The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-08
Eight Hundred Men Are Held in
Readiness in Case There Is
A Demand Made for Their
Services.
HALF THE POPULATION
is OUT OF WORK.
Serious Rioting Took Place on
tuesday in Which Several
Were Either Killed or Ser
iousIy Injured.

San Francisco. May S-The Seven
tieth regiment of Los Angeles was ord
cred under arms for service here. Tho
total enlisted strength is eight hum
dred men. The strike situation is SER
ious. Four hundred linemen OF the
Pacific Telephone company went on a
strike today To assist the striking tele-
phone operators. Half of the labor
population is idle on account of strikes.
San Francisco. May S.-Nine men
were shot down and several of them
were fatally wounded Tuesday in a
pitched battle between striking street
car employees and their sympathizers,
and guards employed by the United
railroads to protect their cars manned
by nonunion men.
The armed guards poured volley aft.
er volley into the crowds in the streets
in response to showers of bricks and
stones hurled at them. The police
made little or no effort to disperse the
mob Two of those shot were men,
bers of the police force. Finally the
police arrested the guards on three OF
the cars. and then turned their al
tention to beating back the mob.
1t was in the afternoon that the com.
pany officials precipitated the battle
by sending out seven passenger cars.
do l<<ro 1,aI ff.I
around the barns at Turk and Fillmore
streets. and no sooner had the cars ap-
peared than they were greeted by
showers of stones.
First Shot Hits Youth.
The first shot was fired at the In.
tersectfon of Turk and Buchanan
streets by a guard from the rear plat
form of the car that headed the string
of seven. The bullet struck young
man sitting on the curb and inflicted
flesh wound In his arm The shot
was not fired until most of the viii
dows of the car had been smashed
with stones. several of which had
struck and severely bruised some cf
the guards on board.
The shooting of the man aroused the
mob to a pitch of frenzy. Paving
stones and other distractions were
cast on the track. and i'm that way
the car was brought To standstiil Z
block further on. Hurting any mis-
siles that came easiest 10 hand hum
dreds of men and boys surrounded the
car. In moment a volley of shots
rang out and the crowd fell back in
fear. The distractions were cleared
away and the car proceeded. followed
block behind by two others.
The sound of shots apprised tho
main crowd in the neighborhood oc
Fillmore and Webster streets that d
battle was on, and more than 1000
men and boys came running down
Turk street in pursuit of the strike.
breakers, who. standing to their posts.
shot again and again into the crowds
as repeated showers of stones struck
them.
Competent observers of the rioting
expressed freely the opinion that the
tragic happenings of the afternoon
might have been in large measure
ayerted if an adequate police force
had been on hand and If the police had
been more firm.
1900 Persons on Strike.
With the street Car men. the iron.
workers. the telephone operators and
the laundry workers out, there are
more than 1900 strikers in San Fran
cisco at present SO wrought up have
the unionists become that it is
thought by many the militia will be
called out and possibly the federal
troops may be brought into the city.
General Funston is here now keeping
close watch of the situation
Governor Gillette has announcef
that he will order out the militia as
soon as it becomes apparent that tho
police can not or will not control the
situation.
Charles VI. Schwab, who was in the
city, declared that his company would
never build another ship in San Fran
cisco as long as labor conditions re-
main as they are at present. He says
the company lost $2,JOO.pO on the
last three battle ships it built for the
government because of the increased
demands Of the employees, and tke- =
creased efficiency of their work