The sun., 1903-11-13
CHICAGO CAR STRIKERS RIOT
CITY STREET RAILWAY co. TIED
AND VIOLENCE BEGINS.
All Efforts TO Run the Cars Fall-POlice
Onicials Decide Not TO Put Policemen
on the Cars--Demand for "ClOsed
shop Policy Caused the Strike.


CHICAGO, Nov. 12--The long expected
street car strike came this morning at I
o'clock, when 5000 employees of the Chicago
City Railway went out A few attempts
were made by the company during the
forenoon to operate cable and electric
cars, but the strikers and their sympathzers
Immediately began acts of violence. Crews
of non-union men were assaulted and
several of the gripmen. motormen and
conductors were injured, two severely
Car windows were smashed, cable slots
plugged and other acts of violence COM
mitted.
The assurances that had been made Of a
peaceable strike were openly violated on
every hand. Residents of the south and
southwest parts Of town have no surface
transportation, but most OF them reached
their work this morning without serious
Inconvenience. All manner of four-wheeled
vehicles were used for passenger traffic.
Tho steam roads and the Alley elevated
were burdened with an almost unprece-
dented demand for service. Automobiles
bicycles, buggies, surreys came down the
boulevards in long stream, while in the
traffic streets hundreds of the employees
Of stores and offices rode free in the wagons
of sympathetic teamsters or patronized
buses.
Late this afternoon the officials Of the
company gave up their efforts to move
cars in the face Of the strike, and surrendered
for the night to the tie up, which now COM
petely holds the entire system. A demand
was made on Mayor Harrison for police
protection. and an EFFORT will be made to-
morrow to run cars on the Cottage Grove
and Wentworth avenue lines.
Assistant Chief Schuettler, and In
spectors LAWN and Hunt conferred with
the company officials, and after the police
officials reported Chief O'Neill announced
that policemen would not man the cars In
the barns nor ride on the cars. Patrol
wagons will precede the trains when needed.
Several men charged with melting a
riot and disorderly conduct were locked
up at the Englewood and Stock Yards police
stations as a result of the fights between
the police, the crews Of cars and rioters.
Less than twenty passengers were carried
by a total of four cable trains Of one grip
car and a coach each, which made the trip
from Cottage Grove avenue and Thirty
ninth street to jackson Park, and four
Wentworth avenue cars, which made the
trip from Seventy street to the
Clark street terminal yards downtown.
Two mail cars were sent out. one with
each detachment of trains. The strikers
and their sympathizers apparently made
a particular effort to keep these cars from
being blocked. but their progress was hin
dered by the riots, and the one which was |
run in Cottage avenue was relieved Of its |
burden at Fortieth street, while the one |
which made the trip in Wentworth avenue
and Clark street only ran as far as Van |
Buren, street.
The four Cottage Grove avenue cars
left the Thirty-ninth street barns at
o clock In the morning. Each train con-
sisted of a grip car and one coach. They
were followed by q mail car manned by
union men. At Fortieth street the second
train was stopped. The gripman unfastened
his part Of the train and went en-. leaving |
the conductor and his coach to the mob. |
The conductor was injured and taken to |
doctors office. 1hs coach was pushed |
off the track the blockade was on.
The most serious riot took place at Forty |
seventh street and Cottage Grove avenue |
where the motorman and conductor we're |
both hurt AS the result of the attempts |
to move cars fully dozen persons were in |
jured
The men decided to strike when the com. !
pany refused to increase their wages from |
"a to % cents an hour for motor1nen and |
conductors. that CLOSED shop policy |
be pursued by the company, none but union |.
men to be employed, and to submit the |
mems demands to arbitration. The COM
pany says that the demands for increased |
pay were unreasonable, as the men are now |
receiving higher wages than the majority |
of street railway employees in other large |
cities The company was willing to ar |
question Of CLOSED shop" policy