Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-04-18
RIOTS AT CHESTER
Striking Trolley Employees Clash
With Police.
BTRIKE-BREAKERS ON SCENE
Crowd Charged State Police and Shot
Horse From Under Officer-Several
Persons Hurt. None Dangerously.
More Trouble Expected.

Chester. Pa. April 1.-THE situa
ton in the street car strike here re
mains unchanged. No cars have been
run since Monday and there has been
little disorder. The state constabulary
which was ordered down from the bar
racks at Reading to protect property
and cope with the angry strike sympa
thizers lett the city, and the local au
thorities have taken steps to strength
en- their police force
What seems to have incensed the
strikers more than anything else lie
the fact that whore the lines OF the
Chester Traction company come in
contact with the lines OF the Philadel
phia Rapid Transit company the Ches
ter employees find that they are receiv
ing. under their reduced wages about
iilty cents a day less than the men
with whom they come In contact and
who are doing about the same amount
OF work The Philadelphia Rapid
Transit company pays twenty.one
cents an hour. and the Chester en-
ployes were cut from eighteen To six
teen and twothird cents an hour
Mondays trouble started when the
strikers with lot Of sympathizers. pre-
pared to stop the running OF any cars
by strike.breakers The first car out
OF the barn was stoned by the strikers
and every window in it was broken
This absolutely tied up every line OF
cars in Chester. including the South
western trolley line to Philadelphia
The strikers congrcgated near the
trolley barns on EdgemOnt avenue. de
termined not to let the strike-breakers
who they say We're sheltered in the
barns. operate any cars. While the
strikers held themselves in readiness
to prevent the operation OF ears de
tachment OF twenty state police. in
command of Captain Groome. came
upon the scene. Their appearance
reused the ire of tho strikers and the
officers were stoned and rushed by the
mob. Lieutenant Charles Feurstein
was struck on the back Of the head
~ a stone and rendered unconscious
but he was not dangerously hurt. His
co workers came TO his rescue and the
strikers and their friends were driven
back
The strikers declared there was nc
necessity for calling out the cons'abu
larry and thar the local police. il was
said could cope with the situation
Several times during the day the
mounted men were compelled TO
charge the crowds to drive them back
and there were incipicnt riots. but the
worst disturbance came at nightfall
when the strikers augmented by sew
era thousand men and women, charg
ed the mounted state police. A number
of shots were fired and a horse be
longing To Private Sullivan was shot
from under him and killed Louis
Dunn civilian was ridden down by
one OF the troopers and seriously In
jured To add To the excitement some
one turned in an alarm of fire. and
the engines came changing through the
crowded streets. driving the people
right and left The crowd hooted the
constabulary and declared that they
would drive them out of town. The
mounted men drove their horses into
the throng and arrested half a dozen
men The firemen were instructed 70
turn the water on the strikers and
they were finally subdued