The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-30
EXPRESSMEN STRIKE and RIOT.
n. Y. TRANSFER 90. DRIVERS OUT
--LITTLE BAGGAGE HANDLED.
Newly Organized Union Calls an UneN-
pected Strlke-Driver Attacked, His
Load Pulled Down and the Har-
ness Gut--Nlen Have NO Grievance.


ness Cut-Nlen Have NO Grievance.
The drivers Of the New York Transfer
Company (Dodd's Expressly to the number
of about $50 went on strike yesterday after
noon, after giving the company three hours
to grant demand that the company recog-
nize the union lately organized by the men.
This the company refused to do, and the
men left their wagons. AS result the
company was badly tied up and few de-
liveries could be made.
The drivers whom the company got to
take the strikers places were in many
instances set upon by the strikers after
their wagons got away from the stables,
and the company was forced to call upon
the police Of the West Thirtieth and West
Forty seventh street stations for help,
The police succeeded in maintaining
order about the stables, but according
to the company, drivers were frequently
assaulted late in the afternoon. The COM
pany's officers declared last night that
they would hire non-union men to take
out all their wagons to-day.
One OF the new drivers, James Wendell
Of 81 Seventh avenue, was attacked on
Seventh avenue. Wendell had been to the
Liberty street ferry and was returning
with load OF trunks to the stables at the
northeast corner OF Thirty-eighth street
and Seventh avenue.
About forty strikers who were standing
on the corner near another stable OF the
company, at 241 West Twenty-eighth street,
saw the wagon and made dash for Wen
del. The crowd yelled "Scab" and Wendell
whipped up his horse, but was surrounded
by the strikers at Thirtieth street.
The trunks were piled high on the wagon
and in second knives were out and the
strikers had cut the ropes and spilled the
load in the street.
Somebody telephoned to the Tender
loin station that man was being muir
dered, and in few minutes Roundsman
Gillespie and fifteen men were around the
wagon.
1t took the police some time to make
out what the trouble was about and then
they drove the strikers away. A big crowd,
mostly sympathizers OF the strikers. had
gathered and the policemen began getting
the trunks back on the wagon Before the
police knew it striker had slipped through
the crowd and cut the harness. The horse
walked out OF the ShaIts go
The crowd cheered, but the driver, with
the assistance of the police patched up
the harness and put the trunks on the
wagon again.
When he was ready to start a couple Of
policemen got on the seat with him and
they drove up Seventh avenue. The other
policemen surrounded the wagon and
kept back the crowd, which numbered
nearly one thousand.
Near the stables at Thrty-elghth street
the crowd began to IN row stones The
police stood it until the cops on the wagon
were struck and then Roundsman Gil
lsspie ordered his men to draw their short
clubs and charge the crowd. None OF the
strikers was arrested.
The union which declared the strike was
organized by the men three months ago,
and since then there have been several dis
p,ltes between the company ard lts drivers,
One was over a man who according TO the
company, was discharged for intoxiCation.
The company was not expecting the strike,
however.
A committee Of three Of the drivers,
headed by Thomas Branuon, called upon
General Manager William +. Draper at his
Office at 1854 Broadway at 0 clock yester-
day morning and presented paper to him
with the request that he sign II.
evening. "and found it began with state
ment that the men We're perfectly satisfied
wit their wages and hours After that
followed a demand that we recognize the
new union and bind ourselves to employ
only members Of the union as drivers. The
committee said that they wanted an an,
swer by II o'clock tomorrow, and told
them | would take the matter under adj
Nisement
About noon I heard from Brandon, who
said
1.-THE men have decided that did wrong
in giving you until IL o'clock tomorrow
The answer must be made by 2 o clock this
afternoon or they'll go on strike
Il told them that the answer would not
be given at that time or at any other time
and that the company would run its own
business. 1t was then that they called
the strike. Although we were unpre-
pared, we have succeeded in getting about
, seventy-fve teams out and will have more
| tomorrow. We shall always refuse to
recognize union and union dictation.
Although the strike was called at o clock
the drivers who were out did not leave
their teams until they got back to the
stables. After quitting lot OF them re-
manned about the stables and every time
wagon was sent ont, four or tive men
would start to follow it. These men would
climb up on the drivers seat and try and
! get the driver to leave the wagon. In
! few cases they succeeded.
The company has st ahles in Twenty
eighth, Thirty-eighth and lOad streets.
A sergeant and squad of policemen We're
| on duty at the Twenty-eighth street stable
| last night. At the l0od street stable the
eighteen wagons were without drivers.
! At the downtown terminals Of the Penn
sylvania Company, at Cortlandt and Des-
brosses streets; Of the New Jersey Central,
at Liberty street, and Of the Erie Company
! at Chambers street, there was no trouble
Of any kind with the strikers. 1t was nearly
! s o'clock when the delegate of the union
| drove to these stations in cab and ordered
| the drivers to quit.
The men obeyed him without question
and left their horses and wagons v here
they stood In the street. In several in
stances agents of the company got drivers
to send the wagons away loaded, but some
| Of the trucks had to be led back to the
stables
The New York Transfer Company does
the Manhattan delivery business for the
railroad companies mentioned, and baggage
In this borough was held up last night.
| At about o'clock few wagons, on each
OF which policeman rode, visited each Of
! the stations, but these trucks could take
| away but few Of the trunks.
The agents at the stations refused to
accept luggage last night, except on the
| understanding that the company did not
| bind itself to make deliveries by any speci-
fed time.
TOOK THE ROOF OFF HER HOUSE.
Woman Who Wouldn't Make Way for New
Bridge Plaza Moved Then.
The contractors men who went yester-