New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-08-22
CITY SHAKEN OVER THREE HOLES.
INCIPIENT RIOT AT NEW-ROCHELLE OVER
LIGHTING COMPANY's EFFORT
TO PLANT POLES.

After an exciting skirmish in which the police
were calJed out Mrs Richard Burnett the widow
of a wealthy New Rochelle business man, succeed
ed yesterday morning in routing dozen employees or
the Westchester Lighting Company who had oeen
sent to put up poles and string electric light wires
in front Of her home. Mrs. Burnett was assisted In
the fight against the corporation by her two daush-
tiers. Doie. twenty years old, and Roma aged
eighteen: her son. Richard: her coachman william
Kerwin and by six neghbors. The employees or the
lighting conany wpere led by Superintendent Deer
ing and Foreman Haggerty.
The Burnett homestead is in Centre-ave. and Is
one of the finest in the city Mrs Burnett object
ed to the erection OF the poles because she feared
that the heavily charged primary wires would ruin
the beautiful shade trees which surround the
nronertv According TO her story the company,
without attempting TO negotiate with her for the
privilege of putting UP the poles. sent a gang OF
men Yesterday morning to dig holes, and the men
had lust completed the first hole when Mrs. Bur
nett heard the noise and sent her daughters 10
der the work stopped. The foreman Of the corpora
ton refused. He informed the young women that
he had a permit from the City Engineer 10 dig
there.
The girls hurried 20 the house for their brother.
who came out and leaped into the hole that had
been made Mrs. Burnett telephoned for the police
Young Burnett stood in the excavation with his
head barely above the ground and defed the line
men put IN the pole. He declared that ne "ouIo
remain there all day.
The foreman of the lighting company. finding that
he could not remove Burnett without fight. start
ed his men TO digging new holes. BY this time the
neighborhood aroused and the coachman and
others Joined in the night The company S men
formed n circle about their fellows while the lat
ter worked. but they were showed aside by the an
cry neighbors. led by Mrs. Burnett's old servant
who fourished his fists and threatened TO whip
every electric light in sight. Two holes which
the construction gang succeeded in digging were
filed as quickly as they finished by the sym
pa thizers OF Mrs Burnett. John II. kremer jumped
into the second hole dug and frustrated all at
tempts to remove him. The started to lower
big seventy foot pole upon him. With the heavy
base of the pole nearly touching his head he de-
fed the workmen. who after becoming convinced
'ht Il Vas sS 70 70 naremen e Sy
Cody. and Mrs Burnetts lawyer. NJ j. Tterney. ar
on the construction gang TO show its permit quilt
work at once. An Investigation showed that the
the paper did not specify where the poles were to
refused TO interfere except to preserve order and
the foreman Of the lighting gang put MS IS, men TO
nett and almost produced riot Young Burnett
started 70 fiji the holes but stopped by the
police. They then appealed 70 C5y Judge , Phelps
to the invasion of the lighting company by deciding
the guard lines established by the corporation II
his object 10 enter upon his own property He
S 6d M the 4e[ Of the day he wanted to
Pheps's decision was greeted with cheering. as y
young Burnett and his symgathizsPs s as quickly as
possible seized ShoVelS ana .ilIeu up H'leS-
The lighting company during the scrimmage sue
ceeded i'm getting pole but the daughters OF
Mrs Burnett declare that 1t will have to come
down.
r A. Stratton vice-presldent of the Westchester
Lighting Company, said he had no fear OF any &C
ton Mrs Burnett might take, as IT had been de
cided by the courts that corporations had right
to go almost anywhere they pleased. when II was
necessary do public lighting.
I'm this we were working in perfectly legit-
innate manner" said Mr.. Stratton Our employees
had permit from the city, signed by the proper
authorities"
~ aft
satisfactorily with Mrs. Burnett.