The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-18
RIOTS START IN BRIDGEPORT.
TWELVE NON-I'NION MEN AND
MAYOR MULVIHILL HURT.

TWELVE NON-I'NION MEN AND
MAYOR MULVIHILL HURT.
Mob Of O.OOO Men Hoots Trolley Strike
Breakers-Car showered with Cob.
hlestones-Appeal for Order BY tho
Mayor Disregarded-Police In q Gnari,
BRIpoEPoRT, Conn. May lin a riot
this afternoon at the Barnum avenue car
barns Of the Connecticut Railway and
Lighting Company, precipitated by SYM
athizers Of the striking trolleymen, twelve
strike breakers were injured severely by
being struck by cobblestones, and several
SPECTATORS, including Mayor Mulvihill., were
more or less bruised.
history in point OF lawlessness and dis
order The eastern part Of the city was
in state OF riot for several hours, but law
and orcer finally prevailed, thanks to the
combined Efforts OF the police and fire
departments. Sheriff Sidney E. Hawley
and corps Of several hundred special
deputies and lot Of private detectives
EMPLOYED by the traction company
II being Sunday, coupled with the
fact that this 10 manufacturing city,
the workingmen were in the ma jority.
Their sympathies naturally were with the
strikers and they manifested their feelings
by r;otous conduct. The companys
Efforts to reopen the Barnum avenue line,
which extends from the east side through
the centre Of the city to the west end, were
greeted with Misses and threats of violence
from mob Of 5000 men, who had gathered
about the car barns. Several cars were
started amid cries Of -Scab" and like cpl
thets.
There was no show OF violence until
noon. when the crowd had increased to
fully 10000 men. As each car reached
the car barns near the end Of the line vol
leys Of stones were showered upon it, The
non-union workmen were routed and the
peace officers assembled made vain effort
TO dispense the crowd without force Of arms
With the arrival OF each car there was a
fresh outburst OF violence, and encouraged
by their success the rioters became more
uncomfortable.
Denis Mulvihill tho stoker Mayor, arrived
on the scene an hour after the rioting had
begun, and be was greeted with cheers
Awaiting himself Of the opportunity he
boarded Q car and made . plea for order
The rioters listened to him, but needed not
his advice and attacked the next car that
came along.
General confusion followed. and during
the disorder pistol shots were fired and the
battle between the various officers Of the
law and the mob was renewed with even
moro intensity. One stone knocked the
Mayors soft hat on his head and another
bruised his hand. Miss Nellie Mcmahon,
. corset filter. who was on the car, was
made unconscious by a stone which struck
her on The head. A doctor was summoned
and she was taken home. Her injury
wNs not serious.
Instde OF bali ~ many minutes twelve OF
ahe non~sniou MN WIN laid out, having
tssn struck BY bricks and stones. They
were taken into one Of the car barns, which
wa transformed into a temporary hos
pitAl Seven Of them have broken bones
and thsir heads deeply gashed So far
Is could b learned Tonight none OF them
sustained fatal injuries. The police then
telephoned for fire company. and in
short time q hre engine and hose carriage
was on the scene and several streams Of
water were turned upon the mob, which was
quickly dispersed
Tho company embraced the opportunity
to get its cars into the barns and every
door was shut and closed. Those OF the
mob who escaped a wetting reassembled,
but the police kept them at safe distance
from the barns. No further effort was
made after 4 O'Clock this afternoon to run
out cars.
The Police Department lie on the verge
AZ tim hoca,,ea ~ olash ~
authority between Mayor Mulvihill and the
Board of Police Commissioners. Police
Chief Birmingham has been instr ucted by
The Mayor not TO permit policemen to ride
on any Of the cars during tho strike to
protect the strike breakers from assaults
BY rioters. On the other hand the Police
Board has taken . contrary stand and is
ready to order Chief Birmingham to put
policemen on the cars as soon as the Con-
necticut Railway and Lighting Company
requests 1t.
The relative powers Of the Mayor and
the Police Board are not defined clearly
by the city charter. hence q division Of
public opinion a. to the propriety Of the
Mayors course. However, the better ele-
ment OF citizens has taken sides with the
Police Board in its endoavors to maintain
peace and order. Mayor Mulvihill and
President Henry D. Beach Of the Police
Board have been at odds for some time
because OF the latter's refusal to allow
the Mayor to dictate to him over the
appointment Of new policemen. The police
men. If called upon to ride on the cars,
would have to take their choice OF con-
6cting orders, and the result can be ina
gned. Should the contingency arise. the
Connecticut Railway and Lighting Com
pany will call upon Gov. Chamberlain to
order out the militia
II it had rot been for the Mayor the police
would have been armed with riot guns
during the riot. He believed that the riot
could be quelled without them and was
opposed to tho % OF firearms. If there is
any roting tomorrow, when the company
again resumes the running OF cars, the
guns will probably be used. Acting upon
the advice OF w. D. Mahon, national presi-
dent OF the Amalgamated Association Of
Street Railway Employees, the strikers last
night submitted proposition to the COM
pany to arbitrate their differences. They
pro posed TO have one arbitrator each, se- ,
lected by the company and the union. and .
the third by the two.
The strikers expressed their willingness
to return to work pending the findings !
~ ha - - -; but ha