The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-02-22

at a table with John ]. Murphy. presi-
dent of the Central Labor Union; Peter
Driscoll. president of the Amalgamated
Union. the organization that is on strike,
and one or two others.
Placed In a Cell.
They took Pratt 10 the central station
In the city hall. entered him as a boarder,
frisked him for his valuahles. and thrust
him into a fairly commodious cell.
The episode was farce comedy, the sim
gle amusing circumstance OF a troubled
day, but its results, in the opinion Of
those who have carefully analysed a dan
gerous and ominous situation, are more
likely TO be anything but funny. Pratt's
arrest has furnished him with an asset
he lacked in the strike last summer land
which he tried vainly then 10 geD, and
which he did not have in the present
strike until to-night-the satisfaction OF
being a martyr.
Now that he has been put behind the
bars. the command Of the strikers de-
wolves really upon John J. Murphy.
whose Importance lies In the fact that
he has power 10 call out from 1900 TO
10000 labor union men and paralyze every
important industry in the city of Phila-
delphia.
VIII Issue the Cali.
Murphy announced tonight that he is
going to issue the call He said that his
hand had been forced by the action OF the
police heads in arresting Pratt. but that
there seemed TO DE nothing else left
There is Just this element of hope. so far
as Industrial establishments are con-
cerned-that Murphys call may not get
an enthusiastic response.
Director Clay's totally unexpected &C
ton has rendered the whole situation
more acute even than it was earlier in
the day and things were not exactly sun
shiny then. People are afraid that 1t vii
have the effect Of unifying disgruntled
elements among the strikers, and that Il
will lead to further disorders tomorrow
Washington's Birthday. a holiday that
will send thousands of men idly upon the
streets
Murphy, Driscoll. and others hustled
around town trying 10 get bail. or a.
lease a copy Of the charges against theii
colleague.
They received promises OF more thar
enough security. but they were not abb
20 put their fingers on a copy OF tn
charges. It was plainly indicated by Cial
that Pratt would not be released tonight
that he would be held without bail. an,
that nobody vas to be permitted TO lool
at the charges.
Militia VIII BE Next.
II looks very much as if the tramp o
the Pennsylvania National Guard will b,
heard in the streets within a day or two
The happenings Of the past twelve hours
which included the dynamiting OF stree
cars. scores Of encounters between tn
police and the gangs of strikers anc
strike sympathizers, the invasion OF th'
downtown district by the disorderly ele
ment, and the apparent helplessness o
the police TO stamp out the riottng lee
Mayor Reyburn, Brig. Gen. Wendell p
Bowman. commander of the First Bri
gade: District Attorney Rotan, and Direc
tor of Public Safety Clay.
Gen. Bowman was asked how soon III
could assemble his soldiers in thei
armories and mobilize them for service
Under the act of 1850. the mayor ha.
power to call on the militia TO put dowr
riots. The mayor and Gen. Bowman adj
mitted the seriousness Of the situation
and said that arrangements are bens
made now to assemble the guardsmen.
Gen. Bowman called his stan togethe
this afternoon and outlined a possibl,
course of action He sent instruction.
to the officers Of the regiments to holC
themselves in readiness for instant serv
Ice. Undoubtedly the course of events
tomorrow will determine whether tn,
city is TO be put practically under MARTA
law and the street cars defended wifi
bayonets
Spirit of Strikers Shown.
While the rioting to-day was less wide
spread than on yesterday. and though
there were fewer persons shot and beaten
the spirit Of the strikers remained pre-
cisely the same.
The disorder was general and touche,
for the first time the business and fin
residential sections of the city. For tn
first time also, dynamite was used {
| destroy cars, There is a feeling of appre
hension among citizens, generally, tina
has cut down school attendance o pc
cent, and has cut into the business o
merchants enormously.
Gov Stuart arrived in the city this after
noon and put up at the Union League
is ready to act the minute that Mayo
Reyburr gives the word.
The first Of the fighting that the bust
ness section has seen, took place thi
afternoon in front of the Reading Termi
neal at Twelfth and Market streets :
car ran over an explosive that had beel
placed on the rail. and there was an ex
plosion that shattered every pane o
glass in the ear, hurled the conducto
against d cross seat and shook up
dozen passengers. The police say that
small dynamite bomb had been secures
to the track and exploded by percussion
cap.
MotOrman Badly Beaten.
The passengers, having picked them
selves UP from the floor. where the!
had been dashed by the shock of the ex
pIosion, ran for their lives. Some o
them we're hit by the strikers befor,
they could get free. A riot call wa
sent to the city hall. and two auto
mobiles loaded with police arrived TIL
officers did not get there in time TO saw
the motorman He was so badly beatei
that he was taken TO the jefferson Hos
pital unconscious.
The police cornered half dozen mel
who seemed to be directing the fight. an,
dubbed and choked them into submls
sion
The cars which the Transit compan,