The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-05-19

Time-Fifteen Men and Boys Arrested
 Yesterday-ThTee Thousand PeFaOBs
 Gathered at the Car Barns During the
 Evening-Dispersed by PoiIce-Mayor
 MuIvihiII's PIfght-No Further Inter-
 ference from Him.
 Bridgeport, May 1S.-With a very few exceptions the running of trolley cars on the lines of the Connecticut Railway & Lighting company, manned by non-union motormen and conduc- tors, was not interfered with to-day. There were fifteen men and boys locked up during the day on charges of in- timidation, The majority of the pris- orers were using offensive language to the strike breakers at the time of their arrest. The men were placed un- der $1,000 bonds each and the boys were obliged to furnish a $500. A troll ley car, manned by non-union men, and guarded by two deputy sheriffs was fired upon by a man on the West Side this afternoon. No damage was done and the man escaped after a stern chase by the officers.
 Despite the apparent quiet which is prevailing over the city tonight the day was not without it's sensational in- cidents The most important feature of the day was the action taken at a meeting of the police commissioners, at which some of Bridgeport's most prom inent citizens participated. This meet ing was called because of the differ ence of opinion between Mayor Null vihill and the police commissioners as to the disposition of the police depart ment during the present trouble. Mayor Mulvihill presided at the meeting. Ear ly in the session he evaded questions which were put to him by gentlemen present, and his bearing eventually re- suited in several speeches being made in which the mayor was directly &C., cused of doing more to incite riot yes- terday than all other causes combined. This the mayor strongly denied, but before the meeting was over he agreed that hereafter, during the strike, he would not interfere with any action taken by the police commissioners in conducting the police department. Promptly at o'clock tonight every car was sent to the car barns. It is probable that this policy will be fol- lowed for at least week, neither the trolley officials nor the strike-breakers desiring to risk an outbreak after dark.
 During the afternoon teamsters de- layed the passage of trolley cars as much as possible by driving slowly up- on the tracks in front of cars. Two drivers were arrested for this offense.
 One man was arrested for yelling of- fensive names at the non-union men. He submitted to the arrest until he was put in an open car, when he dashed away and made his escape down Can- non street. 's'
 Tonight at o'clock there were fully three thousand people gathered about the car barns on Barnum avenue where the non-union men are quartered. Lieutenant Redgate, fearing that vlo- lence might break out in such large gathering, called six policemen and dispersed the crowd,
 Orders were issued to Superintend- ent of Police Birmingham by the po- lice commissions tonight to instruct the patrolrnen of the department in the use of riot guns which were pur- chased some time ago and which are stored at headquarters. This action is taken to mean that the police depart ment will act fearlessly in case of an- other outbreak.
 Mayor Mu1vihill tonight expressed himself as very angry because of the treatment accorded him to-day at the meeting of the police commissioners. He said; ,t..-t'
 'It seems as if T was on trial. knew knew nothing of this conference until ] reached here. I supposed that it was regular meeting of the police board, and was surprised to find men there who were, apparently, there in the interest of the trolley company to humiliate me and put me in a false position before the public. will yet clear myself. I have witnesses to prove that I did not interfere yesterday with any officer in the performance of his duty. did not order any policeman to refrain from as- sisting deputy sheriffs, nor did do any, thing. as I am charged with doing. to encourage rioters. The fact is that any, thing that would have done or might have done would have displeased my critics. might have remained at home. Then I would be called coward. As it was I risked my life, in fact was struck by stone in an effort to quel1 disorder
 T still maintain that the responsible ity for yesterdays disturbance must rest with the trolley company. Why didn't they start their cars on Satur- day? They ought to have known better than to start them on Sunday when the streets were full of people,"
 Mayor Mulvihill also said that so far as he knew there had never been any conflict between himself and the board of police commissioners. He admitted that he might have intimated to the su-. perlntendent of police that it would be better not to put policemen on the cars. In regard to future events the mayor said that if the police commissioners and the sheriff desire to handle the sit- uation he is willing that they should do so. ..s.
 The mayor said he had copy of the riot act in his pocket yesterday, but he did not read it because there were not sufficient policemen about to enforce it. He said: There were seven thousand