The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1903-05-22
RIOT At BRIDGEPORT, Conn.
STREET CAR COMPANY TRIED TO
OPEN TRAFFIC.
Fifty Men lnjured-Non-Union Men
and Cars Were Pelteu With Brick
and stones-Mayor Sided With
Strikers-4oo0 People in the Crowd
Used Fire Hose to DIsperse Them.

tempt made by the officials OF the Con-
necticut Railway &c Lighting company
to run cars with nOnunion men result
ed in a riot, in which at least so men
were injured The sheriff says that
another such outbreak will mako the
calling out of the state troops inc
vitabe. At the present time it is ex-
pected the county sheriff will super
sede the police in the control of the
city
Six trolley cars were started out on
the Barnum and State street lines.
There were large crowds arovnd the
car sheds at the time the cars were
manned by IL of the $50 men brought
to this city by the car company. There
was no disturbance for a couple of
hours. When the first car. however,
aid completed its third round trip and
was directly in front of the Wheeler
& Wilson factory, where a crowd Of
at least 300 persons had gathered,
bombardment of stones began. Deputy
Sheriffs Hendrie and Plumbe, who
were riding on the car, plunged into
the crowd to arrest a man whom they
had seen throw a stone. He was
seized and with much difficulty
dragged so feet to the car.
The stone thrower was big fellow.
and struggled so fiercely that police
man standing near by went to the as
sistance of the officers. Immediately
Mayor Dennis Mulvahill was seen hur-
rying through the mob. He rushed I'D
to the policeman and ordered him TO
take his hands off the prisoner. He
then told the deputy sheriffs that they
had better let the man go During the
argument the prisoner dashed away.
In the meantime, stones were fying
in shower, and one struck Mayor
Mulvahill on the head, bruising it
badly.
The two deputy sheriffs jumped on
the car and told the motorman to
proceed to the car sheds, a quarter
of a mile distant. The bombardment
did not abate, and the crowds on the
streets were so thick that the motor
man had to go slowly. The stone
throwing soon became so furious that
the officers drew their revolvers and
fired five shots in the air This caused
the bombardment to cease a little and
the car reached the barns and was run
inside. The other five cars kept on the
streets received the same treatment
as they followed the first car into the
barns.
When the last car had passed in the
doors there were 1000 people gathered
in a vacant lot opposite, and violence
once more broke loose. Bricks. stones
and everything that could be thrown
was hurled at the barns and anything
that belonged to the company in the
vicinity.
At this point Mayor Mulvahill saw
that the sergeant and nine policemen
at the car barns were entirely unable
to cope with the mob and he sent for
Chief Coffin of the fire department.
After a short consultation the latter
ordered out an engine company and
a line of hose. Superintendent Bing-
ham also ordered every man to CO.
operate with the fremen, and finally
the mob fell back before the water.
One of the strike breakers was assist
ing the firemen in holding the hose
when a well directed brick hit him
on the head and knocked him to the
ground senseless.
When the mob had dispersed the
firemen and extra policemen were or
dered back to their quarters and the
regular detailed force guarded the
barns. Officials of the trolley company
will not reveal the names of the men
injured. 1t is positively known, how.
ever, that not a man of the II who
were on the six cars escaped injury
of some kind. Every one of them. as
they stood on the platform of their
cars while going into the barns. was
seen to be bleeding profusely from the
head and face. In addition to the troll
ley men injured RoadIlaster Davis of
the trolley company was severely in
jured by stone which struck him on
the head. Deputy Sherifls Hendrie and
Plumbe were the principal targets for
the crowd, and each was struck on diff
ferent parts of the body at least a
dozen times. No attempt was made to
run cars tonight.
In the interview the sheriff said: 81
will have no further Interference on
the part of Mayor Mulvahill l will
have 100 special men here. and win
do my best to preserve peace, and if
the mayor or any one else interferes
he will be stopped. If necessary |
will supersede Mayor Mulvahill in au-
thOrity."