The Washington times., 1902-01-22
Three Of the Strikers" From
the Ranks Of the Postal Tele-
graph Messenger Service
Placed Under Arrest.
RIHGLEADERS IN THE STRIFE.
An Exciting Half-Hour Of Miniature
Mob Law Witnessed on the Ave-
Rue-Insurgent Colors TTdiled
in the Dust.

1t was an exciting half-hour OF minia-
ture mob law in front of the Postal Tele-
graph Company's Office, near Fourteenth
Street and the Avenue, about 6:30 o'clock
last night. Half a dozen burly messenger
boy strikers" stood at the entrance of
the alley beside the Office and threatened
to knock the block off'n'' a group OF
badly scared Youngsters who had taken
their places There was as much juvenile
profanity in the murky atmosphere as
there is negro dialect around Centre Mar
ket
Then the brawny hands of the "cops"
gripped the blue collars of trio of the
ringleaders of the strike. They were
Clarence Thomas, John Flaherty, ard
Vincent Summer, aged sixteen, fifteen and
fourteen years, respectively. They sat in
separate rooms u. the House of Deten-
tion last night and brooded over their
supposed wrongs. They will each face
charge of disorderly conduct in the Juve-
nile Court today.
Company Wins the Strike.
The company has evidently won the
strike. Although several of the lads who
persisted in staying at work last night
went around with clubs tucked under
their blue coats and with an expressed
intention to LAY out" any striker who
approached them, the courage of the
striking forces was greatly simmered
down.
For two days there has been woe and
travail in the air for the messenger boys
who refused to quit work several days ago
when S. Porter House, the manager of
the night messenger force. gave several
of them what the boys termed the ''rinky
dink."
Why "Rinkydink' Was Admins
tered.
MIR. House said that be had admins
tered the ''rinky dink'' because the mes
sengers had become so Indifferent to their
work. dropping in when they pleased. At
any rate, the 'oustees'' al once began to
work on the sympathies of the boys still
at work.
The existing rate of stipend is s17 per
month. The messengers were urged by
the discharged boys to ask for $40 per
month, and to quit if they did not get it.
They quit.
Insurgent Force a Dozen strong.
That made an insurgent force of about
4 dozen strong. and the trouble began.
The bicycles OF the boys still at work
were given treatment which made them
full fedged candidates for the repair shop.
Several OF the riders of these bicycles
were Incidentally subjected to necessity
of repairs. Tires were mercilessly sliced
with sharp knives.
Diminutive messengers were waylaid
,uti rela dol
cuffed and cussed while the yellow envel-
opes were torn ana flung to the winds.
The strikers conducted an active bike
guerrilla campaign. and would have put
the willy De Wet to shame in the ease
with which they eluded policemen or any
form of pursuit.
DepIoyed in Front of Office.
The day for ce was practically Tnmolest-
ed. 1t was when the night shift OF mes
sensers went on thaeshe campaign OF the
strikers began.
About $50 O'Clock last night the night
force-as large a force as the manage
ment could muster-went to work. The
entire force Of the strikers was deploved
in 'front.' OF the Postal Telegraph CON-
pany's office.
Mr. House and Mr.. Slater. the latter
the chief operator left their Offices and
that the messengers at work were not
nolested. The bicycles were stacked In
a back room for fear of the tire-slicing
pocket rnachetes of the strikers.
plea of One of the Workers.
One little chap started out with mes
sage The strikers stopped him. They
would not let him pass. If the belliger-
ent threats made to him had been full
filled his head would have adorned the
handle bars of strikers bicycle.
Here, now, you boys aint got no right
to stop me-" cried the little chap tear
fully I've got a mother I've got to sup
port and you better let me go"
The appeal stirred the sympathies Of
many in the crowd of citizens which had
rapidly gathered, attracted by the noise
and the prospect of a fight.
On the ears of the strikers his words
fell fiat. They reyiled him until one
of the employees of the telegraph company
came to the lads rescue and escorted
him through the ranks OF the enemy.
Wrench Thrown Mt an Operator.
One OF the strikers, more venturesome
than the rest, dashed up the alley. He
had monkey wrench in his hand and
at one of the doors leading into the re-
ceiving room he stopped. The iron
wrench was hurled toward one of the
operators. The operator jumped up, ran
out and his fist made connection with the
messengers jaw. The messenger went to
the muddy asphalt.
If you do that again I'll smash youi"
yelled a grown man. whose sympathies
were evidently pro-strike, as he rushed
up to the operator.
plight of a strike Advocate.
"oh, | don't know; you amt such
much" vociferated a husky colored cook
who stepped at that moment out from
the door of a restaurant on the opposite
side OF the alley. "Ef yo git chesty 'roun
hyah lam gwine ter knock yo' block off"
The pro-strike advocate experienced an
attack of Sharkey- Naheritis and backed
off TO the disgust of the large number
who had swarmed into the alley ready to
hold the watch. to referee or to hold
coats if there would only be a mix-up.
Arrival of the BIueconts.
"Cut it out; here come de cops" was
the yell which was sent up moment
later. and there was wild scurry for
wheels. and Pennsylvania Avenue was
dotted with swiftly pedallng strikers.
Three Of them, the ones named before
were not speedy enough. however and fell
| into the clutches OF Policemen Simpson
and Grant. who promptly sent them to
the First precinct station. Charges OF
| disorderly conduct We're entered agains'
their names. The crowd dispersed soon
after the arrests had disDellsd prospect
of further trouble.
Scared Into Nervous CHiIIs.
| One boy who started to work soon after
| the strikers were discharged was so bad