New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-05
CROWD CHASES INSPECTOR
S4W HIN BEAT 4 WOMAN.
Policeman Finally 4rrests Husband
Less Trouble OUer Fares.


Protests against paying two fares to ride to
Coney Island the tyoeys were many yester-
day though the scenes Of disorder were not
nearly so frequent Sunday, when fully
one thousand persons were torn from the cars.
For the most part, the elections yesterday We're
a mere matter of form Those who wanted the
inspectors to put them Oft that they might get
damages learned from the newspapers that it
was not necessary TO put up a fight, and got OFF
when the "bouncers' put hands on them. There
was a marked change in thu behavior of the
railroad employees, and actual violence was re-
sorted to only in extreme cases. Wordhad evil
dently been passed along the line that care
should be taken.
Marked the change in the behavior Of the
police. especially those of the Sheepshead Bay
station. who on Sunday gave the sjreetcar men
much support. Police Inspector Z. II. Nc
LaughIln sent orders to all the Brooklyn sta
tions concerned that the police were to give the
railroads no assistance. except in preserving the
peace, and that charges would be preferred
against any man who chose 10 disobey.
IN spite of the fact that the crowd out
for a Fourth OF July good time and did not in
tend To risk having & spoiled for an extra nicke!
OF the chance of . .iaIns 500 forIeIt from the
company there We're several serious contests
between passengers ana inspectors. Most Of the
Rapid Transit Company It the ejectin6 station.
Cravesend-ave, and Neck Road, where there
was so much trouble on sunday.
The only real riot Of the day arose over the
election of a Brooklyn party from car No. 1879,
Tompkins-aye. line. They were Alexander Po-
truch ani his wife. Of No. II Humbodt-st..
Brooklyn. Mrs. Nellie Potruch, Of No 21SA
Vernon-aye; Abram Anncnberg, William BirE
and Miss Ray Cranitzer. who were bound for
an evening at Coney Island.
They heard that the decision Of the Appellate
Court gave them the right to ride to the island
for one fare. and refused to pay second. Al
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit election station the
conductor pointed them out, and hall n dozen
"bouucers" pounced upon them There had been
little disturbance up to that time, and the street
railway men were not expecting serious trouble.
In fact the policemen from the Coney Island
station had departed leaving none but the spe
cial police Of the railway company in charge
Alexander Potruch began the fight by graphing
with one of the big inspectors. Then one Of the
railroad employees struck one of the Brooklyn
marty. William Birg began in earnest then. and
in less time than it takes to write it had drawn
blood from two ot the inspectors
HOW THE RIOT BEGUN.
THE two men were thrown off the car Pot
rpch land;rs on his head in pile of ctnders-
They haE Hght enough III tiSi'i iCAt' Ai'''N'N''
TO climb back on the The special police
emnloved by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Com
pany whose uniform so near Ike that or
raquIar policemeE that it could hardly he dis
tinpuished drew their clubs and started 10
clean out the protesting passengers. Alexander
pot,,ch was the first to receive their blows.
His wife held up her handbag. crying repeated
" Don't you kill my husbandT This did not
prevent the men of the party from being thrown
into the street
The railroad employees then took hold of the
women A big inspector with scar on the
left cheek and a black mustache, whose rail
road number was said 70 be 242, grabbed Mrs
Alexander Potruch by the throat and struck
her several times in the face with his fist. lie
had clearly lost his head and acted like an in
sane man.
This was too much for the crowd which stood
or the pavement watching the elections Be
fore this they had made no attempt at inter
ference, but when the inspector began to strike
he women there was a roar of anger
Tho INSPECTOR heard tee loud threats against
him and ned He attempted to take refuge in
the engine house OF the Fire Department which
occupies the rear part OF the OLD GraVesend
Town Hall. The acting foreman who was IN
charge had been asked by citizens TO call out
his men to stop the riot in the absence OF tho
,olice He refused, on the ground that he
would get into political difficulties. He took a
stand against the fleeing Inspector, or rather
his frenlen did for they banged the doors
The frightened man then boarded car bound
for New-Yorl and told the motor4nan TO run
for q mile without stopping for anything En-
RACED men, who were determined to run him
down. boarded the with him, and he jumped
off after riding few blocks. BY this time
tho crowd had found a leader in a huge
Gravesend blacksmith
.srbev can throw off all the men they like
he cried but when 1t comes TO punching wom-
en- they've got to fight first
He led a crowd of than a hundred after
the inspector who had struck Mrs. Potruch.
The man boarded car bound for Coney Island
and the motorrnan rushed it through the crowd.
In the mean time other inspectors had pulled
Continued on afth