Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-05-16
CLEVELAND At
MERCY Of STRIKE
Street Railway Sys-
tenn Put Out of
Business
THOUSANDS WALK TO WORK
Union Employees Reject Com.
promise of Company and
Walk Out.

street car system was tied UP at S
O'Clock today by an almost unanimous
vote of the local union of the Anal.
gamated Association Of Street and
Electric Railway Employees. The
meeting began at o'clock last night
and lasted until O'Clock this morn.
ing. approximately 1850 votes were
cast. AS a result between three and
four hundred thousand patrons of ur.
ban lines this morning had to find 9th
er means of transportation.
The strike had its origin in the In.
sttution OF the three-cent fare, which
has been the chief subject of polite
al contention in Cleveland during the
past seven years. When the three
cent fare was finally adopted the
street railroads formed merger and
the new combination refused to live
J up to the agreement formerly made
with the men by the Cleveland Elec-
trio Railway company. The new com
pany offered the men a compromise
which they refused. Out of this the
present strike developed
Few Remained Loyal.
About three hundred motormen and
conductors formerly employed by the
Forest City Railway company, the
original three-cent fare line, did not
join the strikers. There were quite a
large number of men employed on 9th.
| er lines who did not quit work. The
latter were largely made up OF men
who were broken in since the strike
was first threatened ten days ago.
On many lines no attempt was made
to run cars early today, although later
an occasional car was manned and
stlt out, These cars were greeted
generally by boots and yells from
throngs Of working people who were
walking to their places of employ
ment. In one case the motorman and
conductor were pulled off and half the
car windows smashed. The police
rescued them and prevented further
trouble.
| Sympathizers Attack Cars.
A large crowd gathered at the Lake
wood car barns and trouble began
when an attempt was made to run sev
eral cars. The strike sympathizers
attacked the non.union crews and a
sharp melee followed in which a
score Of men were dubbed. Chief
Kohler and number OF policemen
dispersed the crowd and the chief
was struck in the neck with rock
A mob of strike sympathizers
armed with crowbars and other tools
attempted to tear up the tracks on st
Clair avenue near East Goth street,
labout 10 o'clock. The mob was dis
persed, however, before much damage
was done. The crew of the st. Clair
avenue cars was dragged from the car
by a mob and the conductor badly
beaten Both the conductor and mo
torman were finally rescued by the
police.
TO Employ strike-Breakers.
President Dupont Of the Municipal
Street Railway company stated this
afternoon that new men will be en-
lployed as rapidly as possible. While
/ the rioting and other viol econnnceitu
the rioting and other violence contin
ued throughout the day for the most
part this was istigated an dcarried out
by the sympathizers and not by the
former employees of the company. The
strikers appealed to the non-union
men to leave the cars and some of
them did so. Many old employees in
point of age remained loyal, but prac-
tically all Of the younger men went
out. Some Of the lines are completely
tied up while others are running in
termittently. However, even the cars
that are run are not patronized for
fear of their being attacked.
Cut Trolley Wires.
In Lakewood, large suburb, the
trolley wires Of the company were
cut this morning. Officials OF the
company claim the police Of the SUI
burb made no attempt to prevent the
destruction of its property and called
upon the sheriff for protection. A
number of deputies were sent to Lake.
wood There Is no disposition yet to
call upon the militia to assist the po.
lice in keeping peace in Cleveland,
but it is reported the Cleveland mill
tary organizations have been asked
to be prepared In the event they are
needed
JAW GOUl q NOW WORlD'