New-York tribune., 1906-08-13

One woman NAV die from her injuries, scores
were hurt and mistreated. and over one hundred
thousand persons Were put 20 discomfort or IN
danger of their lives yesterday, when the Brook
lyn Rapid Transit and the COney Island &
Brooklyn Railway companies refused to accept
Justice Gaynors opinion that they had no right TO
collect second fare from Manhattan 20 CoHey
Island Many passengers and two important
officials of the company were arrested one OF
the latter twice. Four inspectors OF the COM
pany were also arrested.
The police failed miserably in handling the
crowd. and not until Deputy Commissioner
O'Keeffe took personal command did they try to
protect the public or put any stop to the ruff
flanism rampant all day, in which they had q
hand to a disgraCeful degree.
The railroad sought to block Deputy Commls-
sioner O'Keeffe in his efforts to get the cars
running and not until Dow F. Smith. general
superintendent OF the B. r. T.. had been
rested and H c. Davis. superintendent Of the
Culver division had been arrested twice, did the
road pretend to obey the orders Of the police.
Deputy Commissioner O'Keefre forced Davis to
resume running cars after the officials of the
road had ordered the motormen away from
them The police took charge of the sema-
phores and other signals. and every car after
1890 a. m. left Coney Island with a patrOlman
son board TO force him TO run through and TO
keep him from deserting the
Commissioner OKeeffe went away shortly be-
fore midnight, when he thought things were
running smoothly once more. Scarcely was he
out of sight when the railroad started dumping
passengers into the street again. They chose
dumping ground this time. Instead of at
KensingtOn, passengers we're elected at Sixteenth
avenue three blocks further up the line. The
first carload of passengers to be treated so were
those on car No. S942 of the Nostrand avenue
line When the car reached Sixteenth avenue
it was sidetracked on the refusal Of the passen-
gers TO pay another fare. Another car quickly
1ollowed' Inspector Grant looking on heIplesslv
As soon as Deputy Commissioner O'Keefre
had gone home the order which had been built
up out of chaos by him disappeared In a few
minutes the trains and trolley cars began 10 run
less frequently. and the B. r. T. employees began
to collect the second fair again Then those who
refused to pay were either thrown off or side
tracked at Sixteenth avenue. Appeals were made
20 Inspector Grant, but he said that he could do
nothing. the same answer made before Comrnis-
sioner OKeeffe galvanized the police into ac-
ton
BY O'Clock the decentralization was worse
than ever. The B. r. T. inspectors who had
been arrested were all out on bail, and taking
their vengeance on the passengers. cases of
unprovoked brutality occurred too often 10 be
recorded. At o'clock all trolley cars on the
Culver line were stopped although thousands
Of personss many Of them women and children.
were still AT the island seeking to find some way
70 get home.
The Culver line, into which half dozen diff
feTent lines converge. was the one NEST affected.
but rictng occurred also on the Smith street
!:ne. of the Coney Island and Brooklyn Railway.
VI s.Oo0O Cehars old blind man va,
eraly thrown out head first. although he lie
o!ared that he mad paid his fare. He got no
sympathy, however. either from the special or
city police. who found the incident amusing
After day Ct almost indescribable turmoil.
of acts OF brutality by railroad men. aided and
abetted by the police. close TO three quarters
OF a million Of persons had been affected.
b r T's ExPLA: ALTON.
vice-President T s Williams % the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit Company when seen last night.
said:
The officials of the company do not regard
We believe that II simply his opinion in a
proceeding which did not bear any relation 10
the right Of the company to collect a second
fare
We consented TO the mans discharge. and
there the matter ends.
Our employees have been acting under orders
all day in cjecting passengers from the cars
when they refuse 10 pay the second fare.
Things had reached such pass that al :
O'Clock Deputy Commissioner O'Keere took the
running If the cars out Of the hands of the rail
road. ard with his men acted as q train DIS
patcher. At that time William Maybury the
superintendent of signs Of thc road. went To the
deputy Commissioners and asked him To back Up
the railroad In its operation Of cars The dep
uty commissioner had just seen a quarter Of a
million persons at the island struggling 10 get
bound car and fatty refused 20 up
hold the road Moreover, he called for such Of
the police oficials he could reach, and eX-
planned that the rights Of the people were TO be
protected by them. and that the disorder which
ao.sl Mar.lnLaus DlnIng- Isoeaa.. R...sy arc ssa