The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-05
SUBWAYMRlKE TURNS TORl0T
MORE TROUBLE EXPECTED TO-
DAY IF WORK rs RESUMED
And the Contractors Have Negroes Ready
10 Take the strikers' Piaces-knives.
stiIcttos and Revoivess Made Use of
In Brooklyn Against Police Clubs

10 Take the striker Piaces-knives
RtiIettOs and Rev0lvers Made Use 0l
IN Brooklyn Against Police Clubs
The army Of Italian laborers along the
subway, who have been on strike for the
last four days, gave convincing evidence
yesterday that they are apt pupils OF the
labor union men who have been organizing
them. by starting riots In different parts
Of the city The outbreaks In Manhattan
were not serious. but in two In Brooklyn
at least 5000 Italians took part.
In Manhattan the disturbances were
serious enough, as indicating what may
be expected in the next few days II the sub.
contractors attempt to put non-union mer
In the places OF the strikers. That the con-
tractors will do this II the Italians do not
return to work soon there is no doubt
and that clash will follow such move
Is equally certain.
The Italians, most OF whom have been
forced to 60 on strike by the men who have
organized them. have evidently been en-
couraged to believe that they will win their
fight II they Use enough violence. All
day yesterday they were lettering along
the subway looking for any backsliders
| from their own ranks or for newcomers
| whom they might intimidate. As fast as
they were chased away by the police they
! returned, or new ones turned up in their
places, so that it required constant vigil
lance on the part OF the police to prevent
| trouble.
A crisis may be expected this morning IL
! Bradley & Co., who are doing the subway
| work from Fifty-ninth to tooth street,
| carry out a threat they made last night.
TIL mid tbav Ind mo NJ than,
unless the 1000 Italians they have been
employing return this morning these men
| will be put in their places. They say that
afraid Of the ItaIi ans. and that all they
ask is that they be protected from the
| strikers in working hours.
Other sub-contractors were talking last
! night of replacing the strikers with negroes.
Of whom there are said to be good many
unemployed here at present. The police
! say that they will do all in their power to
| protect negroes, but that they fear a race
| riot II the plan Is carried out. Bradley X
Co.'S negroes will report to the contractors
at Eighty sixth street this morning.
Wherever the police found Italians gath
cred along the subway yesterday they
moved them along in short order. Where
the Italians showed a disposition not to be
moved the police usually succeeded In
convincing them that it was more healthful
to obey.
There was lively time at Broadway and
Sixty-ffth street. A number of Italians
gathered there and announced that all
subway work must stop since they were
about twenty got down into the subway
and tried to run things down there to SUIT
themselves. They were having an easy
time of 1t when Roundsman Pelton with a
eighth street station came into the exca-
walton with clubs and sailed in without in.
troductory remarks. The Italians fed
and the police made no effort to arrest
any one. When there were no more Italians
to hit they went back to the station. There
was no more trouble at this.
crowd of strikers who gathered at
Forty-second street and Broadway, where
five negroes were at work, were similarly
scattered half dozen times before they
reported, but the police always arrived
in time to prevent serious results.
Trouble was expected in The Bronx. but
there wasn't a serious outbreak there.
doing the jerome Park reservoir work, was
afraid that the strikers would try to in
tmidate the 300 Italians he has working
there. Threats have already been made
against these men unless they join the new
(who are simply plain aborers), but they
were not interfered with. A strong police
guard will be asked for to-day.
Henry Lift. a contractor laying water
mains on the White Plains road, also had
day, as they were threatened by, the subway
strikers and some were bulldozed into
quitting work.
In tho camp of the strikers the situation
was unchanged. The Italians are jubiant
over what they regard as their success in
tying up the su i,way work. and expect a
complete surrender on the part Of the con-
tractors to-day. Vito Pacello, who is the
head Of the strike, said that the men would
surely win. and they were obeying the
five of his men had been arrested in Brook
lyn, following two serious riots, and not a
man among them had not at least one gun
or one knife or stiletto in his possession.
Union which was to have called on Con-
tractor Mcdonald yesterday didn't get to
see him. This committee is going to try
and show Mr.. Mcdonald how much to his
of the Italians The committee will have
to explain first why the body it represents
has been guilty OF such gross breach of
contract with the subway Contractors as
to ndorse a strike when the agreement
to arhitrate. all differences made in 1901
Mr.. Mcdonald didn't appear in his Office
downtown, but from his uptown Office
issued this statement:
Our men T are the highest paid Of any in the
that has not expired. and in striking now
they are violating this agreement.
As yet We have hired no men to take their
places. but the work will have to go on soon.
Tho subway is In sense public job: 1t Ia
public necessity that II be completed us
soon as possible. and We will bend every
energy In that direction.
While II is true that the sub contractor
are the real factors in the difficulty, am not
come 70 me for advice and abide by what. !
say. The men will go back at once II rightly
advised, and am willing to meet and talk
to them, but have resented, and do resent.
outside interference.
The trouble the strikers made In Brook
lyn yesterday ia believed to Ike due to en-
couragement they had from this side Of
the river. In Brooklyn. the Italians. not
one in ten Of whom Is an American citizen
and very few Of whom. speak English at
all, have been organized into what is known
as the Excavators and Cellar Dggers'
Union. This union went on strike several
days ago and has since spent much time
marching around the borough intimidat-
ing Italians who have preferred to re-
main at work
A number Of them we're marching about
the Bedford avenue section OF Brooklyn
yesterday morning. and number Of po-
lcemen were following them, including
"Mile-a- Minute" Murphy. the bicycle
rider, who recently Joined the force.
the Italian moving. and when 500 or more
stopped at Franklin and Lexington ave-
nues the police ordered them to move