The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-05-09
4 PI1CRElD|j|' battle.
Between Strike Reaki
ers andsU nionigts
A SCORE & 3! INJURED

: y. -
San Francisco, May 1.-THE strike
OF 100 union. rmotormen and con-
ductors on - the United Railroads, '
developed this afternoon into a riot,
In which more than a score OF per-
sons were severely hurt, some fatally
wounded and. others hurt to ? lesser
extent. .; 4, .
. At $3.50 o'clock the company made
Its first attempt to resume operation
of the system by sending out seven
passenger cars manned by between
thirty and forty strikebreakers wear
ing the uniform Of car inspectors
and each, carrying 38-calfbre re-
volver strapped around his waistcoat
outside Of his coat, The start was
made TOM the company's barn at
Turk and Fillmore streets. where a
crowd OF from 5000 to 5000 men
and boys had gathered. :,
TWenty-Seven policemen, five
mounted officers and several ser
geants under the command of Capt.
Mooney were the patrol guard. The
appearance" OF the cars In Fillmore,
street from which they switched into
Turk street was the signal tor an i'm
tnense outburst OF jears SapdS howls.
BEFORE the cars had gone one block
they were made targets for stones
and bricks. In few moments
every pane Of glass had been smash
ed and, several OF the, armed oper-
atives struck. cut, and bruised,
At Turk and Buchanan streets an
especially fierce attack was made on
The foremost, car. A guard ON the
rear platform answered the flying
stones with pistol shots. !
hull lot 0ft-, 10
sympathizers' in the arm. This
transformed the crowd into a wild
mob and the car went Forward IL
blocks during fierce fighting. The
strikers friends, aided by hundreds
|of youthful hoodlums kept up a
running shower of missiles. The
guards on the cars responded with
fusillade after fusillade of pistol
shots. s.
Eight men received bullet wounds,
some OF which will prove fatal.
Among those injured are a detective,
a. sergeant and a patrolman. Finally
dozen or more OF the guards were
arrested by the reserves from CEN
trial. police station and the union
crowd boarded the rearmost car and
started 1t back to the barns. Arriving
there the strikers charged that re-
tolved fire was opened upon them
from the> barns. In this encounter
several more were shot. 80
A nOnunlon man"threw q switch at
the corner Of Turk and Fillmore
streets and q derailed, car she's into
the sidewalk fnainiings tWea* men
whose names have not been learned
In the stampede which followed here
a score Of women and children on
the outskirts Of the mob on Fill
more street were hurled to the pave
ment and trampled upon.
The appearance Of relief squads to
reinforce Police Captain Mooney re-
suited In the partial dispensing OF
the crowds,
Current rumor has 1T that Supt.
Chapman who spent the forenoon
and early afternoon at the street car
barns was seen about o'clock driv-
Ing rapidly away on Golden Gate
avenue In an, automobile that was
dashed with blood. There is no con-
| firmation Of the rumor that Chap
man Is wounded.
Practically all police reserves at
the various precinct stations have
been called out and are now, patrol
ling the neighborhood Of Fillmore
and Turk streets where the creates,
congestion is.
| The general belief Is that because
Of this afternoons tragic happenings
| further efforts to resume operation
| Of the system will be withheld until
officials Of the company are notified
that the police are in q position to
aHord protection to property and
| life.
The bloody events Of the afternoon
were preceded by less serious clash
| IN the forenoon when a freight car
| manned by five inspectors and barn
yards at Turk and Fillmore streets,
and operated for half a block.
The crowd showered the car with
brick bats and stones. slightly injur-
| ing two of the inspectors. Finally
all attempts to operate the car was
given up, and 1t Was run back to the
yards by Jones himself with union
men who sWarnsed on the platforms
Joining In the cheers that were sent
up by the mob.
In statement to the Associated
Press tonight Mayor Schmidt said:
'"The deplorable occurrence. Of this
afternoon was not general riot
and there Is NO necessity for the cali
| ing out Of troops. The police are
amply able to handle the situation
and shall see that they do. it. 7
have ordered the chief of police to
swear In more II he finds it neces-
sary. !, have also. ordered him to
arrest anybody carrying arms, con-
cealed or otherwise The men who
go out on the cars will not be per-
mitted to carry weapoBs. That Is
the best way to maintain peace"
|