Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-02-22
CARS TIED UP BY
RIOTS YESTERDAY
POLICE FINALLY FIRE INTO THE
CROWDS, BULLETS HITTING
LITTLE GIRLS; LABOR LEADERS
SUPPORT MEN.

Philadelphia, Feb. 21.-ln spite Of
Yesterdays severe rioting, the Phila-
delphia Rapid Transit company, start
ed an early morning schedule today
without apparent interruption by the
strikers or their sympathizers. Motor
men and conductors who had slept in
the barns on cots provided by the
company manned the cars, protected
by policemen on both platforms. Not
a missile was thrown, however, on the
early morning trips. The cars carried
few passengers.
The strikers claim that $500 out of
about 1000 are on strike and that the
company is running the cars with
strike breakers and power house en-
ployes. The company declares 1T is
operating SIX hundred cars with its
own employees and has imported no
men.
There was serious riot in the mill
district this afternoon. Dynamite was
exploded under car and it was COM
pletely wrecked. There were no pas
sengers and previous to the dynamit.
ing the mob ordered the crew off the
car. The police arrived and with
drawn revolvers cowed the mob. Sew
eral arrests were made
Sundays rioting in every section OF
the city followed the attempt Of the
Philadelphia Rapid Transit company
to operate its line here yesterday. Pas
sengers and crews were driven from
cars by tnfuriated mobs of strike SYM
pathizers and in nearly score Of In
stances the abandoned cars were burn
ed or otherwise destroyed. At night
fall every car was withdrawn from
service.
Vigorous measures were employed
by the police to quell the disorders.
Five persons were arrested charged
with melting to riot Two girls were
struck by stray bullets and many per-
sons were removed to hospitals.
Mayor Reyburn last night ordered
Director of Police Clay to swear in
5000 additional police and issued a
proclamation enforcing the riot act.
Threaten General Strike.
The executive committee Of the Cen
trail Labor Union at meeting yester-
day afternoon pledged both moral and
financial support to the striking car
men. 1t also decided to call a sym
pathetic strike of all the union men in
the city in case the authorities put
in effect their threat to operate the
cars with policemen and f1remen.
During the morning hours cars were
run on all lines with little trouble.
Shortly after Il o'clock, however, riots
were reported from scores of widely
separated localities.
At Twenty-sixth and Wharton
streets, in the southern section Of the
city, mob Of boys drove conductor
and motorman from their posts and
after the four women passengers had
left the car was set on fire.
Two Girls Wounded.
In this same section Mary Devlin
aged 16 years, was shot in the leg
when the police fired their revolvers in
an effort to check the mob.
Viola Beaver, 13 years old, was the
other girls shot. She was struck in
the abdomen by stray bullet from a
policeman's revolver as she was step
ping from her home at 929 North Thir.
teenth street while mob was attack.
ing five trolley cars in front of the
house. Her injuries are the most seri.
Gus of any of those hurt.
George Feltsaup, aged % years, a
nurse in the Friends asylum, was also
struck by a stray bullet while hasten
ing to train. His condition is not re
garded as critical