The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-28
Express Drivers Strike Has As
sumed Serious Proportions.
Frequent Riots in the Streets
of Jersey City.
ARE TERRIBLYBEATEN
Strike Breakers Are Peltsd With
Stones by Mob.
New York Drivers Are Going
Out in Sympathy.

New York, Oct 2S.-Rioting of a SER
ious character occurred today in con-
neetion with the strike Of express com
pany employees in the metropolitan
district. No fatalities were reported
but men were knocked unconscious
right and left in the assaults of mobs
on express wagons, dozens of strike
breakers were badly beaten and many
mob members were severely dubbed by
the police in repelling the attacks.
The strike originated with the en-
ployees of the United States Express
company and spread sympatheticalIy to
the Wells-Fargo, Adams and American
express companies. It has brought
shipments over the routes of these COM
panieS out of New York almost to a
standstill. Gov. Fort is understood to
be ready to call out militia in New
Jersey if the situation grows more SER
ious.
New York, Oct. 2S.-while the state
| troops of New Jersey have been order
ed to be ready to march into Jersey
! City, in the event the express strike
passes beyond the control of the po-
lice. the first outbreak of violence in
i this city occurred today at Fifth ave-
! nue. and Forty sixth street.
| There were some $50 strikers and their
sympathizers gathered at the corner
when an American Express company's s
wagon drove up. The mob pelted the
| driver with stones and grabbed the
reins. Two policemen succeeded in
/ driving the attackers back as the ex-
| press drivers turned about and gallop-
ed the horses back to the stable. There
they abandoned the outfit.
| Shortly after the first attack another
| took place at Madison avenue and For
ty-second street. The driver Of this
team saw the crowd rushing toward
him and he abandoned his horses and
fled The police dispersed the crowd.
! Decisive action of some sort on the
i New Jersey side was expected today fol-
/ lowing last nights serious rioting in
which two policemen were badly injur-
/ ed and a number of strike breakers ter
ribly beaten by a mob of strike sympa-
thizers.
Mayor witthen and Chief of Police
Monahan of Jersey City, however, in
/ sisted that the city authorities are able
to cope with the situation.
The Adams Express company made
no effort today to send out any of its
wagons. On the other hand the Amer
lean Express company determined to
carry on its street deliveries and col
I lections.
All of the drivers of the Adams Ex-
press company in Manhattan who re-
mained faithful to the company yester-
day went out on strike today. Two
nunuE6u more OF tne ne1p6rS ana dr1-
vers of the American Express company
also Joined the ranks of the strikers.
There were more disorders in Jersey
/ City today. An Adams Express COM
pany wagon was attacked near a ferry
by a crowd of men, all armed with
clubs and sticks. Stones were thrown
! and the strike breakers were badly
/ beaten. The horses were unhitched and
/ the wagon was toppled over across the
! railroad tracks. Police drove the mob
away. One strike breaker was found
unconscious.
Disorder continued throughout the
| forenoon on both sides of the river
One group of rioters in Jersey City
+ first stormed an express wagon which
had collided with a trolley car and
then attacked the car, breaking every
window in it.
The passengers fed in terror. A lit
tie later three strike breakers were
near the Erie ferry and numerically
beaten. One man was taken to a hos
pital in an unconscious condition. II
an attack on an Adams wagon neal
the Grand Central in Manhattan 6
traffic policeman was struck with {
brick and painfully injured.
/ The most serious clash yet in the ex-
press strike occurred when de-
termined mob swooped down on eight
/ wagons leaving the Wells Fargo stables
in Jersey City. Scores of persons were
injured and many knocked into un-
consciousness before the police finally
quelled the riot. Sixteen seriously in
jured strike breakers were taken
across the Hudson river to a hospital
in Manhattan.