Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-21
STRIKE MOB
TERRIFIES
QUAKER
CITY
Cars Torn from Rails
and Burned by
Sympathizers
MANY ARE SHOT
3OOOExtra Police Or
dered SWOrn--RiOt
Act Enforced

n nHILADELPHIA, Feb. 20.-Rioting
in every section of the city fol-
- lowed the attempt of the Phila-
delphia Rapid Transit company to
operate its lines here today.
Passengers and crews were driven
from cars by infuriated mobs of strike
sympathizers, and in nearly score of
instances the abandoned cars were
burned or otherwise destroyed.
At nightfall every car was with
drawn from service. Stern measures
were adopted by the police to quell
the disorders. Five persons were ar
rested charged with melting to riot.
Two women were shot by stray bull
lets, and many injured persons were
taken to hospitals
Mayor Reyburn tonight ordered Di-
rector of Police Clay to swear in 5000
additional police and issue a proc
lamation enforcing the riot act.
The executive committee of the CEN
tral labor union this afternoon pledged
both moral and financial support to
the strikers. They also decided to call
a sympathetic strike of every union
man in the city in case the authorities
put into effect their threat to operate
the cars with policemen and firemen.
In the morning cars were run on
every line with little difficulty except
in the mill district of Kensington,
where cars were stoned by mobs
At II o'clock transit company Off
cials announced cars were running on
their regular Sunday schedule. Short
ly afterward riots were reported from
scores of widely separated localities.
In the southern section mob or
bows drove a conductor and motor
man from their posts and, after the
four women passengers had left the
car, set it on fire. The car following
was stopped also and was being set
on fire when detachment of police
and a chemical engine reached the
scene.
In this same section Mary Devlin,
16 years old, was shot in the leg when
the police fired their revolvers in an
effort to check the mob.
In the usually quiet residence section
of West Philadelphia mobs for time
baffed the police. Iron bars anu
stones were piled on the tracks and
several cars were wrecked. Mounted
nolice were powerless to disperse the
mobs and d fire hose was brought into
play.
Contradictory claims are made by
the opposing forces as to the .nunper
of men on strike. Leaders of the street
car union say that 5000 of the 1000 en-
pIoves of the transit company have
left their cars. Officials Of the com
pany say that $500 of their employees are
ioyal and that regular service Will be
resumed at daybreak.
Strike=Breakers Imported
The importation of IT'S strikebreakers
from New York led to an attack on
the barns and many offices of the COM
many this afternoon. Windows were
broken by the mob, which was finally
dispersed after thirty-fiYe arrests had
been made
1,he most seriously injured person
was 13-year-old Viola Beaven, shot IN
the abdomen by a stray bullet from
policeman'S revolver as She was step
ming from her house when mob was
attacking five cars in front OF It,
George Feltsaup, a nurse, also was
struck by stray bullet when hasten-
fng to a train. His condition is not
critical
cars were wrecked, two completely
burned and one partially burned to-
day. Two thousand. six hundred and
eight car windows were smashed.
Union leaders say they will force the
company to arbitrate. They charge the
company has for months, by a series OF
petty prosecutions, been endeaVoring
10 force the union to strike, and finally,
by discharging a large number of union
men practically declared a lockout.
Wonderful attention to details was
shown by those engaged in wrecking
and burning cars. Before the car was
burned at Twenty-siXth and Wharton
streets a freight car ON nearby sid
ing was forced across the street to
block the possible arrival of fire en-
qines. The pins were withdrawn from
car wheels and every precaution taken
TO prevent the moving of the car after
the torch had been applied.
Before the car at Fifth and Somer-
set streets was set on fire 1t was raised
from the tracks by stone blocks.
strikers and their sympathizers are
displaying more bitterness against the
comnany than at any time in the
strike last summer At no time in the
former strike was the rioting so wide
snread, nor were so many persons en-
Gagged in attacking the cars.
Unlike the previous strike, men with
union buttons were found in the mobs
today everywhere, and they are
charged with being the ringleaders In
MANY disturbances. More rioting is
expected tomorrow.
Orders of Mayor Reyburn to swear
in 5000 additional police have embit-
tered the men.
Much diffiouitv is being experienced
nv friends of those arrested In today $
riots in finding the prisoners and IN
getting copies of the charges. IL is
Claimed that prisoners are being sent