Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-16
Windows in Street Cars Were
Smashed.
SYSTEM TIED UP SATURDAY EVENING
Cars Were Run Under Police Protec-
ton Sunday UP to Noon, and for
Time in the Afternoon on the West
End Line.

first stone was thrown which damaS-
ed property in the progress of the
strike of motoneers, conductors and
linemen formerly in the employ of the
Ottumwa Traction & Light company.
Twenty minutes later not wheel on
the entire system was turning except
that about midnight the work of TAX
ing the cars to the barns began. Yes
terday up to noon what cars were run
were under police protection. Those
on the West End required the pres
ence of blue coat nearly all day. The
police were practically powerless to
handle the immense crowd Saturday
evening, which, however, did no great
er damage to property than to break
ten windows in the car on the Court
Hill line when it reached the down
town terminal, cut the ropes attached
to trolleys and scraped little paint
off other cars by tossing stones at
them.
Crowds congreeate.
Two sessions of the joint meeting
between a committee of the strikers
and representatives of the Ottumwa
Traction & Light company were held,
neither of which resulted in an adjust
menC Oh the QlIHculuy.
The first meeting was held at $3.50
o'clock Saturday afternoon and con-
tinued until o'clock. Recognition of
the union was the point which could
not be satisfactorily adjusted. II be-
came noised about that no agreement
had been reached until it was the prop
erty of the usual Saturday night
crowd in Ottumwa's streets The sit
uation needed little to congest the
streets at any point.
At z o'clock the number of people
was augmented by the arrival of peo-
pie from the suburbs including many
residents of Fairview, Phillips mines,
the East End and from the hill portion
of the city The feeling seemed to
pervade the city like an electric thrill
that something was about to happen
1t did.
At 1880 o'clock number of boys
congregated at the corner of Market
and Second streets and began to jeer
at the crews which We're taking the
places of the striking men as well as
the old men who refused to go on a
strike.A large number of people in an
incredible short time was massed at
this point until Market street from
Second to Main was choked with hui
mainly, many of them adding to the
excitement by howls of derision.
The First Move.
The first move which resulted in a
few short seconds in absolutely stop
ping the proceedings so far as the
East and West End cars We're concern
ed, happened about $3.50 o'clock as the
1 West End car No. 80, and car No. 49,,
going east, in charge Of Motoneer w.
G.. Boyles and Conductor Grant Rum
baugh, passed each other on the Mar
ket street switch the East End car
went through without stop, but the
conductor on the one going west had
to stop to fix his trolley which had
been pulled off by some one in the
crowd. The trolley was returned to
its place and the car started again but
only to stop within short distance
when the trolley had again been pull
ed off the wire.
Trolley Wire Breaks.
This time the move accomplished
the purpose for which it was evidently
intended, as the rope was cut ana
the trolley pole crashed into the
wires. At this juncture the motto.
neer evidently lost his head as he did
not apply the brakes and stop the car
and it backed up slowly, the trolley
pole catching in the switch frog and
breaking the trolley wire just at the
point where the Second street turn is
made.
No One Injured.
The car going east had just made
| the turn on to Main street when it was
stopped by the broken trolley wire and
| the power being subsequently shut
| off, the crowd soon became apprised
of this fact. 1t was here that the most
unruly demonstration occurred. Thou.
sands surged around Motoneer Boyles
and Conductor Rumbaugh, who were
sitting on the front seat of the car
and soon mud and rocks were being
thrown at the two men on the car.
Car Window Broken.
A window was broken by a rock and
this was followed by brick which
crashed against the car The arrival
of Chief John Gray at this juncture
probably saved car No. 40 from seri
GUS damage as determined effort
was being made to tear up the street
paving for ammunition. Chief Gray
stood on the front end of the car with
the two men, and soon persuaded the
men to leave the car and report at the
street ear office, when the excitement
was over at this point and the moi
took up the cry of Court HILL
The Trouble on the Hill Lines.
| After persuading the motoneer and
| conductor to leave the East End cal
which was corralled at the interssc
ton of Market and Main streets fol
about twenty minutes, the crowd spied
the Court Hill car coming down Mar
ket street in charge of Motorneer Clar
ence Holt and Conductor Edward
Chambers. The car was quickly sur
rounded and the trolley pulled from
the wire. Amid the shouts of the PEG
pie the crew took refuge within the
car In few minutes some person
threw small stone through one of the
windows. 1t was quickly followed by
a small shower or like missiles and
eggs. Ten windows were broken and
water was also poured inside the car
Then Messrs. Chambers and Holt left
the car and went to the office of the
street railway company. During their
progress through the crowd Mr. Cham
bers was struck in the back with some