The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-17
Cleveland's Trolley Sys-
 tenn Tied Up.
TWO THOUSAND MEN OUT
Police and Strike Sympathizers
 Mix and Many Hurt.
PropositiOn to stop Fsrther Violence and submit the Whole Matter to Arbitration Comes
 from the State.

Cleveland. O.. May 1s.-In the nidst of day of incipient rIotinx, some oloodshed, general disorder, inccuven. fence to the car-rtding public and a partial stopping of the street railway service incident to the strike of the conductors and motormen of the Mu- nlopai traction Company came a proposition tonight to stop further vlo- lence and submit the whole matter to arbitration.
 This was the situation tonight. ere ated by Joseph Bishop. member of fi,a State Board of Arbitration. Mir. Bish. op arrived here during the afternoon and immediately went Into conference with Vice-President Adoiph Behner. Of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees. He proposed that overtures be made to the company looking to a peaceful set- clement of the controversy. Mir Ben ner was apparently willing to enter Into such negotiations. Mir. Bixlop called upon President Dupont of the Municipal Traction Company. The traction head said the company was willing to arhitrate. but that the prop- osltion should come from the union.
 With the union unwilling to take the initiative. the matter of peaceful sef- clement still Is an open question. All night Mir. Bishop 1abored with the head of the union and with the head of the traction company. In the meantime disorder continued The night was made svenfful as result of the com pany rescinding an order made during the day. It was first proposed to stop all cars at dark and make no further attempts to operate until tomorrow morning. Late today the company de- eided to continue the service.
 From the moment the strlko went N-A A aa A. was more or less rioting. At Aret the men who remained at work were np- pealed to by the strikers to leave the ears.ssi When they refused 9a strtlka ar quit work. efforts were Ena89 by tho union men and aynppathiners Co force them to leave the cars. This resuited In the conductors and mat5rman being forcibiy taken from the cars. Cars wefa stopped by the placing Of obs strurtions upon tho tracks. Trolley wires ere gruk tracks were ripped ur and s8ttch points broken. One 0f tlfe kaaliAat rdlslurkAneas pcEurrea at the Lakeview car barns, when one car at tempted to ieave. 4 mob surrounded the crew. The police attempted 70 rea- cue tiie men. Stones and cluba were hurled The ofzieera used tlaeir macua. chiaf of Police Koehier was struck by stonc, but not seriously injured. At noon Mayor Johnson issued a procia- nation warning all persons that die- turbanees would not De tolerated and that disorder would be met with force adequate to suppress 1t.
 Motornan John DubIer was bedten into unconsojousness late tonight and left lying upon the street, He is thought to have been fatally Injured. Many others were roughly handled. but their wounds are not considered se- rious.
 .Ail wo wanted at the hands of the Municipal Traction Company" said President Behner. twas square deal. We gave the company days and days to settle or nrbitrate. All we got was promises. but not a promise was kept
 President Dupont of the Municipal Traction Company said;
 We have been ready from the be- ginning to arbitrate all differences be- tween the employees and the company. The offer of arbitration came from the union, and we accepted 1t. We in- tended to carry 1t in the utmost good faith.
 Mayor Johnson said tho strike was all foolish ness. and great waste, and that he hoped to bring 1t 10 q close speedily.
 Restoring scheduIes.
 While the general car service was seriously crippled during the eariN hours of the strike. the company made rapid headway in restoring schedules. Tonight fully 25 per cent of the normal service was maintained. Some ef the lines were running full. Others were not running at all. President Dupont said he expected to be able to have . normal condition throughout the city restored not later than next Monday.
 Late in the day. tEe company posted the following notice in it's ears:
 Notice to the Public:
 These cars belong to you. You should protect them"
 To give the men who worked all pos sibie protection, heavy wire screens were placed In front of the cars to shield the motormen from stones and clubs. A policeman rode on cash cas. No call has been made for outside as- distance. The police claim to De able to handle the situation. The funeral and mail cars were not interfeFed with by the strikers. The suburban cars were allowed to run direct, except in cases where the trolley wire had been cut to obstruct city cars. which neces- sarily interfered with the big aubur-