The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-10
COPS OUT FOR CAR STRIKE.
500 or 'EN OFF TO QUEENS
RIOT AT ONE THIS MORNING.
Night Sticks and Pistols Capt. Pipcr's
Answer 10 a Threat to stop Trafric
About 100 TrOlic,men quit Work
Poor TRAY cling to North Beach.

| Queens County Railway, which takes in
practically all the trolley lines in Queens
county, went on strike shortly after noon
yesterday. The strike followed meeting
| held in Woodside on Saturday night, where
| the action Of the company in discharging
three employees last Friday was denounced.
The three discharged men are John Seigel,
William Scully and Patrick Whalen.
Some Of the strikers declared last night
that the company wouldn't be allowed to
nun car after midnight. This threat was
communicated to the police, and squad
of reserves was sent to the Astoria power
house at the foot Of Mill street, opposite
He'll Gate. A large number Of strikers had
collected there. They talked loudly, but
there was no violence.
At ! o'clock this morning word was re-
ceived at the Long Island City police sta
ton that a riot was in progress at jackson
and Steinway avenues. which is more than
mile from the station, Acting Capt.
Cray and twenty men started after the
trouble-makers.
The street railway company is building a
new power house at this place. and the
streets around are well filed with loose
bricks. According to the information sent
TO the police the strikers and their sympa
thizers were using these bricks. 1t was
also said that section Of the track had been
torn up and car derailed.
When Second Deputy Police Commits
sioner Piper, who is now in charge of
Brooklyn and Queens, was notified of the
strike he visited the Brooklyn headquarters
and ordered that $50 men from the various
precincts be sent Immediately to Queens,
where they would be at the disposal of In
spector Kane. He directed the inspector
to arm all the men with night sticks and
keep them so armed until the strike was
over.
just before midnight Capt Piper tele
| phoned to Police Headquarters here and
ordered that $50 men be sent to Inspector
kane's headquarters in Queens borough.
Acting Chief Inspector Brooks went to Null
berry street to superintend the carrying
out Of the order, which said that the men
| should be armed with night sticks and re-
volvers.
There are several stories as to why the
! three discharged men lost their Jobs. The
| officials OF the company say that one of
| them was drunk while on duty. They also
| speak of a crap game held some time ago in
a car barn at Hunters Point, and say these
| three men were present.
| The strikers say the three men have been
engaged for some time in getting up a
union and that they are the victims Of
spoilers sent out by the company to prevent
the organization being effected. There Is
another story about company spotter
being waylaid and beaten three weeks ago.
At 1880 o'clock yesterday morning a
committee Of four men, headed by John
| Hulsman, q motorman, went TO F. l.. Fuller
general manager, and W. E. Stewart, coun-
sci for the company, at their Offices in Long
Island City The four men said they repre-
sented union CT employees and had been
selected at the meeting on Saturday night
to present grievances
They demanded the reinstatement OF
the three discharged employees and recog-
milton OF the union and spoke of general
increase in wages of rs cents a day.
Mr.. Fuller told the committee that he
wouldn't recognize the union, as he didn't
believe il existed. He could not grant the
raise in wages until he had conferred with
the directors Of the company. He offered
to take back the three discharged men
penang an investigation.
The committee didn't like this propo-
sition ana told Mr.. Fuller he had better
! think the matter over and agree to all OF
the demands. They gave him until noon
TO consider them.
When they returned at noon Mr.. Fuller
hadn't changed his mind. The committee
departed, saying there would be strike
Immediately.
Half an hour later 1O5 motormen and con-
| ductors quit work. Sixty of these were
extra men engaged TO handle the crowds
of Saturday and Sunday.
About fifty cars were put out OF business,
mostly on the line running to North Beach,
What cars the company did succeed in
running to that resort were jammed, and
many folks, fearing they would be unable
to get home il they went to the beach,
abandon ed the trip
At North Beach last night the police
were advising people to go home by the
ferries. The cars were running very crowded
attn long intervals Two extra boats were
put on the Ninety-ninth street ferry to
handle the crowd.
The company has car barns and power
houses at Hunters Point, Astoria, Newtown,
Flushing, Jamaica and Far Rockawav.
The police at all these places were held in
reserve by Inspector Kane.
The strike throughout the afternoon
and evening was very quiet one. The
only excitement occurred at 8 O'Clock
when squads of men boarded cars at differ
ent places and tried to persuade the
motormen and conductors who were
working TO abandon their jobs and attend
a meeting to be held at the Three Mile House
In Woodsde.
The meeting was held in Woodside last
night and about seventyfve OF the older
employees attended it. Herman Robinson
an organizer of the American Federation OF
Labor, was there, and made long speech.
He wanted the men to join the Amaga-
mated Association of Street Railway En-
ployees, Of which W, D, Mahon is the presi-
dent
The meeting didn't take Robinson's
invitation very kindly Tho men said
they preferred to get together themselves
first, before joining any amalgamation.
Some OF the older employees made
speeches in which they suggested that all
hands should act deliberately and should
try to come to terms with the company
before quitting work
This caused an uproar on the part of
some of the strikers. Segel, one OF the
discharged men, became Disguised and
walked out Of the hall.
The meeting adjourned shJ rtly before
midnight after little had been accomplished.
| permanent committee waa selected to
call On General Manager Fuller. They
! pa i'll several visits to his Office in the course
Of the night and returned on each occasion
to thenThree-Mile House, where the others
still hung around
As one car bound from Flushing to tie
! Thrty-fourth street ferry passed through
Woodside, several toughs tried to pull the
| mot prTnufI off the front Mat form Thay