The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-22


bayonets and charged large
crowd OF rioters mt the Baldwin
Locomotive Works, five blocks
from the city hall, this afternoon.
The mob, which had been stoning
street cars, broke and fled before
the advance Of the soldiers.
PHILADELPHIA. PA. Feb. zz-
Although President John J. Murphy,
OF the Central Labor Union, declared
he had called O general strike OF all
the thousands OF union men In Phiia-
deiphia, no such action has been
taken officially. and the more cool
beaded union men declare such ac-
ton will not be taken.
Murphy made the statement about
the general strike after the arrest and
Imprisonment of c. Q. Pratt, the lead
er of the street car strike. who WAS
to-day held In s1.oee bail on the
charge OF melting riot.
Murphy announced early this morn
ing that he intended going to Wash
: ington to confer with President sam
uei Gompers, OF the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, and Ntce-President
John Mitchell regarding the call for
a general strike. Later he announced
that he had called a general strike.
but the various union headquarters
announced that they had received no
such official action. At least 100, 600
men would be affected If such
strike were called. Murphy was
grea&iy excited when he made his
talk about the general strike.
In union circles it Is declared Muir
ply has no authority to issue call
for a general strike, which would
have to come from the highest OFF,
eiais In tbs American Federation of
Labor, and then only after = confer
ence Of the members Of the executive
committee. Such a meeting has not
been called. 1t Is said, and little cree
dence Is given to the statement that
general strike will be called, at
least for several days.
Vote ON Strike.
Although 1t was reported a war
rant has been issued for President
Murphy. no arrest has been made.
Murphy appeared in strike head
quarters this afternoon and declared
no general strike had been called. He
said. however. that ne had sent let
ter 10 the president OF every union
in Philadelphia. asking that they as
certain how their men stood on the
question of sympathetic strike. In
order to ascertain this. a referendum
vote will have to be held by each In
dividual union. in which the members
will vote yes or mo" on the Ques-
ticn OF a sympathetic strike. Several
days will elapse before this referen-
dun vote can be held.
Even II the members vote for n
sympathetic strike Il Will be deferred
as long as possible. and will not be
called Until no other method appears
open To win the street ear strike. The
vote will merely ascertain the views
OF the men and will not call the strike
until IL Is thought by the strike lead
ers To be absolutely necessary,
There have been number OF min
or strike riots during the day. but
few were hurt.
The strike situation to-day Is cha
otto. none of the union pien seeming
TO know from whom TO take orders.
II Is this chaotic situation that the
street car officials are endeaSoring to
foster, believing that In aissenssen
among the unions themselves can be
found a means for breaking the strike
quickly.
Ugly Mood.
The arrest Of Pratt has put the
strikers and their syrnpataixers in an
ugly mood and the police believe to.
day will be marked with many riots.
To prevent this strict orders have
been issued to prevent the collection
OF any cfo"os AZ "hy PoAs va NaS
city.
Pratt was arrested last night as he
was dining with Murphy and Driscoll
In a restaurant on Ninth street. He
took his arrest calmly. bur Murphy
was incensed and declared a general
strike was sure to follow. 1t " de-
clared that union men all over the
city are In favor of the strike. and
that II Gompers and Michel VIII
sanction 1t every union man here viii
lay down his tools. completely para
lying business.
The arrest OF Pratt has done more
than anything else to anger the
uniopists, and they are threatening
civil and criminal suits as result.
While the specific cause that led
to the arrest Of Pratt Is kept secret,
1t IL understood to have resulted from
= riot in the afternoon. when several
hundred strikers, unable to get into a
mass meeting at the labor lyceum.
marched through the streets to Mer-
camille Hall. at Franklin and Poplar
streets, where Pratt addressed them.
Wreck Car.
Here the crowd stopped and wreck
ed q car. Detective O'Conner, who
later arrested Pratt. was In the crowd.
and It was he who swore out the war
rant,
& Few cars were run to-day, from
four TO six uniformed policemen being
required on the platforms Of each that
left tho barns.
Owners OF omnibuses and covered
wagons are reaptng harvest OF quar-
tiers and halves. They have estab-
lished regular routes through those
sections In which the car service -
most crippled and are carrying great
crowds.
The striking motormen and con-
dackoTa are .gAlltng newspapers on the
street corners and fartng well. few
passing by without giving them some
thine.
OF normal complement of more
thnu 1900 cars, the of1ciais Of PhtIa-