The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-18
FOUGHT THEIR WAY
THROUGH MOBs OF STRIKERS CARS
HAD TO RUN.
TROLLEY MEN ARE FURIOUS.
GIVE THE AUTHORITIES TROUBLE
AT BRIDGEPORT.

Clash of Authority Between the
Mayor and the Sheriff Renders the
Management of the Strikers the
More DifIicuIt-Sherif Promises to
Supercede the Mayor If the Latter
Again Interferes-Thirty-tw Men
Are Injured by the Missiles of the
Strikers.
Bridgeport, Conn, May 1.-THE at
tempt made by the officials of the Con-
necticut Railway and Lighting Com
pany to run their cars with non-union
men to-day resulted in riot in which
at least thirty-two men were injured:
The sheriff says that another out
break as occurred to-day will make the
calling out of the state troops inevita-
BILE. At the present time it is possible
that the county sheriff will supercede
the police in the control of the city.
This morning six trolley cars were
started out on the Barnum and State
street lines. There were large crowds
around the car sheds at the time and
the cars were manned by twelve of the
1870 strike breakers brought to this city
yesterday by the trolley company.
There was no disturbance of any
kind for couple of hours. When the
first car, however, had completed its
| third round trip and was directly in
front of the Wheeler & Wilson factory,
where crowd of at least 1000 persons
L.
stones began. Deputy Sheriffs Hen
drie and Plumb, who were riding on
the car, plunged into the crowd to ar
rest man whom they had seen throw
ing stone. He was seized, and with
considerable difficulty dragged fifty
feet to the car.
Stone thrower was a big fellow and
struggled so fiercely that q policeman
who was standing near by, went to the
| assistance of the sheriffs. Immediate
ly Mayor Mulvihill was seen hurrying
through the mob. He rushed up to the
policeman and ordered him to keep his
hands off the prisoner. He then told
the deputy sheriffs that they had bet
ter let the man go.
Mayor Struck by a Stone.
During the argument the stone
| thrower wrenched himself free and
| dashed away. In the meantime stones
were flying in shower, and one of
them struck Mayor Mulvihill on the
head, bruising it badly.
The two sheriffs jumped on the car
| and ordered the motorman to proceed
| to the car sheds. a quarter of a mile
| distant. The bombardment did not
| abate, and the crowds on the street
| We're so dense that the motorman had
| to go slowly.
The stone throwing soon became so
furious that the sheriffs drew their re-
Volvers and fired five shots in the air.
This caused the bombardment to let up
little, and the car reached the barns
and was run inside. The other five
cars, operated on the same streets, re-
ceived exactly the same treatment as
they followed the first car into the car
| barns.
! When the last car had passed within
the doors, there was a crowd of 1000
people gathered in a vacant lot oppo-
site, and violence once more broke
loose. Brickbats, stones and every
thing that could be thrown were hurled
at the barns, and anything that be-
longed to the company in the vicinity.
Turned the Hose ON EN-.
At this point Mayor MuIvihill saw
that the sergeant and nine policemen
stationed at the car barns were en-
! tirely unable to cope with the mob,
and he sent for Chief Coffin of the
| fire department. After a short con-
sultation, the latter ordered out en-
| CINE company No. g. with a steamer
and a line of hose. Supt. Birming-
ham also ordered every available man
to the spot to cooperate with the fire.
men and soon stream was being
| played on the mob, which slowly fell
back before the water
| One of the strike breakers was as
sisting the firemen in holding the hose,
when a well-directed brick struck him
on the head and knocked him to the
| ground, senseless. When the mob had
| dispersed the firemen and extra police
men were ordered back to their quar-
| tiers and the regular detail remained
! guarding the car barns.
The officials of the trolley company
will not reveal the names of the men
injured or the nature of their injuries
| 1t is positively known, however, that
not man of the twelve 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.
sheriff Doesn't Like 1t.
In addition to the trolley men in
! jured. Roadmaster Davis of the troll
! ley company was severely hurt by a
stone which struck him on the head
| Sheriffs Hendrie and Plumb were ap-
| parently targets for the mob as well
as the strike breakers. for each of
| them was struck in different parts of
| the BODY at least a dozen times.
No attempt was made to run cars
/ tonight.
In an interview the sheriff said:
II will have no further interference
on the part of Mayor Mulvihill. l will
have 100 special men here tomorrow.
and will do my best to preserve peace.
and IL the Mayor or anyone else at
tempts to interfere he will be stopped :
If necessary, l will supercede Mayor
Mulvihill in authority"