Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-06-28
THE TRANSIT STRIKE
Police Reported All Quiet Yesterday
Along the Company's Lines.
ARREST OF A SUSPECTED DYyANITER
The Sheriff Instructed TO Reduce the Posse
Comitatus to $40 Meu, hut to Have
1900 on Duty on the Fourth
Of July.

St. Louis, June 23.-Yesterday wal
one of the guietest days since the in
auguration of the strike by the EN-
ployes of the st. Louis Transit com
pany. Cars were run on every divi
sion without molestation. The polio,
reported that no violence of any de
scription occurred up to late houl
last night.
The most important occurrence o,
the day was the arrest of Ora Havil
on suspicion of having been connected
with the recent dynamite explosion.
which have taken place along the line.
of the Transit company. Ora Havil
is an employee of the Transit company
For several weeks he has been acting
as private detective and prior to that
time was employed as a guard on the
cars. Havill has figured in at least
two ARRAYS in which shots have been
exchanged between Transit company
employees and strike sympathizers
with serious results.
On information furnished by Havill
Chief Campbell had detailed a squad
OF police to guard the bridge over
River Des Peres, on the Delmar
branch of the Transit company, in st.
Louis county. Havill claimed to have
overheard conversation between two
men in which arrangements were
being made to destroy this bridge
by dynamite on Thursday night.
Shortly after dark the police as
signed by Chief Campbell to watch
the bridge arrested two men, one of
whom was Havill, in the vicinity of
the bridge. His companion was an
other employe of the Transit COM
pany named Clarence NJ. Smith. They
explained to the police that they were
sent out by the Transit company to
watch the bridge and convinced the
officers of their identity after they
had shown them two sticks of dyna-
mite and piece of fuse which, they
said, they had found in the bushes.
The officers released them, but kept
a watchful eye on their movements.
About an hour later the police, who
had remained in the vicinity of the
bridge, unknown to the two men, OBJ
served them pick up the two sticks of
dynamite and start to walk toward
the city, whereupon the officers ar
rested them. The chief ordered Ha-
viii held and released Smith, who told
a straightforward story as to how the
dynamite was found by Havill near
the bridge. Smith said he knew
nothing of the details of the alleged
plot save what lIavill had told him
on the way out.
"This fellow Havill," said Chief
Campbell, "has given us more trouble
since he has been in the city than
any. dozen men. | am satisfied he
knows more about the planting of
this dynamite than any one else. I
believe he placed it there himself, and
concocted this alleged conspiracy
story to more firmly establish him
self in the good graces of the Transit
company by posing as an energetic
sleuth. This man, Smith, tells
straightforward story, and is re-
liable man, but even his suspicious
were aroused as to Havill's connection
with the dynamite"
In accordance with instructions is
sued by the board of police commits !
sioners to Sheriff Pohlman yesterday
afternoon the posse comitatus will be
reduced to 500 men. 1t was decided |
by the police board that the time
had come when large body of armed
men were no longer needed to pre-
serve the peace. The posse will be re-
luced by parolling or furloughing in
lividual members. The men on parole
will be subject to calls in case of
rouble. Unless the situation grows
worse the men will not be recalled
until the Fourth of July, when it is
about 1900 men will be on
luty.