The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-25
HAVANA is RIOTOUS
TWO KILLED AND EIGHTY-TWO
WOUNDED IN FIERCE FIGHTS.
STRIKERS DEFY AUTHORITY
AND SCENES OF CARNAGE PRE-
SENTED IN STREETS.

Two of the Strikers ExilIed-Five of
Those wounded Are i'm Serious
COnditiOn-Cigarm Joined in
Their strike by All Union Members
saved Railway EmpIOyes-MayOr
and Government Secretary Favor
ed the enthusiastically Offers
Resignation.
Havana, Nov. 24.-As the result of
conflicts Of a serious nature to-day be-
tween the police and the men on strike
here, two strikers are dead and eighty
two other persons are wounded.
Five of the wounded, one lieutenant
of police, whose throat was cut by a
striker, have very severe injuries.
Eight other policemen are wounded.
The police have the rioters well I'M
der control this evening, but every pre-
caution is being taken to prevent a
further outbreak of disorder. and all
the police and rural guards in the su-
burbs have been summoned to con-
centrate in Havana.
The strike, which at first only con-
cerned the cigar workers, began this
morning by the calling out of all trades
in sympathy with the cigar makers.
All the trades people closed their
doors this morning. clerks, cooks and
every class of worlxmen having obeyed
motormen and conductors of the cleo
trio cars, who refused to join in the
general strike.
Made Attacks on Cars.
Trouble began early with the holding
UP of the electric cars by the strikers,
whose wrath naturally was directed
against the street railroad employees.
Several cars were held up and stoned
in the outskirts of the city, and the
passengers were compelled to walk into
Havana, among them being the British
and German ministers.
Several cars We're wrecked and some
motormen and conductors were injured
during these occurrences. The car men,
however, continued running their cars
until 10 o'clock, when Supt. Greenwood
ordered a suspension of traffic. The
employees were willing to remain at
work, but the officers of the company
in order to protect property, deemed it
wise to suspend the service.
Mr.. Greenwood had asked for pro-
lection from the civil governor. but the
authorities were unable to protect the
public vehicles. A mob of strikers
drove the men on the Western Rail-
road from the trains during the morn
ing.
The Mayor of Havana and the secre-
tary of government. Diego Tamayo,
had, during the past week, openly
sympathized with the strikers and had
given orders to the police not to use
force in dispensing the crowds, and I'M
der these conditions, the police were
unable to cope with the strikers.
Palma About to Take Charge.
The situation was approaching
critical point at noon, serious disorders
having taken place in front of the pal
ace itself, in which a police officer
named Maso and a number of police
men and strikers received injuries,
when President Palma sent word to
the Mayor that unless the city authori-
ties could preserve order and protect
the railroad company, the state would
intervene
The Mayor then took drastic meas
ures and issued an edict prohibiting
crowds from gathering in the streets
and authorizing the chief of police to
kill, if such action should be necessary
to preserve order.
A similar show of force early in the
morning would undoubtedly have pre-
vented the trouble, but now the strik-
ers had become emboldened, and fire.
qpent clashes between them and the
police occurred in all parts of the city
The police were obliged to charge a
mob of rioters at the slaughter house
and several among the latter were in
jured.
The vigorous attitude of the police
row made itself felt, and traffic on the
car lines. which had only been sls-
PENDED for brief period, was re-
sulled, and was continued from this
time forth with only occasional inter
ruptions.
Most of the injuries sustained by the
strikers were caused by the police
mems clubs.
Veterans Offer Services.
The Central Veterans Union, head
Ell by Gen. Gomez, held meeting this
afternoon and sent word to the labor
uriCns that if the disorders continued,
the veterans would offer their services
to President Palma to preserve order.
No bread or meat was on sale to-
day and continuance of the strike
viii cause much suffering to the poor.
The Police fear that trouble may occur
III the city tonight, and a, detachment
Of rural guards is expected to reach
Havana at 2:S0 tomorrow morning.
Senior Tamayo has resigned his Of
flee of secretary of government, but
President Palma will not accept his
resignation until the strike has been
settled. The public blames Tamayo
for his active participation in the
strike and says that he and the Mayor
are responsible for to-day's riots, as he
had openly expressed sympathy with
the strikers. At a political meeting on
Wednesday, at which Senior Tamayo
was chairman he endorsed the action