New-York tribune., 1906-08-15

Acting Mayor MCGOWAN, in talking aoout BRO
g. Coler. took stand by no means uncertain
calling him poseur. declaring that he was act
ually melting riot by his actions near the scenes
OF disorder. and that he Cthe Acting Mayor was
as much IN favor Of the people and their rights
as was the Borough President of Brooklyn The
Acting Mayor also displayed an opinion from
Acting Corporation Counsel Connolly on the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit troubles, in which Mr.
Connolly said that railroad company had the
right TO use force in certain instances. He also
answered the Acting Mayors question as TO
whether It was the duty OF the police to interfere
in the cases of expulsion OF passengers from
cars for non-payment of a second fare by say
Ing that it was not.
MCGOWAN SLAPS AT CoLER.
The Acting Mayor was told that President
Coler had, according TO a report. said he was
going TO apply to Governor Higgins for his (dc-
Gowan's) removal for not doing his duty IN
the present situation
Mr. MCGOWAN flushed choked, and then de-
clared
Oh. he is, is he? Mr. Coler is poseur re
is making great noise over his interests IN tile
neonIe I am inst as Jealous and desirOus of the
peoples rights as Mr.. Coler. Why me ma man Is
inciting riot if the reports OF some OF MS "c-
tions be true
The Acting Mayor was told that Mr.. Coler
reported
disorder, where men were being put off the cars
and 10 have taken names and requested men 10
go see the District Attorney. and to have COM
mended men who refused TO pay second fares
and resisted force.
THAT'S nothing less than melting riot" said
the Acting Mayor. "NIr. Coler is going TOO far
in some ways I've worked for my living ana
must say that Mr.. Coler never worked for ms
the way I did for mine.
Acting Mayor MCGOWAN then went on to dis
cuss the appeals which 1t was said would be
made to Governor Higgins. He said he would
be glad to have appeals made to bring the rail-
road company to make a single fare.
Mr.. MCGOWAN also made public letter from
Assistant Corporation Counsel Connolly on the
matter of protecting passengers who were being
beaten by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit officials
Mr.. Connolly simply sent the Acting Mayor let
Ter and opinion he had sent to Acting Police
Commissioner Farrell I'm July. 1904. when the
two-fare problem came up in Brooklyn and dis
order occurred He said that self-defence and
trespass justified personal violence in the eyes
OF the law. It was also justified when:
committed by a carrier Of passengers, or
the authorized agents or servants of such car
rier. or by any person assisting them at their re-
quest in expeling from a carriage, railway car,
vessel or other vehicle a passenger who refuses
to obey a lawful and reasonable regulation pre-
Ecribed for the conduct or passengers, II Sucn
vehicle has first been stopped and the forced
violence used is not more than sufficient to ex-
pei the offending passenger with reasonable re-
gard TO his personal safety.
WHAT is REASONABLE FORCE.
Mr. Connoly was asked about the phrase. pro
vided they do It in a gentle manner" He was
also asked what was to be done when the Brook
lyn Rapid Transit was not doing the ejecting in
a gentle manner" but quite the opposite.
a
as that?" he said How can you tell what is
gentle force and what assault. Suppose the
company has the right to eject passengers for
not paying a second fare and suppose the con-
ductor is an Irishman. He may not keep within
the scope Of gentleness and might go pretty far.
It is none Of the city's business. anyway"
Mr.. Connolly received in the afternoon COM
plant from ex-Justice Edward w. Hatch, one Of
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit counsel protesting
that the city police were not protecting the
rights Of the railroad company
Mr. Connoly Will reply to ex-Justice Hatchs
plant soon, but no formal action Will be taken
for day or
A CRIPPLE DUMPED OUT
To mention all the fights and acts Of brutality
praotised at the second-fare point would be
almost impossible. Among the incidents which
bring out the action of the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit inspectors" and the police in bOB3 relief
was the dumping Of cripple the ground.
About noon Court street car reached the Neck
Road Among those who refused to pay sec
ond fare were H. NJ Graham and his wife. and
J. P Luks the last having lost both legs. The
inspectors" charged Gown the car grabbed
Luks's crutches and tossed them over into the
gutter. Then they seized the cripple and dumped
him down against a fence. Kicking his crutches
toward him contemptuously, the inspectors told
him to beat it." It reminded most of the jovial
patrolmen standing around of a particularly
good 'knockabout act" at Tony Pastors.
The Grahams were not TO be ousted. so the
power was reversed and the car sent back to a
switch off Gravesend avenue and left there
The Grahams announced that they were going
to stick It out all night If necessary. When the
neighbors learned Of this blankets and food
were sent to the plucky pair. and they were
made as comfortable as possible
Charles Hill, blind man, was thrown off a
car with another man. but for some reason he
was put back and allowed to go to Coney Island
Humor was not lacking in the situation Two
Of Acting Commissioner Waldo's brother off,
| GERS OF the 18th Regiment met him at the Neck
Road in an unceremonious fashion. Waldo
| halted his automobile just in time, he was
passing trolley car to avoid running two
men who landed head first in the mud. The
men picked themselves up ana pesan eAcaVauhe
| through the mud that buried their features until
they looked almost human again. They were
| Captain Koeninghaus and Lieutenant Thomas
| Crockett. Beyond smile Of sympathy, the Act
| ing Commissioner was unable to help his friends
The belligerent Colonel Roberts was succeeded
Yesterday by a more diplomatic member of the
law department OF the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Thomas Dusenbury. Instead Of punching the
head Of Thomas Byrne. a passenger on a Court
street car. Mr.. Dusenbury started to Jolly him