Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-20
FOUR WOUNDED
BY BULLETS IN
STRIKE RIOTS
ONE CAR is BURNED BY SYM
PATHIZERS
CROWD OPENS FIRE ON GREW
AND GUARDS
Thirty Shots Are Exchanged, and DUR
ing Melee Gasoline Is Poured
on Car, Which Burns
to Ground
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
CLEVELAND, o., May 19-The most
serious violence of the street car strike
which has been on here since Sunday,
occurred i'm Lakewood, a suburb, TO-
night, when four men were wounded
by bullets, one car burned and an
other partially wrecked.
Trouble had been anticipated and the
first car run into Lakewood on the
Clifton avenue line carried no passen-
gers. When it stopped before a rail-
road bridge a crowd which had been
lying in wait leaped from hiding places
and opened fire on the crew and guards.
Guards w. G. James and John Swan
to returned the fire, more than thirty
shots being exchanged. While the
shooting was in progress the crowd
grew to nearly thousand. Another
car arrived and its crew Joined In the
fight. Gasoline was poured on the Sec
ond car and 1t was burned to the
trucks.
The Cleveland police were notified
and sixty officers were sent to the
rescue. The first car riddled with bull
elts, and windows broken, proceeded to
the barn.
Four Seriously Wounded
Motorman P. c. Elshols was shot in
the leg; John Gray and George Alex
shot in the chest, and Mace Burlin-
game, who was in the crowd which
made the attack, was shot In the hand
All were taken to a hospital, where
they are reported to be seriously
wounded.
An earlier disturbance occurred in
the downtown district when Yetta VOL
kinson. little girl, was killed by
car while attempting to cross the
street.
AS soon as he realized what had oc-
cured the motorman speeded the car
several blocks ahead, where the police
were notified. The conductor then left
the car and sought refuge in a nearby
drug store. A crowd attempted to
reach him. while others attempted to
catch the fleeing car. The police ar
rived just in time to save the con-
ductor, when the mob was yelling,
Lynch him! Lynch him!"
The girls head was severed from
her body. BY mistake, two morgue
keepers had been called, and when
| their dead wagons arrived one took
| the girls head and the other her body.
The frantic parents of the girl excitedly
| trying to obtain possession of the
pieces of the body, fnfiamed the mob
spirit and more serious trouble, was
narrowly averted by the police.
The state arbitrators took up the
task of endeavoring to effect a recon-
ciliation between the strikers and the
Municipal Traction company early to-
night and remained in session several
hours.
While the car service was slightly
improved today the general situation
appeared so serious tonight that pos
sibilities of a settlement now are re-
garded as somewhat remote.
The members of the Garments union
began series of meetings for the pur-
pose of arousing sympathy and to ap-
peal to the public to refrain from
using the cars until the strike Is finally
settled.
At these meetings the proposition
was advanced of petitioning the city
council to order a public vote as to
whether the franchise recently granted
and under which the Municipal Trac-
tion company is operating, shall be-
come effective. Their proposal is based
upon the new initiative and referen-
dunn law enacted a few weeks ago by
the legislature. The petition will make
1t obligatory on the council to submit
the matter to vote The movement
was started by the strikers. Should the
vote be against the franchise it would
have the effect of invalidating 1t, 1t is
claimed, and this in turn would result
in the Municipal Traction company los
ing, at least temporarily, control of
the street railway traffic here.