New-York tribune., 1902-05-17
RIOTERS USE THE TORCH.
A SHOP FIRED AND OIL RAGS
DLSTRIBUIED.
DISORDER QUIETS DOWN SOMEWHAT,
But MEETINGS TOMORROW MAY
GIVE 1T FIERCER IMPETUS.

destruction far and wide among the kosher
shops AS the the previous day. the
main disturbance caused by the women.
Armed with sticks vocabuaries and well sharp
ened nails. they made life miserable for the
thousand and more policemen who had been
hurried down to meet the expected outbreak
A semblance of order marked the course Of this
amazOnian warfare. Groups of women patrolled
the street in front Of each butcher shop. and
when customer seen emerging With a
basket of provisions they fell upon her. and
scattered the contents of the baskets. well
the shreds and tatters to which the wom-
ans garments reduced.
Frequent and loud complaints were made
against the police who were charged with un-
necessary roughress. Their lot a hard one.
however. From windows they were assailed
with water bags. decayed vegetables and other
| missiles in uninterrupted stream. Their
watched the proceedings. OF the people arraigned
the brief skirmishes that they had with the IN
dignant women
Orchard-st showed most signs OF the strug-
gle. For several blocks there not a window
left whole in the butcher shops. Some were
completely demolished. others only smashed by
missiles from distance. These shops were
closed. and there little evidence of life
about them Most OF these had deniol-,
ished on the previous day. though any that had
been overlooked before were visited in the morn
ing nOurS ana put out or business.
Essex-st. also bore marks OF the fray, and
was the centre of interest during the day. as
the rioters arrested by the police were taken
into court. During the day nearly hundred
people. - per cent Of them women. were ar
raigned before Magistrate Cornell, and fines OF
from 81 to so were imposed. The magistrate
took serious view of the situation and acted
accordingly. When the court opened in
the morning. it packed to sufrocation with
| ri
once ordered it cleared. The street outside had
to be cleared also but all day a crowd
bering nearly a thousand hung about and
watched proceedings OF the people arraigned
and fined nearly half were unable TO pay their
fines, and many will have TO go TO jail.
| AN ATTEMPT AT ARSON.
| The most serious outbreak of the day came
in the form of an attempt to burn the shop az
| No 1O3 RivingtOn-st., about half block from
| the University Settlement This constitutes a
/ serious danger, for the meat shops all situ-
ated under densely inhabited tenements, and
are thoroughly soaked with fat and grease
that they would make rich food for the iames-
| Kerosene rags were pretty freely circulated in
| the crowds and several were directed at the
wholesale meat wagons that appeared during
| the morning. The result that the wagons
beat hasty retreat.
| As far as prices are concerned. there has been
1
| of the popular agitation. Meat sells to-day for
exactly the same price it did a week ago.
| Throughout the East Side the entire blame is
| placed upon the local dealers. Their prices were
| raised TO meet the prices of the wholesale
| dealers who are locally known only as
| the Trust When they had succeeded in
wringng concession from these dealers. they
| did not change their prices Desiring to make
| up for the money lost by the enforced idluuess
Of the previous weeks they sat still and heia
out The result that the infuriated people
/ turned them and started wholesale riot
| The shops of the dealers who continued 10 do
| business on the East Side at big prices were
| picketed and the customers assaulted That. in
| a word is the situation from the point of View
| of the people there.
| Not merely has the price of meat risen The
| prfces of eggs vegetables. and of coal, are
| soaring. Where a woman was accustomed to do
| her marketing for 30 cents a day, the same
| sum brings only twO-thirds as much. and she
| has to pay ~ cents This means 81 40 more 4
week. This is large percentage of ~ or $40
a week. which is about the average wage earned
on the East Side.
! The conditions calmed down considerably IN
| the course of the day. the severity of the fines
| imposed by Magistrate Cornell, the alacrity
| with which the police responded to calls and
| the effective use they made of clubs and pieces
| of rubber hose contributing much to the general
/ quiet of the evening, but the approach OA tie
| Jewish Sabbath also important
| Tomorrow there will be special meetings In
| the synagogues mass meetings by socialists
and a general and organized protest and Demon
| stration will be planned. BY some this is feared
! as prelude to still fercer and more systematic
rotng as the women. for the most part. have
| carried on the struggle; but their husbands,
| indignant at the treatment received from the
| police, who have not hesitated to club women.
/ rI,1 Fray-
| fight has been confined TO bOycOtting shops and
| smashing windows. Attempts to set fire the
] things most TO be dreaded There are also some
| anarchists on the East Side. and an outrage
/ from them is not unlikely.
MR. REYNOLDS'S VIEW.
James r. Reynolds, Mayor Lows secretary.
took serious view of the situation:
Il think the blame rests with the shOpkeePers.
/ and too much censure cannot be given them.
At the same time. when attempts made to
burn stores and officers are assaulted there can
he no Svo ways of acting. AS for its political
| effect-weu. YOU know that nothing happens
this is true now
/ Robert Hunter. head worker of the University
| Settlement on the East Side was seen by a
| Tribune reporter yesterday
Il did not think that il would come to rioting"
said he. But have known it was bad situa-
| tion. The whole district is aroused: the SOBER
conservative people up in arms. and this
region is seethng with Indignation. / was par
| ticularIy impressed with what seemed To me the
| unnecessary rouShness the officers used at Essex
Market Court this morning l personally saw
| some outrageous examples of brutality"
Frederick \. King. q probation officer. told a