The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-21
Mayor Reyburn Orders Riot Act Enforced In Order
 to QueI| Disorder
THREE HUNDRED CARS
 WRECKED BY STRIKERS
Several Pedestrians Have Been Wound ed By Stray BuIIets-Men Desperate s In Their Work md Appear
 to He Determined

Philadelphia, February 20.-Rioting in every section of this city followed the attempt of the Philadelphia Rapid Tran sit company to operate its lines here to- day. Passengers and crews were driven from the cars by infuriated mobs of strike sympathizers and in nearly score of instances the abandoned cars were burned or otherwise destroyed. At night fall every car was withdrawn from service.
 Stern measures were adopted by the police to quell the disorders and riots. Five persons were arrested, charged with melting to riot. Two women were shot by stray bullets and many persons were removed to hospitals Mayor Reyburn tonight ordered Director of Police Clay to swear in 5000 additional police and issued proclamation enforcing the riot net.
 The executive committee of the Central Labor union at meeting this afternoon pledged both moral and financial support to the striking carmen. They also de- . cided to call a sympathetic strike of every union man in the city in case the
 
 operate the cars with policemen and fire men,
 During the morning hours cars were run on every line with little difficulty except in the mill district of Kensing ton, where cars were stoned by disor derly mobs. At Il o'clock the transit company officers announced that cars were running on their regular Sunday schedule.
 Shortly afterward riots were reported from several localities.
 Fire Set to Cars
 In the southern section of the city a mob of boys drove the conductor and motorman from their posts and after the four women passengers had left the car, set it on fire with waste taken from nearby freight car. The following car was also stopped and was being set on fire when detachment of police and a chemical engine reached the scene. 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
 In the usually quiet residential sections of West Philadelphia mobs were formed which for a>time baffled the police.
 Iron bars and stones were piled on the tracks and several cars were wrecked. Mounted police were powerless to dis perse the mobs here and a fire hose was finally brought into play.
 Contradictory claims are made by the opposing forces as to the number of men on strike. The leaders of the Amalga- mated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees say that 6200 men of the TOGO employed on the transit company have left their cars. The officials of the company say that $500 of their em- ployes are loyal and that regular service will be resumed at daybreak tomorrow.
 officers Are Attacked
 The importation of 175 strikebreakers from New York led to an attack on the barns and main offices of the company at Eighth and Dauphin streets this aft 'ernoon.
 Windows were broken by stones hurled by the mob which was finally dispersed after B arrests had been made.
 The most seriously injured person was 13-year-old Viola Beaven, who was shot in the abdomen by bullet from a police mans revolver as she was stepping from her home while mob was attacking five trolley cars In front of the house.
 George Fetsaup, a nurse, was also struck by stray bullet while hastening to a train. His condition is not crit ical.
 The transit officials state that 297 cars were wrecked, two completely burned and one partially burned by the mobs today. Two thousand, six hundred and eight car windows were smashed.
 The union leaders say they will force the company to arbitrate. They charge that the company has for months, by a series of petty prosecutions, been en- deavoring to force the union to strike and, finally, by discharging large num- ber of union men, practically declared . lockout.
 strikers Are Deliberate
 Wonderful attention to details was shown by those engaged in wrecking and burning the cars. Before a car was burned at Sixth and Wharton streets N a freight car a nearby siding was .forced across the street to block the possible arrival of fire engines. The pins were withdrawn from the car wheels and every possible precaution was taken to prevent the moving of the car after the torch had been applied to the cot ton waste with which it had been filled.
 Before the car at Fifth and Somerset streets was set on fire it was raised from the tracks with stone blocks. The strik- CTS and their sympathizers display ing more bitterness against the company than at any time during the strike of last summer.
 Unlike the previous strike men with union buttons were found in the mobs everywhere and they are charged with being the ringleaders in many of the dis turbances.
 More severe rioting is expected tomor- row when the company proceeds to open its line again. The orders of Mayor Reyburn to swear in 5000 additional police has also embittered the men. "A Considerable difficulty is being experi- enced by the friends of those arrested today in locating the prisoners and in securing copies of the charge. It Is claimed that prisoners are sent to sta ton houses at points far distant from the places where the arrests take place and that it is practically impossible to even locate them.
 New York Men Organizing