u.s. We are
ready at any time to do our part to-
ward settling the differences between
us and the company"
Mr.. Lee said he did not know what
the strikers would do if the company
employs new men. The union claims
that about 3,400 men are out and that
they represent about 80 per cent of the
company's employees.
A joint session of the executive COM
mittee of the Business Mems League
and board of directors of the Mer-
chants Exchange was called at the re-
quest of members of both organiza
tons as soon as the gravity of the
strike situation was realized.
The justice of the demands on eth
er side was not discussed but the grav-
/ ity of the crisis as affecting business
and law and order was considered.
: L
view to bringing matters to a termina-
ton and considerable power was given
to the chairman of the meeting and
to the presidents of the two controll-
ing bodies represented 1t was decid-
ed to meet daily if necessary until the
difficulty shall be adjusted, and the
meeting adjourned until tomorrow.
| Tonight as suburban car was
crossing Taylor avenue a big crowd
gathered. Some one in it pulled the
| trolley from the wire and this action
so enraged a passenger, at present UNI
| known, that he drew revolver and
fired three shots into the crowd Hurd
| Gillsurly, a bar-keeper, an onlooker,
received one Of the bullets in the arm
and another in the lung. He was
taken to the City hospital where his
| wounds were pronounced fatal.
/