The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-03-01
VOTES BIC STRIKE.
Unions in Philadelphia Back
Up Striking Carmen.
FIERCE RlOTIN6 ON SUNDAY
Man and Boy Were Killed. Scores
Were Injured. Several Fatally.
and Many Policemen Were
Severely Beaten.

Philadelphia. Feb. 2S.-Union labor
in this city voted TO back up the strik-
ina motOrmen and conductors ia their
night against the Philadelphia Rapid
Transit company. The Central Labor
union. after a secret meeting of 600
delegates. voted for a general strike.
u go into effect next Saturday
The decision OF the union bosses
followed a day OF almost continuous
rioting. in which a man and a bow
were killed and sixty persons were
hurt. The trouble spread over the en-
tire southeastern section of the city
and fisred up generally wherever 20
lice protection was inadequate. Il was
one Of the worst days Philadelphia has
suffered since the carmen walked out
The order for a general sympathetic
strike was determined on as the only
means to force the Rauid Transit COM
pany to arbitrate with its men The
action Of the Central Labor union puts
II up 20 the Individual unions to vote
whether they want 10 strike As a mat.
ter Of fact. most Of them have voted
already TO go out.
The danger lies in this. that the
striking carmen will have the active
helI OF perhaps 10000 idle men. a
restless. dissatisfied force. that may
produce far more disorder than the
city has yet seen. The resumption OF
rioting was caused largely by the Ger
tainty that a general strike order
would be the result OF the labor meet
ing
The first serious fighting was IN
Manayunk. along Main street. \ crowd
II 1000 men and bows stoned car.
driving the mOtorman and conductor
before them. The few policemen who
were in the neighborhood We're HELM
less They were cufred and beaten and
fidIculed. Car after car was attacked
IL windows smashed with stones and
he passengers forced 70 run for their
pwn safety Fifty policemen responded
20 the FIST riot call but there we're
not enOgh OF them 10 handle the mob
Another squad OF fifty came M and
| FOR fifteen minutes there was hand
| to-hand battle. Thomas Waguer a six
teen yearoli boy. was shot I'm TIE left
brea asst and was taken 20 a hospital in
dying condition. Another boy was
shot in the hand. Sergeant Frank
Limm. OF the police. WIS knoek ed
senseless with a brick The doctors re-
ported that he had fractured skull.
Policeman Thomas RAY was struck
with q brick which broke his Jaw.
Ray was guarding car at Tenth and
South stress He started 10 shoot into
a crowd W ich had surrounded a car
and bombar led IL. hut before ne could
Se- his revolver pumping a brick had
Knocked him scnseless
4 number of persons wore hurt I'm a
dSht between TIRE police and a crowd
al Girard avenue and Fourth streets
Tie trouble was started by bovs. In
less than ten minutes four policemen
we're backed up against a wall lodging
bricks They shot into tire mob and
finally brought down Thomas Ker-
shaw. one OF the rioters with a bullet
in his neck When Endorsements ar
lived the police charged into tho mob
and dubbed savagely. HALF a dozen
persons went tn the hospital ont OF
this fight
Rio;ing Was Widespread.
The lower sOu'hf asst was ablaze with