The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-05-17

ness fell this evening several thou
sand weary street car strikers and SYM
pathizers went to their houses, but
they were replaced by as many more
who took up the vigil to prevent the
United Traction men from %running
their electric cars with non-union men.
The darkness brought some conf
dence that there would be no attempt
before morning to move cars, for two
attempts made in broad daylight had
brought ~bloodshed and riot on such a
scale that the local police, aided by
scores of deputies and Pinkerton men,
had been unable to quell the disturb
ance.- One a lies in a hospital Sc
riously wounded, one of the two cars
the company attempted to run is in the
gutter of a street nearly two blocks
from the car house, wrecked, and the
trolley wires cut in several places,
practically Gripping the road. Near
the car houses are thousands of men,
women and children wrought up to
such a pitch of frenzy that boards of
the car houses are nailed across the
door to prevent another car from being
brought out.
Early this morning there were about
$50 new men. BY nightfall siXty-fve
had deserted and Joined the ranks of
the strikers. The men claim that they
were brought here under a miSappre-
hension, and that they supposed they
were going to Philadelphia.
This afternoon the police practi-
cally admitted that they were power
less to tax care of the crowds on the
street if cars were run and General
Manager Mcnamara Immediately call
ed upon General Oliver, in of
the Third brigade for protection He
said: w intend to run out cars if it
takes the entire national guard of New
York state to protect us"
General Oliver issued an order as
p sembling at their armory tonight, the
Tenth battalion of Albany. comprising
four companies of the national guard
of infantry, and the Third signal
corps, mounted.
General Oliver said he would warn
the remainder of the Third brigade to
be in readiness for a call.
The riot today was full of exciting
features. At 10 O'Clock two of the big
car doors swung eren and out darted
a closed car with all the windows open
&c. Immediately there was a roar
of Kisses and shouts. Several men
made an effort to board the car, but
NAA~y WIZ MP ~ OAh ~ ~ A2N
policemen, one of whom was station
ed on each car step. The car made
rapid Roadway, and almost before the
expectant crowd realized had hap
pened it was we'll on it's way over Quail
street. 1t continued to the Union sta
ton and returned. followed most of the
way by bicyclists and people in vehicles.
The second car did not escape. When
the doors were opened the mob surged
towards it despite the efforts or the po-
lice. The crowd ehrSoeo, ahrdecmfw
lice. The crew consisted of four men
dressed in plain citizen clothes.
AS the car swung around the curve
there was a rush for it, but the crowd
was driven back. The committee from
the strikers was allowed to approach
the men. They called: DO you want
to come with us, boys? You wont re-
greet it," There was no response from
any of the men. The mOtOrman, with
his mile gone, waved them aside and
the car was started off again.
All restrained in the great crowd
broke. Through the middle of the street
men ran, with women and children,
minging with the officers of the law,
whose clubs were swinging and arms
moving. in vain almost, to keep the
people from danger. Men stopped to
pick up stones and were overturned to
be pushed and kicked by the others.
Before the car had started two police
men boarded it. They simply made
two extra targets for the stones and
bricks. The car had not gone fifty feet
before ones helmet was crushed and
the other policeman was in danger of
having more than his helmet damaged.
There was a perfect fuSillade of
stones. They came from all directions
and crashed through windows, front,
rear and sides of the car. The men
aboard lodged and jumped from side
to side to escape them and were sue
c~essful, with the exception of the mo-
m a great jagged-edged rock
struck him full in the forehead and he
dropped to the floor of the platform.
1t was a deep, ugly cash the rock left
and the blood flowed from it in a
stream. The unfortunate man dropp-
ed into a pool of his own blood that
covered the entire platform. The assis-
tant. as soon as the man dropped,
grasped the brakes and controlling
handle and faced the mob. A few feet
more and the car was upon an lnsur-
mountable barricade. With a sudden
jerk it came to a stop and all aboard it
were thrown forward, one of the con-
ductors falling amongst a pile of
broken glass to receive some ugly flesh
wounds and cuts.
The conductors and one motorman
Joined the strikers and the wounded
man went to the hospital. He said his
name was Marshall, and he lived at
Green Point, L. I.
Five arrests were made and thus
ended the first days attempt to run
cars.
Several thousand strikers and sympa-
thizers charged at dusk on a wagon
load of non-union men who a been
sent out from the Quail street barns
by the company to repair the trolley
wires which had been cut during the
riots of the morning. The wagon left
the barn under escort of fifty patrol
men, including mounted officers, and
proceeded several hundred yards south
on Quail street, through a crowd OF
several thousand persons.
The wagon had no sooner stopped for
the men to m work than a
wild dash was made for them. The po-
lice were powerlesS to stop the storm
of stones and bricks showered upon the
non-union men from vacant lots, cross