The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-13
Three Hundred Thousand Patrons OF
the Line Forced to Seek Other
Methods OF Transportation.
MANY PERSONS WOUNDED
ONE MANS BACK BROKEN AND
OTHER PEOPLE CUT AND BRUISED.
Nonunion Employees Used Targets
Work without Police Protection.

CHICAGO, Nov 12.-Constant scenes OF
disorder over a district approximately fifty
square miles in extent resulted to-day from
the inauguration of a strike by the en-
ployes OF one of the two principal surface
street-railway companies in Chicago. All
along the lines, wherever cars were started.
strike sympathizers made desperate on
slaughts on the crews. beginning at dawn
to-day and continuing long cars re-
mained on the tracks. The tie-up was
made complete.
A number Of cars were wrecked. and that
no person was killed is no fault OF the riot
ers. One man had his back broken. and
the first shot of the strike was fired at
Wentworth avenue and West Sixty-ninth
street, where a mob of several hundred per-
sons tried to hold up a train. Many per-
sons, chiefly nonunion street-car men. were
injured by flying stones or splintered glass.
Two women were among those hurt.
Excepting few dozen passengers who
had to fee from the cars the three hunderd
thousand daily patrons Of the company were
forced to all sorts OF other methods in or
der to get down town and back
With faces and hands bleeding from the
attacks Of the strikers motormen. grfpmen
and conductors who tried to run trains re-
again unless the trains bore platoons Of
police, or patrol wagons were alongside.
POLICE TO BE IMPORTED.
The police confined their efforts 10 see
/ ing that the passage of cars from the barns
was unobstructed and that crowds and
blockades in the streets were quickly
cleared. This was done under orders from
Mayor Carter II. Harrison. whose an
IN i'm
partial attitude. taking sides neither for
nor against the strikers. The street-car
company. which is known as the Chicago
City Railway. is a private corporation. the
lines Of which extend through the south
side of the city, radissting from the BUSH
ness center.
Developments regarding the attitude OF
the municipal administration hinges large
ly upon & new official. Herman +. Schuet-
tier, who to-day, under appointment from
the mayor. assumed the duties OF assist
ant ant chief OF police: schuettier VIII be In
ing the contest.
Possibilities of federal intervention un-
der certain contingencies are discussed. The
situation in this aspect was outlined to-day
| by Postmaster Coyne. He said: Thus far
| there is no cause for alarm as 70 the mail
| service. Very true, trains have been de-
| layed, but that is not serious enough TO
report TO Washington. The street-car COM
| pany owns the mail cars and by contract
and deliver mail at specified points There
| is no ground for objection against the COM
pany's sending out mail trains between
pany do? If serious delays occur we Will
| report the fact TO Washington and act on
Instructions from the Postal Department
ABANDONED FOR THE DAY.
Before nightfall President ID. @. Hamii-
ton and General Counsel Bliss, OF the rail-
way company after endeavoring to operate
cars in defiance OF the strike Of. it's train
men announced, after a conference with
Mayor Harrison, that the attempt would be
abandoned for the day. The railway offi-
Gals declare that 30 per cent. of their en-
ployes are loyal. and that. IL accorded suf-
| ficient protection by the police department.
they woulc be able 10 man and operate
their cars. A further effort to run cars.
each car accompanied by squad of police
| in a patrol wagon, VIII, II Is expected, be
| made tomorrow.
| AS result OF the tie-up OF the surface
lines the elevated and steam roads travers-
| ing the strike-bound districts were taxed
| to their utmost capacity. Train service on
all lines was doubled and every effort was
made to accommodate the thousands Of ad-
| hacks and express wagons with improvised
seats did thriving business in tranport-
ing people to and from their place OF busi-
ness.
The strike is the outgrowth OF persistent
| efforts TO secure increased wages and
| clusion of nonunion employees To-day about
1900 men, practically the entire forces OF
| the company's wage earners. were idle. The
| number of men at any time running cars
was only small fraction of the number
| usually at work.
The company's stationary firemen. who
have made demands On the company for
increased wages. and TO whom the train
men looked for assistance. declined TO go
| ont, expressing their belief. after con-
ference with General Manager McCulloch.
/ raflx nv hat he ho1 -
| refused arbitration. The committee rep
resenting the firemen offered its services 10
the company as mediator. Whether or not
the offer will be accepted has not been de-
SHOWER OF STONES.
| Four trains were started on the Cottage
Grove-avenue cable line this morning bound
toward the business district At Fortieth
street an obstruction upon the rails blocked
the trains A crowd OF strikers had as
sembled and shouts and jeers greeted the
train crews. shower OF stones followed
and car windows were demolished. A mail
car following the first passenger train was
also wrecked near the scene OF the block
ade A car on the wentworth-avenue line
proceeded north with little difficulty until
Van Buren, street was reached. There its
progress was blocked by trucks and dellv-
cry wagons which gathered by the score.
locked wheels and refused TO move Cars
of the Union Traction Company also helped
10 make the blockade complete. Thousands
OF pedestrians on their way 10 work massed
I'm the street. adding TO the confusion and
hamper!ng the police I'm their efforts 10
clear a way for the stranded car which
carried two women. Strikers say the wom-
| en- were put there by the street car COM
pany 10 test the attitude OF the union to-
| ward passengers.
Another cable train was derailed at For
ty-seventh street on the Cottage Grove
avenue line by a crowd OF strike sympa-
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