Waterbury Democrat., 1903-02-02

The tragedy of toll was endcleu III this city Saturday night and sunday morning, the principal scenes Delng on the principal thoroughfares, Nortn, South. East, West Main ana bailA streets. The fury that has been break ing out in the darkness of evening III the suburbs during the past few weeks burst forth in it's full rage. The taxpay- CTS and the peaceful citizen, the old resident who has built up the city as we'll as the new conner, all were in the vortex of fury that burst upon the city Saturday night in resentment of the action of the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Co toward their former em- ployes The repeated appeals of the striking trolleymen to the public to keep their temper proved to be of no avail The public seemed to think the strikers and the company had dis cussed the point far enough and that it was time that they should take 8 part in the debate. It was certainly wild night, and it is a painful coinci- tience that the record of it should be written upon the first anniversary of the greatest disaster that has ever be fallen the community, the great con- fiagration of one year ago to-day exact ly. It was a night that never will lbe forgotten by those who witnessed 1t, not on account of the damage that was done the company's property, for few hundred dollars will pay for that, but for the recldessness with which the people went into the affray. The as sailants apparently constituted all kinds of people They did not seem to wish to injure the men in charge ot the cars so much as they apparently desired to damage the company's prop erty Had it been their purpose to in jure the non-union men there were plenty of occasions in which they could have made corpses of some of them. Two reporters of dhe Democrat were through it all from start to finish, and the following is the result of their own actual observation.
 The crowd began to gather on Bx- change place as early as 7:30 o'clock. It seemed to be 3 good humored crowd at first Nothing but cheers were heard. Every once in while the strikers buses would approach through the great throng, greeted by loud hurrahs. Everyone that took q seat in the buses was cheered. But as time passed on and the crowds increased, hisses were given whenever a car came into Exchange place. For some time this was the extent of the demonstra- tion. Cheers for the strikers buses and misses for the cars.
 But a force of policemen was neceS- sary to keep back the growing throngs and at length the pressure became so great that the police were unable to cope with it. Chief Egan, in full uni form. was thrown against a car as he was in the act, it was said, of arresting aYraa ny0 oyaa hi a0Y mi h. one. escaped. Officer Hickey was also roughly used His helmet was knocked off and as he was stooping for 1t q rush was made for him, but he es- capped it. From this out the temper of the crowd grew worse every minute and the climax seemed to have been reached when car that was some min- uteS behind time came on the South Main street line with Detectives Dodds and Kennaugh. They had prisoner, a young man of about IS, and the mo- ment they alighted from the car rush was made for them. They were ac- companied by motorman, against whom the anger of the crowd seemed directed. The party made direct for the station house, followed by howl ing mob of thousands, Cries of "Take him awayr' ssTake him away!' were heard, and it was feared that every moment the excited people would make a rush upon the party. But they reached the station in safety. It seemed that the motorman recognized or thought he did, the young man as one who had stoned him, but the in yestigation in the police station dis closed the wrong party was arrested and he was discharged.
 FTSnis. af canYr1nH dO add IA fho fa ton of the mob. The cars when they ar rived at Exchange place were sur rounded by police the moment they stopped, and when the conductor alighted to change the trolley rope he was hissed. It was about this time that stones began to beat against the car windows with frequency. Before that, stone throwing was done with evident great care as to consequences But now those who threw them became more daring. They evidently saw that the police were unable to capture them and crash after crash was heard tc he accompaniment of loud cheers and misses. The good humored crowd had become hissing, jeering irritated mob, but still laughter would breaE out at intervals like lightning in 2 storm. The strikers buses were filled to overowing, but those inside were al ways willing to make room for one more, and great fun was witnessed 1T frying to get that one more inside Those who were seated pulled llim il and those outside pushed him, ant many Iudicrous scenes were witnessed But the tragedy was going on all tht while. The police force had beer greatly increased by o'clock and by 10 o'clock every policeman in town was on the scene. Exchange place wa. cleared almost from gutter to guttei by the police, who spread themselves out on all sides, and it was wise to asl permission to cross before attempting it. But the moment the lights of car appeared over the heads of the peo pie tho crowd would press inward, ant nothing could resist that pressure. Tn, police, practically surrounded, coult not nreyent stone throwing from tn, outside. and almost every car left witt a window or two smashed.
 Toward 10:3O o'clock the South MaiI street car was far behind time and tn