New-York tribune., 1908-05-20
CLEVELAND BLOODSHED
SERIOUS STRIKE RIOTS.
Mob of Thousand Would Lynch
MotOrman Who Killed Child.

| Cleveland. May 19-Rioting became NOR,
general and serious in the street railway strike
| late to-day. The first death, while not a par
| of the strike, but incident to it. occurred wher
| Yetta Wolkinski. four years old, was run over
! by car operated by inexperienced motor
man. A crowd quickly gathered and would
/ have lynched the motorman had he not turned
| on full speed and escaped.
| In Lakewood car was stopped and the
crew fired upon Four persons were shot and
| seriously injured. and the car was burned to
! the trucks.
The first disturbance in the downtown section
also took place after dark, when a Woodland
car was held up ION Ontario street and the
motorman and conductor attacked Tie police
dispersed the rioters.
The burning OF Clifton Boulevard car in
Lakewood was the most serious riot of the
strike, which is four days old The car
was bound toward the western terminal when
1t was halted by a log thrown across the
tracks 1t was the first effort to operate a car
IN Lakewood, and the carried no passen-
gers, as trouble was expected. AS soon as the
car stopped 1t was surrounded by a crowd of
rioters VINO we're hidden behind railway
bridge. Immediately the crowd began shoot
ing at the members of the crew and guards
The latter w. j. James and John Swanto re-
turned the fire More than thirty shots we're
exchanged
While the shooting was IN progress the crowd
grew to nearly a thousand. Another car arrival
and its crew and guards Joined in the freefor
all fight Gasolene was poured upon the second
car and it burned to the trucks. The Cleveland
police We're Informed. and sixty officers were
sent to the rescue. The first car riddled with
bullets and windows broken, proceeded to the
barn
P. c. Elsholz. motorman. shot in the leg:
John Gray and George Alexander, guards on the
second car, were shot in the chest Mace Bur
lingame, who in the crowd which made the
attack, was shot in the hand. All were taken
to hospital, where they were reported to be
in a serious condition.
Yetta Wolkinski. the child who was killed was
struck by Woodland avenue car while at |
tempting to cross the street. 1t is said the in
motOrman was unable to control the
car. As soon as he realized what had occurred !
he speeded the car several blocks ahead, where |
the police were informed The conductor had |
left the car and sought refuge in a nearby drug |
store. The crowd attempted to reach him. while |
others attempted, to catch the fleeing car and |
assault tn" motorman. The police arrived just |
in time to save ire conductor and while the |
mob yelling Lynch him, Lynch him."
The little girls head had been severed from
Ter body. BY mistake two morgue keepers had
been called. When their wagons arrived one
ook the girls head and the other her body.
The frantic parents of the girl, excitedly trying
o obtain possession of the severed parts of the
,ody, inflamed the mob spirit and serious
rouble narrowly averted by the police.
The state arbitrators took up their task of en-
leavoring to effect reconciliation between the
strikers and the Municipal Traction Company
arly to- night and remained in session several
ours.
III /
o-day, the general situation appeared ser-
us tonight that possibilities of "a settlement
re regarded remote.
The members of the car mems union began a
cries of public meetings to arouse public sym
athy and to appeal to the public refrain
rom using the until the strike finally is |
ettled
At these meetings the proposition also OF pc
toning the City Council to order public vote
s to whether the franchise, recently granted
nd under which the Municipal Traction Com ]
any is operating. shall become effective. This
ropositon is based upon the initiative {
nd referendum law enacted by the State Legis-
ture few weeks ago
At midnight the police had reports of dozen
more cases of cars having been partially
imaged by the explosion of what they term
iroad torpedoes. A bomb was reported to
I'VE been found in a Wade Park avenue car
IL passed along superior avenue, III the
Isiness section.
Altogether seventeen persons received minor
juries during the day and night the result a
encounters between strikers, streetcar en- 81
Dyes and the police
To aid the police OF the suburbs in the protec- n
m of cars Sheriff McGorray has made ar II
ngements for the employment Of two hundred .
puties. -
rhe first suburban trolley attacked 7,
len a Cleveland and Southwestern car was
rtly wrecked Lorain avenue late tonight a.
e front OF the car was demolished by \
Mantle cartridge. No was seriously hurt
lADSWORTH POSTMASTER REMOVED
fBy Telegraph The Tribune
feiina y. Y. May 10 R. Titus Coann a Nads-
rth postmaster in Albion. was removed by Presi- -
II Roosevelt to-day. and Samue. Mlby a strong ~
,elent Of the stertnsPorter faction ap-