Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-08
REFUSE TO PAY
FARE DEMANDED
THROWN BY OFFICIALS FROM
ELECTRIC CAR
sHoEsTRINe DECISION URGED
BY PASSENGERS
Members of Manchester Improvement
Association viii Bring Action
Against Company and AlIene
Treatment Was Brutal

Driven to desperation by the persis-
tent refusal of the Los Angeles Rail-
way company to grant five-cent fare
to the residents OF that part of the city
lying between Manchester and Slau-
son avenues, in the extreme southern
portion of Los Angeles, thirty enranged
citizens, all members of the Manches-
ter Improvement association, refused
to pay the extra nickel yesterday morn
ing and in the melee which followed
five men were thrown from the car
AS the men got back on the car as fast
as they were thrown off the police
were telephoned for and the car was
met at Tenth street and Broadway by
a sergeant and officers who took the
names of the recalcitrants and in
formed them they would hear from the
police later.
1t is the contention of the residents
of this district that they are within
the city limits, that the southern bound
ary of he city is now Manchester ave.
nue., and that therefore the company
has no right to charge more than the
one fare. The company has been in
the habit of collecting a second fare
from Slauson avenue and 1t was the
refusal to pay this fare that caused a
small riot on the car.
This action was determined upon at
a meeting of the Manchester Improve
ment association called for the purpose
last Friday. j. B. Cook, vice presi-
dent of the association, was one of
those forcibly removed from the car
The most brutal treatment was ac-
corded to Charles L. Shaw, according
to witnesses. Both Shaw and Cook
will at once bring suit against the
company and the others probably will
join in. 1t Is said that $500 will be
raised by the association to aid In the
fight and pay the expenses of the diff
ferent suits.
The story as told by r. w. Graham,
who has a real estate office at Man
chester and Moneta avenue, is as fol-
lows:
when we reached Sixty-first street
the conductor came around for the sec
women, refused. The car was stopped
and with the help of the motorman the
process of election began. We made no
resistance and unnecessary force was
used in at least one case, that of
Charles L. Shaw. The conductor
grabbed him about the neck and the
motorman got him bv the legs To
keep from being thrown headlong to
the pavement he had to hold to the
conductor. In the scuffle the conduc-
tors face was scratched by a pin which
Shaw wore on his lapel. Then they put
off ]. B. Cook. Ole Nelson, Valley and
otto Packmeyer. woman whom
when they took hold of her. 1t is for
tunate that she did, for the men in
the car were restraining themselves
with difficulty and a riot was avoided
by the narrowest margin.
"As the men were elected from the
car they all went to the other end and
got back on. When the crew found
their task impossible they 'phoned to
central station and also to the office
of the company.
This is but the first step in the war
which we shall make against the COM
pany. At meeting of the improve
ment company Tuesday further action
will be determined upon. 1t may take
the form of an injunction against the
company, for the citizens of our dis
trict will not wait for the long legal
proceedings that the city attorney may
institute. The company is doing us
a great injustice after the decision OF
the supreme court that we are part
of the city, and the agreement between
the company and property owners who
gave them the right of way expressly
stipulates for five-cent fare"
Mr. Cook said that as long as the
question of the legality of the annexa-
tion of the Manchester district was
under dispute the residents of that dis
trict were willing to pay the extra
fare, but when the courts decided the
annexation was legal he thought the
company, of their own Will, should
have reduced the fare.
1--WE called on the mayor last week
and were advised to take the matter
up with the city attorney, who has the
consent of the city council to bring
suit against the company. But mean
time are we to go on swelling the cof-
fers of the company with Illegal fares
which we never in the world will be
able to get returned to us? The method
adopted by the demonstration this
morning will be continued"