The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-17
Riot Follows Attempt to
Run Cars in Chester,
Pa, Strike.
OPERATED WITHOUT
MAYORS PERMIT
Mayor Condemns Company
for Attempt to Operate
Without His knowledge
Two Strike Breakers
Were Shot in Riot That
Attended First Car.
Special to The Journal.


Chester, Pa, April 16.-Two strike
: breakers were shot this morning in
ifhe fiercest riot that has marked the
Istrike Of the employees of the Chester
FTract-on Company. S. William Borg
Eunann. who acted as mOtOrman when
lear No. l left the barns at o'clock
|Pthis morning, was shot in the foot,
fwhile a revolver bullet lodged in the
faeg of William Griesmier, claim agent
Eof the company, who was attacked
tw-hile leading a, squad of 40 strike
Breakers
Rioting was spasmodic from mid
Knight on. and began with an attack
BON the Lafayette hotel, where the 100
kstrikebreakers have been housed. An
battempt to leaod 40 strikebreakers
mrom the Lafayette, at Fourth and
EPenn streets, to the car barns at Thir-
Feenth and Edgmont streets through
Mhe back streets about o'clock was
ksoon discovered by the watchful
bstrikers and their sympathizers, and
lin a desperate hand-to-hand battle
the imported workers were routed and
ldriven, bruised and bleeding, to shell
liter in the car barns
Griesmier. who was in charge, was
khit by a well-aimed bullet and fell il
this tracks The strikebreakers paus-
WI III tuO1f I0nS CnOuSn plCh
Ehim up and, with the assistance of a
Flew police, carried him into the barn
Eamid the hail OF missiles and to the
laccompaniment of oaths and cries.
Tried to Operate Car.
4 Following the rout of the strike
lAbreakers, the traction company offic-
'tsfa3 made paratfers to- run G car
tat 8 o'clock, the hour when the regu-
Har city schedule begins on the street
fof Chester.
II came out promptly on the hour
Erwfth BorgmannA and an imported
kstrikebreaker as conductor. Borg
fmann is the man who took out the
first car in the San Francisco street
car strike.
Get up and get at them!" Down
with. them!" xiii them!" were the
fshouts which arose. Hardly had the
fears got two yards from the barn be-
fore the furious attack began. Men
iswarmed aboard on both front and
rear the trolley was pulled from the
wire, the controller wrested from
,Borgmann's hands and the mob be-
gan beating him and the conductor,
using the controller and club.
Missiles Flew Fast.
Bricks, stones and pieces of lead
pipes were thrown from every side
flew wildly. How many shots were
kired no one knows, but it sounded
dikS volley of musketry. Sleeves
were pierced, hat brims shot of ana
there were remarkable escapes by the
dozens. Men on both sides fired and
lnarrowly missd each other. One of
1.-THE bullets struck Bergman on the
foot and put him out of the fight.
Just then a strong detachment of po-
Nicemen came up the street and
drove the crowd back. The car was
left standing on the track, and Borg
mann and the conductor were hustled
into the barns. The doors were lock-
ed and barricaded. The police roped
of the streets adjacent to the barns,
and are still on guard.
Mayor Becomes Angry.
Mayor Johnson quickly reached the
scene and his condemnation of the
TRACTION company officials for attempt
dng to start car service without his
permission was scathing.
II is regarded as out of the ques-
fion to maintain order. Chief of ro-
s1ice Pennington admits that his men
cannot cope with the situation.
Sergeant Modem of the Chester po-
lice force was handed a dynamite
torpedo as he came out of the car
barns at 10 O'Clock this morning. 1t
had been placed on the street car
track at Thirteenth street and Edge
mont avenue, hut had rolled off on
the pavement. The man who gave it
90 Modem said:
Sergeant. you are too good a fell
Sow to be killed in this manner"
The torpedo was an improvised af-
fair. about as large as a walnut and
covered with tin. Sergeant Modem
turned il over to Chief Pennington,
who ordered il destroyed.
All the city officials are in consul
tation in regard 10 the situation, and
the police admit the disturbances are
beyond their control.