Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-16
CHESTER MEN SHOT
BY ANGRY STRIKERS
Two of the WouId-Be Strike
breakers Wounded.
MORE TROUBLE EXPECTED
First Car Out Today Is Mobbed and
Wrecked.
TROOPS WILL BE SUMMONED
Mayor johnson Censures the Com
pany for Trying to Resume
Service.


which has marked the strike OF
the motormen and conductors OF
the Chester Traction Company
occurred early today, during
which two employees of the com
pany were shot, but not seriously
injured. The company attempted
to operate car, and William
Borgmann, who acted as motor
man. was shot in the foot during
an attack on the trolley by large
crowd of strike synpathlzers
Earlier in the day William Grlese-
rner. a claim agent of the COM
pany, was shot in the leg while
leading a squad Of forty men, who
had been imported to take the
places Of the strikers, to the car
barn.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.
CHESTER. Pa. April 16.-The situa-
ton has become SO serious that the town
will probably be. under martial rule be-
fore night. At meeting between Mayor
johnson. j. Roger Fronfield. the sheriff
Attorney and City Solicitor Cochran at
noon an appeal for aid was drafted and
wired to Gov Stuart at Harrisburg. 1t
Is understood that the governor has been
asked to send troops or order state
constables back to Chester. The gov
ernor is expected to take speedy action
as he was told the situation is serious in
the extreme.
Special Dispatch to The star
CHESTER, Pa, April 1.-Two strike
breakers were shot this morning during
the ffercest riot that has marked the
strike OF the employees OF the Chester
Traction Company. S. William Borg
mann. who acted as motorman when car
No. 1 left the barns at ) o'clock, was shot
in the foot, while a revolver bullet lodged
in the leg of William Griesmier. claim
agent of the company. who was attacked
while leading a squad of forty strike
breakers.
Rioe.ng was spasmodic from midnight
on and began with an attack on the La
fayette Hotel. where the 100 strike
breakers have been housed.
An attempt to lead forty strikebreakers
from the Lafayette Hotel, at 4th and
Penn streets, to the car barns al 18th and
Edgmont street through the back streets
about 4 o'clock was soon discovered by
the watchful strikers and their sympa-
thizers. and in desperate hand-to-hand
battle the imported workers were routed
and driven, bruised and bleeding, to shell
ter in the car barns.
Griesmier, who was in charge, was hit
by a well-aimed bullet and fell in his
tracks. Strike breakers paused in their
flight long enough TO pick him up and.
with the assistance of a few police car
ried him into the barn amid a. hail of
missiles and TO the din of oatRs and cries
Shooting Was LiYely.
The rout of the strike breakers angered
arations We're made to run a car at )
oclock,} the hour when the regular city
schedule begins on the streets of Chester
Borgmann as motorman and an imported
strike breaker as conductor. Borgmann
is the man who took out the first car in
the San Francisco street car strike.
Up and get at them. Down with them.
kAl them were the shouts that arose.
Hardly had the car got two yards from
the barn before the furious attack began.
Men sWarmed aboard on both front and
rear. The trolley was jerked from the
wire. the controller was wreSted from
Borgmann's hands and the mob began
beating both him and the conductor. using
the controller as club.
Bricks stones and pieces Of lead pipe
were thrown from every side. and frns
began almost with the attack It wa:
barely light and bullets flew widely. How
many shots were fired no one knows. bu
II sounded like a volley of musketry
Sleeves were pierced. hat brims shot of
and there were remarkable escapes by th'
dozen. Men on both sides of the stree
fired at the car and narrowly missed eacl
other.
one of the bullets struck Borgmann IL
the foot and put him out of the fight
Just then a strong detachment of polic'
came up and succeeded in driving th'
crowd back. The car was left standing
cN l1e track anu ooTSTlStHil dllu the CON
ductor were hustled into the car barns
Doors were locked and barricaded. Th
police then roped off the streets adjacen
to the barns and are still on guard.
Blames the Traction Company.
Mayor Johnson quickly reached TIL
scene and his condemnation of the trac
fion company officials for attempting t
start car service without his permission
was scathing. He then called a meetin;
OF the councils committee on police a
the city hall.
IL is regarded as out of the question Il
maintain order Chief of police Penning
ton admits his men cannot cope with tn
situation.
President Rigg this morning telephone'
TO Capt John {. Grcome. commander o
the state constabulary: at his home II
Rosemont. to send the state constabulary
but was told that that could not be don'
except by official written request from
n,ror TnhpSop said hi