Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-18
OVER 30 INJURED
In Sunday Street Car Strike at
Bridgeport, CT.
Police and Sheriffs Helpless So Fire.
men Drench the Mob.
Cars Stoned and Men and Sheriffs
Badly Injured.

| tempt made by the officials of the Con-
necticut Railway ana Lighting Co to
| run their cars with non union men,
| today, resulted III a riot in which at
least 30 men were injured. The sheriff
| hopes that it will not be necessary to
| call out the state troops but says that
Ianother such outbreak as occurred to-
| day, will make that step inevitable.
| At the present time it is possible that
the county sheriff will supersede the
| police in the control Of the CITY Five
persons have been arrested for throw
| ing stones.
| This morning at 11.20 o'clock, six
| trolley cars were started out on the
| 6arnum and state street lines. There
| were large crowds in the vicinity of
| the car sheds when operations were
| commenced but no violence was offered
at this time. The cars We're manned
| by 2 of the 1870 strike breakers brought
10 this city, yesterday, by the trolley
| company
| There was no disturbance of any
kind until $50 this afternoon. The
| first car had completed it's third round
| trip and was directly in front of the
| Wheeler & Wilson factory where a
| crowd of at least 1000 persons had
| gathered. The car was running slowly
| owning to the crowd when stones be-
| gan to fly.
Deputy Shcriffs Iendruc and Plumb
| who were riding on the car, saw a man
| in the crowd hurl n stone. They had
| the car stopped Immediately and
| plunged into the crowd to get the Of
| fender. With considerable difficulty he
! was seized and dragged so feet to the
| car the intention of the sheriffs be-
| ing to put him on board and take him
| 20 police headquarters. The stone
| thrower was a big fellow and strug
gled so fiercely that a policeman who
was standing near by went to the as
| 5Stance of the sheriffs.
Immediately Mayor Mulvihll was
| seen hurrying through the mob. He
went to the policeman and ordered him
| to keep his hands off the prisoner. He
| then went to the deputy sheriffs and
told them that they had better let the
man go. During the argument the
stone throwcr took advantage of the
diversion which had been created and
| Nrenchcd himself free. He dashed in
to the crowd and was lost to view.
! III the meantime the stones We're fly
| ing in n shower and one of them struck
| Mayor Mulvihill on the head. He was
| wearing soft hat and a large hole
vas cut in this. Although the mayors
| scalp was not laccrated he received n
large bruise.
| The two sheriffs then jumped on the
| car and ordered the motOrman to pro-
ceed to the car sheds. a quarter of Z
| mile distant. The bombardment did
rot abate and the crowds on the stree.
| were so dense that the motorman could
| not go very fast without running some
one down. The stone throwing soon
| became so furious that the SherifIs
| lreW their revolvers and fired five shots
| in the air and toward the ground. This
| caused the bombardment to let up
| little and the ear reached the barns
and was run inside. The other five
cars operated on the same streets re-
| ceived exactly the same treatment a.
| they followed the first car into tn
car barns.
| When the last car had passed with
| in the doors there was a crowd of 1000
| people gathered in a vacant lot oppo-
| site and violence once more broke loose,
| Rrickbats. stones and everything that
could be thrown We're hurled at the
barns and everything that belonged to
the company in the vicinity
| At this point Mayor Mulvihill saw
| that the sergeant and nine policemen
who were stationed 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 consul
| tatiOn the latter ordered out Engine
Company No. 6 with a steamer and n
| inc of hose. Supt Birmingham also |
| worked every available man to the spot |
| to co-operate with the firemen and soon
| Il strong stream was being played on
| the mob, which slowly fell fack before |
| the water One of the strike breakers
was assisting the tiremen in holding
| the hose when a we'll directed brick |
struck him on the head and knocked |
him to the ground senscless. An exam |
nation showed that the man was suf |
| fering from severe scalp wound. |
When the mob had dispersed, the fire
men ana extra policemen We're ordered |
back to their quarters and the regular
detail remained guarding the car barns.
The officials of the Trolley Co. will |
not reveal the names of the men in
jured or the nature of their injuries.
1t is positively known, however, that
not man of the u who were on the
six cars escaped an injury of some
kind. Every one of them, as they stood |
on the platform of their cars while go /
ing into the barns, We're seen to be L
bleeding profusely from the head and Il
face In addition to the trolley men in Il
Jurod. I.Oadmaster Davis of the Troll II
ley Co. was injured by Il stone which II
struck him in the head. Sheriffs Hen H
drie and Plumb We're apparently tar II
gets for the mob as Well as the strike H
breakers. for each OF them was struck H
in different part of the body at least a II
dozen times.
The Stratford Line cars We're run. to-
day, as usual and a serious riot on this II
line was averted only by one of the II
trolley officials. AT o'clock, when one II
OF the cars reached the Bridgeport ter
minus of the line, a large crowd gath II
cred. When the car came to a stop II
Deputy Sheriff Brakeman jumped off |!
Continued on page 81