The sun., 1910-02-22

ers ON Plan te Bring I'm seadfsrs -
Guard Cars and Protect Prspsrty-~
President Of Central Labsr Unlsp
Threatens TO Tie Up An Rndustry lalk
Tramc Shut Down at e'Cleck Ez-
Observation-Disclosures Line Enciderl<s
OT Street Barricsdes and FxghalR3
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 2t.-Clarence. o.
Pratt, the captain general OF the army u
carmen who are striking against the Phila-
delphia Rapid Transit Company. wa
arrested tonight and jueged. ohAfesd
with conspiracy and melting riot.
Pratt was delighted and when thu csij
door slammed upon him he skipped up and
down the stone floor whistling and laugh
ing.
The Director Of Public Safety. Xeugy
Clay. who bosses. under Mayor Rsybcsp-
a force OF policemen. that has proved
wholly Ineffective. called four plain clo1hs4
men into his Office this evening and told
them to get the strike leader whersysr NJ
could be found. Hehad an idea. did Cay.
that Pratt would chow hght and that thefe
would be fine shindy that would furkhsx
discredit the strikers.
The quartet OF detectives heard sk&kk
Pratt was taking dinner &C Laubos'g
restaurant at Ninth and FiIbert strcefe
and they approached Lauber,a afksf IA
manner OF sleuths. going by back stfeee&
and avoiding the electric lights.
They bounced into the raaaAufant
suddenly and located Pratt At . tkhla
with John ]. Murphy. presidens a. thA
Central Labor Union; Peter Drsecoli.
president OF the Amalgamatsd Bnlon.
the organization that is on strikss ana
one or two heutenants.
o'Connor. one OF the detectives. Touched
Pratt on the shoulder. Il have q w8fsaznz
for your arrest said the detsctivs.
"Fine.' said Pratt y
you'll have to come right al0nu.s
said o O'Connor.
Delighted said the striks isoAsr.
but there isn't any rush. glaess. Gl9
down and have dinner with me-
"Can't be done.' said O'Connor.
swell. have q drink anyway. RNte
suggested.
"Neyer drink, said o Conner.
-All right Pratt answered. rising Tor
his hat and overooat. SITS y plsasuns
to be pinohed by such an exemplary rnnn.
They took Pratt to the centralstatacus
in City Hall. entered him n q bonrssr,
frisked him for his valuables aad thrus1
him into q fairly oommodious ceii.
A group OF reporters In the oorr3Aor
outside Pratt's quarters notlced hi1
hilarity. @WhAt's the idea. comnso-
dore7- one OF them asked.
SOLID IVORY said Pratt. wagg11E 3
thumb toward the ofiice where ths poIEo&
executives sit In state. va
The episode was farce COMEDY. ~
single amusing circumstance cf q tyo0U411
day. but its results IN the opinion % thc9e
who have carefully analysed . danGsrnts
and ominous situation are more t1an
likely TO DO anything but funny. y.
Pratt's arrest has furnished him WAN
an asset he lacked IN the strike lnet aros-
mer-and which he tried vainly thcn -
get-and which he did not have n t<1aA'
present strike until to-night-ths satf9-
faction OF being martyr. ".
Now that he has bean put bshind ~
bars the command Of the strikew1 -
wolves really upon John J. MrpAy.
whose importance lies In the fnu1 thar
he has power to call out from $4,000 ~ \
10000 labor union men and paralYnn
every important industry In thu city o.
Philadelphia. N
What's more. John J. Murphy announcei
tonight that he is going 10 Issue the t&Ik
He said that his hand had bean forced
by the action OF tho police heads In arrsa4-
ing Pratt. and there seemed TO be n0shin1
else left.
There is just this element Of hops o.
far as Industrial establishments ase
Q oncernett-that Murphy's call may net
get an enthusiastic response. GenerellF
speaking, workingmen are pretty weli
satisfied and may hesitate TO follow a
single union that has been PLACED a 4
tactical and moral DISADVANTAGES by aha
Rapid Transit Company.
Director Clay's totally unexpected
action has rendered the whole situAtloN
more acute even than IL was earlier n
the day. and things were not exautiy sun-
shiny then. People are afraid that ~
will have the effect Of unifying dis@runtied
elements among the strikers and thak
il may lead TO further disorders to-mor-
row, washington's Birthday. holiday
that will send thousands Of men upon
the streets idle. The danger which iisA
in that was sxemplihed on sunday. day
OF extraordinary violence.
John j. Murphy. Driscoll and othsr1
hustled around town trying TO get bail
or at least a copy OF the charges againss
thar colleague. They received promises