The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-06-03
STRIKE ER|0T|N BRIDGEPORT
Mayor MuIvihilI Injured While Try
ing to Prevent Arrests.
ATTEMPT TO RUN CARS FAILED
The Traction Company Forced to Aban-
don It's Efforts s-A Clash OF Authority
Between the Mayor and Sheriff, In
Which the Latter Threatened to Su-
persede the Form er-Mauy Hurt.


persede the Former-MauY Hurt.
Bridgeport. Conn.-Tbirty-two men,
among whom is Mayor Mulvihill, were
injured in q riot precipitated by an at
tempt on the part Of the Connecticut
Railway and Lighting Company to run
it's cars with non-union men. A feat
ure Of the disturbance was a clash Of
authority between the Mayor and
Sheriff Hawley's deputies, in conse-
quence of which the Sheriff threatened
to supersede the Mayor in control Of
the city. Five men were arrested for
throwing stones.
Six trolley cars were started on the
Barnum and State street lines ut 11.20
o'clock. There were large crowds in
the vicinity Of the car sheds at the
time, but no violence was offered. The
cars were manned by twelve Of the 130
strike breakers brought to this city by
the trolley company. Things moved
along smoothly until 1.30 in the after
noon. The first car had completed Its
third round trip. and was directly in
front Of the Wheeler.& Wilson factory,
where crowd of at least 1000 persons
had gathered. The car was running
slowly, owing to the crowd, when
stones began to fly. Deputy Sheriffs
Hendrie and Plumb, who were riding
on the car, saw a man in the crowd
hurl.a stone. They had the car stopped
Immediately and plunged into the
crowd to get the offender. With con-
siderable difficulty he was seized and
dragged fifty feet to the car, the inten-
tion Of the Sherlffs being to put him on
board and take him to Police Head
quarters.
The stone thrower was a big fellow
and struggled so fiercely that police
man. who was standing near by, went
to the assistance of the Sheriffs. I'm
mediately Mayor Mulvihill was seen
hurrying through the mob. He went
to the policeman and ordered him to
keep his hands off the prisoner. He
then told the Deputy Sheriffs that they
had better let the man 60. During the
argument the stone thrower took ad-
vantage Of the diversion which had
been created and wrenched himself
free. He dashed into the crowd and
was lost to view.
In the me ntime the stones were fly
ing in q shower. and one Of them
struck Mayor Mulvihill on the head.
He was wearing a soft hat. and large
hole was cut in this. Although the
Mayors scalp was not lacerated, he re-
ceived large bruise.
The two Sheriffs then jumped on the
car and ordered the motorman to pro-
ceed to the car sheds, a quarter Of a
mile distant. The bombardment did
not abate. and the crowd on the street
was so dense that the motorman could
not 60 very fast without running some
one down. The stone throwing soon
became so furious that the Sheriffs
drew their revolvers and fred five
shots in the air. This caused the bom-
bardment to let up little, and the car
reached the barns and was run inside.
The other five cars, operated on the
same streets, received the same treat
iheht 60 e S,sASss
The officials Of the trolley company
Will uOI Icfcut luc Ol lEe luGl
injured or the nature Of their injuries.
1t is positively known, however, that
not O man Of the twelve who were
on the six cars escaped injury Of some
kind. Every one of them, while going
into the barns, was seen to be bleeding
profusely from the head and face. In
addition to the trolley men injured
Road Master Davis, Of the trolley COM
pany. was injured by stone. which
struck him in the head. Sheriffs
Hendrie and Plumb were targets for
the mob as we'll as the strike break
ers. for each of them was struck in
different parts Of the body at least
a dozen times.
All Of Sheriff Hawley's Deputies re-
ported to him for duty. In an inter-
view the Sheriff said: 81 will have no
further interference on the part of
Mayor Mulvihill. I will have 100 spe-
cial men here tomorrow and will do
my best to preserve peace, and If the
Mayor or any one else attempts to in
terfere he will be stopped; If necessary,
I will suDercede Mayor Mulvihill In
authority"
Mayor Mulvihill. in a statement. said
he interfered at Barnum avenue IN IN
endeavor to protect the Sheriffs from
the violence of the crowd.