The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-03
Attempt to Run Street Cars In Philadelphia Causes
 Fierce Fights
CARS ARE WRECKED AND
 BURNED BY THE RIOTERS
Imported Strike-Breakers Are Disap- pointing to the Street Car Com. pany as They Desert Their
 Cars Too Quickly.

Philadelphia, June Zone policeman shot ard probably fatally injured, and probably hundred persons bruised and battered either by policemen strike sympathizers and five cars wrecked and then burned. is the result of an attempt OF the part of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit company to operate their cars tonight by imported strike-breakers.
 The point at which the most serious rioting occurred is known as the Ken sington mill district. In this section of the city there lives nearly every nation- ality, the foreign element predominating When the traction company announced this afternoon that cars would be run tonight nearly all the storekeepers in the Kensington district knowing the temper of the residents there, closed their stores promptly at o'clock.
 As one car after another left the barn, crowds stood on the street corners in sullen silence. Finally boy cried "scab' and immediately he was pursued by po- liceman who was riding on a car As the officer started for the youth the crowd closed in upon him and so quick ly was this done that he was unable to draw his revolver. This weapon was taken from him and is believed to have been the same revolver with which Po- liceman Levy was shot a few minutes later
 Fire Bursts Out.
 The fire which had been smouldering DOW burst into a flame of fury. The ob- jective point was Allegheny avenue, and in less than an hour seven cars were WrnpRad five heinar al and burned. The police officials were powerless at the moment to combat the mob, but riot call brought half hund- red bluecoatas to the scene and the crowd was driven back.
 But the damage had been done and there was but little need of the pre- servers of the peace as long as no at- tempt was made to run cars from the barn.
 While this serious disturbance was in progress in the northeaStern section of the city there were ineipient riots at the car barns at Sixteenth and Jackson streets, in the downtown district and at Forty-ninth and Woodland avenue and Forty-first street and Haverford ave- rue in the West Philadelphia district The crowd grew menacing when an at tempt was made to run the cars from the downtown barns and a policeman who endeavored to quell the disturbance was tucked in water trough Twenty five plain clothes men and policemen were rushed to the scene on a special trolley and after the cars were run back into the barn there was no further trouble.
 Attacks In Many PIaces.
 While the most serious rioting occurred in the mill district In Kensingnton cars were attacked in many other parts of the city. In West Philadelphia dynamite cans were placed the tracks and crowds stoned the rike-breakers when they attempted to bring out cars. fore ing them to return to the barn. In the downtown section conductors and motor men were pulled from their cars and their clothes torn from their backs by mobs of strike sympathizers. In some cases the terrified strike breakerp had to be taken to private houses and guarded by police to save them from bodily harm. In Kensington there were five big riots and all evening Kensington avenue, the main thoroughfare of the district, was filled with bowling mob. So far can be learned the striking street car men themselves did not take any part in the rioting. They were kept by their lead CTS in their various meeting places. @The imported strike-breakers proved to be a disappointment to the company, many of them deserting their cars at the first sign of trouble and leaving them standing in the street at the mercy of
 
 strikers for aid to return to New York saying that they had been brought here under misapprehension.
 Policeman Shot.
 During the course of the Kensington riots Policeman Levy was shot in the back of the head and is said to be in a dying condition. In the same section one lot of five cars were piled in the street after being partially demolished -faer rfa on fire. At least 100 persons have been more or less seriously injured. The com pany claimed during the day to have op- erated few morel cars than on previous days Chairman Pratt of the union admitted that some additional cars had been run with strike breakers, but said the strik- CTS had won over more of the old men, and none of the men who had gone on strike were weakening. The Central Labor union has determined t, take advantage of the political feat ures involved in the strike, and at a meeting of its committee tonight decided to issue a call upon all of its members and sympathizers to celebrate next Satur- 1 day, which Is primary election day here, as white ribbon day. The white ribbon is 1 the emblem chosen by the striking car men. Their sympathizers asked by the Central Labor union to wear this em- blen on election day and to vote for Clarence Gibboney for district attorney anc President Murphy of the union for | city treasurer, in opposition to the slated | republican nominees.
 An attorney for the strikers today | caused warrants to be issued for the ar rest of two policemen who are aaaeged 1 to have struck one of the strikers without l s'fficient provocation. Writs of habeas | corpus have also been issued for the re- | lease of strikers who have been commit ted to prison. ,